I can honestly say that the reason I had such a great freshman year was because of where I was living and the people I was living with. I chose to live in a triple in Birnkrant Residence Hall, right in the heart of freshman dorms like New-North and Pardee Tower. The triple in Birnkrant is great because, unlike at most schools where you’d just get a bunked bed and therefore less space, Birnkrant offered two rooms in theirs – one with the desks (where we also put a couch and TV), and one with the closets and beds. We hung a big curtain in the open door frames separating the two rooms so some could study or hang out while the others went to bed. Also, I got two roommates and therefore more people to interact with and spend time with.
Birnkrant is a great mix between the social and the academic. It’s motto is “Eight Floors of Open Doors,” and this really holds true as most people left their doors open during the day so that everyone could get to know each other and anyone could stop by to say hi. Also, we had floor dinners once a week at EVK on Monday nights, which was a great way to bond and come together as a group. At the same time, if you needed a break from the social, you could close your door and study there, or walk a mere 1 minute away to Leavey Library. In addition to being near Leavey Library (campus’ only 24-hour library), Birnkrant sits on top of Trojan Grounds (USC’s only 24-hour source for food on campus) and right next door to EVK (one of the dining halls). It’s pretty much in the perfect location for a freshman year dorm.
The guys and girls that lived on my floor were amazing, and they are some of my closest friends here at USC. We have gone on trips together, visited each other over summer and winter breaks, and developed some amazing friendships. Last year, I lived with a few of the other guys that lived in on my floor in Birnkrant freshman year, and I do this year as well.
Thanks to Birnkrant, I have found some lifelong friends. I highly recommend living in Birnkrant, and especially a triple.
