Choosing a residence hall is a big decision for many first year students. A combination of nerves and excitement may leave you wondering what do other students prioritize when thinking about what building to live in. Here are some of the aspects that I considered when choosing my first year.
The main three things that lead me to choosing a dorm were residence hall style, special interest housing, and location. There are two styles for first year residents at USC: traditional and suite style. Traditional residence halls have communal bathrooms while suite style residence halls have one to two bathrooms per suite. Suite style rooms also usually come with air conditioning whereas traditional rooms may do not. Special interest housing allows students to enrich their experience by living with students with the same identities and/or goals. These opportunities have requirements such as an application or scholarship requirement and include Sommerville Place, International Residential College at Parkside, Women in Science and Engineering floor, and many more. Last but not least, I looked at the location of the buildings to help make my decision. As a scholarship recipient, I also chose to live in the honors community because of the amount of study spaces in the building to collaborate with my peers. McCarthy Honors College being in the USC Village is a major positive because it is connected to one of the dining halls.
Students also take a retreat at the beginning of the year to get closer with the other people in the building. In addition, there are a lot of eateries in the Village and the building is right next to the Village gym so it is easy to get a workout in. I enjoyed experience so much that I decided to become a Resident Assistant for the same building this year! In all, there is no wrong decision when it comes to choosing where to live your first year. Hopefully you can identify what is most important to help you decide!
Mark is a sophomore studying Civil Engineering with a structural emphasis & a minor in Sports Business & Management. Click above to find out more!
Choosing a residence hall is a big decision for many first year students. A combination of nerves and excitement may leave you wondering what do other students prioritize when thinking about what building to live in. Here are some of the aspects that I considered when choosing my first year.
The main three things that lead me to choosing a dorm were residence hall style, special interest housing, and location. There are two styles for first year residents at USC: traditional and suite style. Traditional residence halls have communal bathrooms while suite style residence halls have one to two bathrooms per suite. Suite style rooms also usually come with air conditioning whereas traditional rooms may do not. Special interest housing allows students to enrich their experience by living with students with the same identities and/or goals. These opportunities have requirements such as an application or scholarship requirement and include Sommerville Place, International Residential College at Parkside, Women in Science and Engineering floor, and many more. Last but not least, I looked at the location of the buildings to help make my decision. As a scholarship recipient, I also chose to live in the honors community because of the amount of study spaces in the building to collaborate with my peers. McCarthy Honors College being in the USC Village is a major positive because it is connected to one of the dining halls.
Students also take a retreat at the beginning of the year to get closer with the other people in the building. In addition, there are a lot of eateries in the Village and the building is right next to the Village gym so it is easy to get a workout in. I enjoyed experience so much that I decided to become a Resident Assistant for the same building this year! In all, there is no wrong decision when it comes to choosing where to live your first year. Hopefully you can identify what is most important to help you decide!
