<p>@Elouie</p>
<p>I live in Fisher, over near the western point of the Quad (colloquially known as “The Nipple”). The room sizes and layouts vary from building to building, but the most common dorms (at least in Fisher) are either doubles (one room) or triples (which have a common room and two bedrooms attached). Some of the rooms come with sinks, but they’re randomly distributed. Lounges are well outfitted and people spend a lot of time in them–some have sinks, a couple have kitchens, and most/all have televisions, snack machine(s), couches, tables, whiteboard space, etc. The halls are usually pretty tight knit (and that goes for ALL of the Quad); RA/GAs organize a lot of cool trips and events and meals and lots of floormates go on to room with each other in the year or two following their time in the Quad. Some floors are themed (“residential programs”) and so they have different policies, events, and occasionally guest speakers on their subject of interest. For example, I applied for, and now live in, the “Substance-Free Living” residential program, where all of the residents agree not to come back to the hall under the influence of any drugs or alcohol or bring anybody over that is in that condition. Our living space is cleaner, quieter, and generally less party-oriented than some of the other halls, which is nice. There aren’t exactly many events that relate to sub-free, per se, but it’s still great to be within a smaller community in the house.</p>
<p>There are 6 laundry rooms in the Quad (free laundry!), a handful of small workout rooms, some music practice rooms, a few bigger lounges with pool tables and other games, and several computer labs with fully outfitted desktops. I don’t know about the rest of the Quad, but Fisher has a 24/7 silent study lounge which has desks, tables, couches and carrels. There’s also a quiet library at the top of the Memorial Tower where Fisher meets Ware.</p>
<p>McClelland is the building under the balcony in the middle of the Quad and it has a limited dining hall, a small grocery store, and lots of space to study and meet. It’s open at all hours (though dining isn’t) and the package room that services the whole Quad is in the basement. The dining is based on the “Meal Equivalency” system, which means that you get an entree, a couple sides, and a drink with each swipe; it’s not all-you-can-eat like the other larger dining halls. There’s a salad bar all day and they usually serve distinct breakfasts, lunches, and dinners which range from grits and pancakes and sausage in the mornings to sandwiches, stirfry, noodles, etc. in the afternoons and evenings. The choices are nowhere near as diverse as the other dining halls, but if you’re not a particularly picky eater, the convenience more than makes up for it.</p>
<p>All in all, I love living in the Quad. It’s beautiful, close to the academic buildings, and very freshman-oriented. The other buildings (highrises, Du Bois, KCECH, etc.) are fine for freshmen, but I feel like the Quad is definitely worth shooting for.</p>