<p>I’m really interested in the residence based advising program, but before I possibly commit to staying in Next for all four years, what are the pros and cons of Next? </p>
<p>McCormick seems pretty cool too,sigh too bad I’m not a girl.</p>
<p>Just to be clear, by no means will you ever end up having to commit to a single dorm, especially not for multiple years.</p>
<p>The main con of Next is distance - no dorm is farther from main academic buildings. I personally find that con to have no weight whatsoever, though, because of Next’s pros: best dining hall, social and diverse student population, etc.</p>
<p>i read on some blog somewhere, probs Jesse k’s, that Next has rlly sucky bathrooms. Even so, I might rank Next as my first choice. as for distance, I’ll bring a bike or take the shuttle.</p>
<p>it seems to have an active chinese community. it’s also very very very very far from everything. RBA is viewed by some as a bit of a negative factor, although it is not as restrictive anymore at Next. Overall, it’s not one of the more popular dorms; so if you select it first, you likely will get your wish.</p>
<p>[How</a> many freshmen designated each residence as their first choice? - The Tech](<a href=“http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N32/housing/table2.html]How”>http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N32/housing/table2.html)</p>
<p>^ Part of the reason might just be that not many freshmen were aware that RBA was no longer binding.</p>
<p>As for the Next bathrooms, oh yeah. It’s like they designed the showers to induce ankle breakage or something. :P</p>
<p>“RBA is viewed by some as a bit of a negative factor” - what are the cons of RBA?</p>
<p>Less seminar options.</p>
<p>might be just my bad luck or sumthin, but i stayed at next during cpw, and the room reeked of chemicals(wasnt dirty laundry or armpits or farts or anything biological)</p>
<p>really? chemicals? was it always there? What chemicals? i don’t think i can stay in a dorm that’s full of chemicals yet i would designate next as my first choice. well, after REX, i can always move out, right?</p>
<p>I’ve never smelled chemicals Next House. Maybe shawn9061’s host is a closet chemist…</p>
<p>Next is nice enough. But when you’re walking, it’s always the next house… 
Solid Asian community if you’re looking for that.</p>
<p>I live at Next House and I absolutely love it there. The people are amazing and all really friendly. I strongly suggest you talk with people living at all the dorms before making your final housing decision after REX.</p>
<p>Next House does have one of the best dining halls. I have eaten at all the other dining halls (including NW35) and what strikes me different about Next’s is that is seems people actually WANT to eat in dining and not just grab food and go. Every day, you’ll see people sitting at the tables, chatting away and having a good time. I’ve known people who were really hosed to just drop by dining, say hi, before heading back to their rooms for work. We have a really close knit community at Next.</p>
<p>Also, I feel that Next House is really open amongst wings. While each wing has its own culture, it’s really easy for you to hang out with people in another wing. For example, even though I lived in 5W last year, I spent A LOT of time hanging out in 3W and 2E. This isn’t the case for a lot of the other dorms; Burton Connor has suite style and Macgregor has entries. My friend from Macgregor told me that it’s not that common for people from different entries visiting each other. However, that does usually give a more close knit smaller community. It depends on what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>I have to disagree about the bathrooms. I’ve always found them to be clean and very nicely kept. However, I lived in 5W this past year and can’t speak too much about other floors’ bathrooms though I frequent the ones in 3W and 2E quite a bit. One good thing about the Next bathrooms is that we have doors for the toilets and the showers, as opposed to stalls and curtains. I like the feeling of more privacy. </p>
<p>RBA works for some people and it doesn’t work for others. One good thing about RBA is that there will be an RAA (Resident Associate Adviser) who is an upperclassmen LIVING AT Next House. (or wherever you’re living for RBA) So if you run into any trouble, they’ll be right there and you won’t have to worry about treking somewhere to seek help. They also have money will also give awesome study breaks! (maybe during finals) It is true that you will have limited seminar options if you live in an RBA dorm but there is also the traditional advising option. If you find that you like the seminar you’re in though, everything works out :]</p>
<p>While it is quite a walk from Next House to Campus (Approx 10 min to 77 Mass Ave), and I sometimes wish that it was closer, it’s not as bad as you may think. Many people own bikes and opt to bike to campus. If you don’t own one (like me), then there’s the tech shuttle. You can always check the schedule with nextbus so you don’t have to worry about waiting forever for the bus. </p>
<p>I hope that you will all explore Next House (as well as the other dorms) during REX to find your best fit! Don’t just participate in events, talk with upperclassmen and get a feel for the people living there. We may be far, but it’ll be worth it! :] </p>
<p>Also a note: Even though Next House is RBA, freshmen will be able to participate in REX as well as the housing lottery if you want to switch in/out. (This is opposed to McCormick where you could still participate in REX events but can’t enter the lottery) </p>
<p>Definitely shoot me more questions. I’d be happy to answer.</p>