File Photo: Choosing the right place to live on campus is one of the most nerve-wracking decisions for incoming freshmen (Photo Courtesy of University of Colorado Housing and Dining).
Alexia: Hi! I’m Alexia Bailey, a junior here at the University of Colorado Boulder. Because I’ve been here and seen things, I’m here to share everything I’ve picked up so far, which is a surprising amount of information. “What’s Eating at Alexia” is my unofficial and unfiltered guide to some of the things that being a CU Boulder Buff brings. Think of it as your guide to navigating everything that makes CU Boulder, well, CU Boulder. Whether you’re a freshman finding your footing or a senior with “no body, no crime” level grievances about finals week, I’m here to share my takes, tips and honest observations on everything from the sometimes-unpredictable choices that CU Boulder makes to navigating online controversies that surround and impact college life. College is a wild, unforgettable ride, and “What’s eating at Alexia” is here to make sense of some of it, one opinion at a time.
Ask any incoming CU Boulder freshman what they’re most stressed about before move-in day and housing will almost always make the list. Between horror stories, dorm rankings and endless opinions online, it’s easy to believe where you live will define your college experience.
But what if I told you, it didn’t?
I mean, to start, when it comes to the living situations and dorms that CU Boulder has to offer, I truly don’t think there is a wrong choice. According to University Housing and Residence Life, there are three distinct housing neighborhoods, each progressively farther from the center of campus: Main Campus (Central Campus), Kittredge (Kitt) and Williams Village (Will Vill).
Main Campus dorms offer the closest proximity to classes and events, feels the most like a “traditional college” dorm, and because it’s so centrally located, people naturally hang out there and you’re constantly running into people. It’s perfect for extroverts and can really push introverts out of their shell. However, like many things, the Main Campus neighborhood isn’t perfect. Most dorms lack air conditioning because they are among the oldest residence halls on campus. It can also be loud almost all of the time and unlike the other two neighborhoods, it doesn’t ever feel like you leave school.
Kittredge, where I lived my freshman year, has some of the best views on campus, especially overlooking Kitt Pond. It’s also close to the Center for Community dining hall and every building is both newer than Main Campus and has AC. The downsides? The sheer number of aggressive geese that like to congregate around the pond, the long distance from most classes and the lack of nearby bus service, which raises a lot of questions about accessibility for me. It’s also not ideal for gym junkies since it’s far from both recreation centers. However, it is close to the law library, which is my favorite place to study. So, weighing both the pros and cons, Kittredge is by far one of the quietest areas on campus and this peacefulness definitely adds to the allure of hosting the “best” dorms on campus.
Lastly, there’s Williams Village, which carries a pretty hefty reputation for having the worst dorms on campus. It’s quite far from Central Campus and the Hill, and the Buff Buses have a reputation for having strange schedules. You’ll often find yourself leaving home 20 minutes before class, and if you want to take a nap between classes, it’s usually easier to just find a cozy corner in Norlin Library. It also houses the most power outages on campus, which isn’t fun mid-shower, believe me. Personally, though, I think Williams Village might be the hidden gem of CU Boulder housing. I love the separation between school and home, and Will Vill has its own little community with its own dining hall and gym. The buildings are also among the newest on campus. Yes, the buses sometimes take forever, or occasionally don’t show up for 30 minutes, but once you get used to the system, it becomes much easier.
So again, there is no wrong choice when deciding which neighborhood is best for you. Besides, CU Boulder doesn’t really let you choose your exact dorm building anyway. But to all of you freaking out about ending up in Will Vill: it will be okay.
Dear readers, I can promise you from the bottom of my tiny little heart that the dorm you live in freshman year will not make or break your college experience. In thirty years, you will not be living in your parents’ basement wishing that you ranked Buckingham Hall over Hallett Hall. You probably won’t even remember the square footage of your room, whether your floor had a community sink or if your walk to class was 10 minutes longer than everyone else’s. What you will remember are the people who accidentally became your closest friends, watching your roommate write your names on the door whiteboard and the oddly specific memories that only happen when you throw thousands of confused and hormonal 18-year-olds into the same place with little to no guidance.
Just remember that your dorm is where you sleep, occasionally study and desperately microwave mac and cheese at midnight. It is not your destiny. It is one year out of four, not forever.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Alexia Bailey at alexia.bailey@colorado.edu
