While every dorm has its advantages and disadvantages, regardless of where your dorm is located or how large it is, it's your home for three terms.
That first taste of independence could not be sweeter. But once the euphoria wears off, you may notice some deficiencies in college living.
First of all, the rooms are poorly lit. The solution most students find is buying Halogen lamps, which cost anywhere between $30 and $80 and brighten a room considerably.
Dorm rooms vary greatly in size. To be on the safe side, do not bring too much furniture with you. If the need arises, there are several used furniture stores in the area where you can purchase everything from a bookshelf to a rug.
Rugs are very useful in rooms that are not already carpeted, and most rooms have bare floors. Hanover winters can be brutal and a rug under your feet makes it easier to get up and go to class.
Another luxury you may want is a refrigerator for keeping drinks and occasional left overs cold. These can be purchased both new and used on campus from students who are leaving as well as at local stores.
Electronic equipment such as TVs, VCRs, answering machines and stereos should be discussed with roommates in advance. Televisions alone are somewhat useless unless they are accompanied by a VCR, because in the rooms you can only pick up two channels (WNBC and a public service station). Each dorm has a lounge with a TV which is hooked to cable, but it isn't possible to hook up cable in your room.
Electronic appliances such as microwaves and toasters are forbidden in rooms, but each dorm has them for common use.
Butterfield/Russell Sage
Conveniently located back to back with fraternity row, these dorms are also within close proximity of Baker Library and Kiewit Computation Center. Butterfield is a substance and alcohol-free dorm and is the housing for Asgard, a student organization that provides non-alcohol social alternatives to students. The rooms are all singles and doubles and since the dorm is small, residents often become very close.
Russell Sage, on the other hand, has been known by the nickname Sussell Rage, because of the large number of freshmen parties that usually occur there. Although the dorm's Oden's parties, which serve tribute to a Viking leader painted on a wall on the fourth floor, are legendary, they have died out because of the keg policy. The Class of '95 attempted to revive it, but was unsuccessful.
The two dorms are connected by the Hyphen, which is a great place to study, watch television or have meetings. "The Hyphen is definitely an awesome place. It is right there and it seems like people are in and out all the time," Brandon Taylor '95 said.
The Choates
As soon as you say that you live in the Choates, most others will offer their condolences. Do not fret -- these, too, have their own benefits that are sometimes overlooked.
The Choates are located on the north side of campus beyond fraternity row. Most rooms are singles or one-room doubles and all the rooms are carpeted.
Even though the location is slightly out of the way, there is a lot of interaction between students. "Becoming closer to everyone in the Choates made the inconvenience of the location worthwhile," Teru Bower '95 said.
There is a large grassy area outside of the cluster and a sand volleyball court nicknamed "Choate beach" becomes very popular in the spring.
East Wheelock
Known as "the new dorms" because it is the latest housing addition, this cluster is located on the far east end of campus across from the Berry Sports Center. Morton, Andres and Zimmerman's close proximity to the gym help motivate students to stay in shape even during the cold winter months.
The rooms are set up like suites and range from singles to quads. The rooms are either connected by a common room or a bathroom. Unlike most of the other dorms, students are rarely cramped for space here. All rooms are carpeted and have a full bathroom. The best part about the bathroom is that the janitors come and clean them once a week.
Residents of the New Dorms can also benefit from the many activities which are held in Brace Commons, a huge common space in the basement where all three dorms connect.
Fayerweathers
People often call these the ultimate freshmen dorms, because of the excess of interaction. Living there can often be one big party. "It can be a little raucous. Our dorm had the highest dorm damage throughout all of freshman year," Dave Leonard '95 said.
The rooms are big and have high ceilings. Most rooms also have a half bathroom.
Although the floors are separated by sex, there is no lack of male-female interaction. The location of the dorms is also convenient, standing near the Hop and right behind Dartmouth Row where lots of language, religion, comparative literature and history classes are held.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast, which consists of three of the oldest dorms on campus, is known for its three room doubles and fireplaces. Streeter and Lord are co-ed by floor, while Gile is co-ed by room.
"The rooms were great and it was a great location," Grant Cerny '95 said. "But it's co-ed by floor and I found that disturbing. I didn't meet as many women because it was all guys on my floor."
Unfortunately, because they are somewhat antiquated, these dorms can be even darker than usual, the ventilation is not always so great, and it is often hot. Although the common rooms, except in Streeter, do not have a big screen television, the facilities are otherwise quite good.
Hitchcock
Hitchcock is located on the corner adjacent to Mass Row and the Gold Coast. In addition to the great location, Hitchcock has been recently renovated to include big, cozy study rooms and lounges. During the renovation the entire dorm was carpeted.
Many first-year students are put in triples which can become a little too close for comfort, but the great common space allows students to stay in the dorm, but get out of their room.
The Lodge
This is a newly renovated dorm located behind the Hop and very close to Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop. The Lodge used to be a motel before the College bought it. First-year students are never assigned to this dorm because it is an independent hall that is slightly out of the way from campus and in the town itself.
Massachusetts Row
Consisting of North, South and Mid Mass, the Mass Row cluster is often considered the best living on campus, primarily because of its location. Basically next door to Thayer Dining Hall and near Baker Library, Mass Row is especially convenient in the winter when few want to leave their rooms for anything.
Mid Mass is older than its counterparts and mostly consists of one room doubles and two room triples. The plus in this dorm is the full bathrooms located in every room.
North and South Mass are smaller dorms and most students live in carpeted singles, two-room doubles or triples. These dorms are a bit more intimate and friendships are easy to form there.
New Hampshire/Topliff
Although these two dorms are in the same cluster, they are very different. Topliff is what you need if all your life you've shared a room with a brother or sister and are ready for a change, unless you are one of the unlucky few to get a one room double.
Because most of the rooms are singles, interaction is minimized, but the Undergraduate Advisor is usually good at facilitating communication between the residents.
"It is difficult at first because you don't have a roommate, but then all the freshmen on the floor become friends and you still have people around you all the time," Nelli Kheyfets '95 said. "Then you could go to your room and have your own space so you're not really missing out."
New Hamp is a slightly more regular dorm, with the average mix of singles, doubles and triples. The location of both these dorms is quite nice: on the edge of the Green near the Hopkins Center.
North Hall
This is a small independent hall located near the Choates and across from Kiewit Computation Center and down the road from Dick's House. The dorm has carpeted single rooms and is loved by upperclass students who live there. Very few first-year students are placed there. The residents usually form close friendships because of the size of the dorm.
Ripley/Woodward/Smith
Located between the Fayers and East Wheelock cluster, these dorms are just up the road from Alpha Delta and Chi Heorot fraternities, which is good because the dorms themselves are very quiet and facilitate little interaction among students. This is partly due to the single sex floors.
The study rooms are really great because of their beautiful scenic views. The recreation room, which includes a television and some ping pong tables, is also quite nice.
If these dorms are not enough fun for you, they are very close to the Fayerweathers which are some of the most social dorms and many times where the College houses prospectives.
River
The River cluster, which consists of Hinman, French and McLane, is often called Foreign Study Program - Vermont because of its remote location, but there are advantages.
Because it is further from the center of campus than most dorms, there is a much more concerted effort to have activities within the cluster. So if you're lazy, you won't have to go far to socialize. The distance makes people much more social and, soon enough, the Mass Row people will be coming to River parties.
There are carpeted singles, two room and luxurious three room doubles. Hinman has a full kitchen and a big screen television while McLane has a large lounge often used for parties. McLane also has a weight room in the basement. French has a spacious lounge, snack preparation area and study.
Close to Hinman, French and McLane are Maxwell and Channing Cox. These are four-bedroom apartments that are part of the River Cluster, but first-year students are never housed there.
Wheeler and Richardson
These two dorms are located just off the Green and are the oldest dorms still in use as dorms. They are close to Baker Library and Dartmouth Row and several science buildings are right up the block.
Socially, the dorms are great, famous for outdoor barbecues in the Spring and Monday night parties appropriately named "Monday Night Madness." Wheeler used to be famous for a "Heaven and Hell" party, but a few years ago the party was so rowdy that the dormitory was put on social probation, an honor previously only bestowed on fraternities.
