The River: A home away from home
Despite what you may have read on College Confidential (“The River is the worst, it’s soooooo far away,” “it’s the oldest dorm on campus… any older and the roof would fall in on us,” and “say goodbye to your social life, suckas.”), the River cluster offers a strong social atmosphere and is remembered fondly by many former residents.
“I know everyone always complains about the River but I loved it and I wouldn’t change anything,” former resident Emily Estelle ’15 said.
There is no doubt that the River is a little further away — it’s about a 10 minute walk from FoCo, and a 15 minute walk from the gym. But the distance also has its advantages.
“Because it’s a little further away, once people get back they generally tend to stay — that’s how I made a lot of great friends,” Estelle said.
Other former residents affirmed that they made most of their best friends in the River, complimenting the cluster’s great sense of community.
“I’m still living with them today!” said Katie Williamson ’15, adding that she liked having a space separate from classrooms that she could come back to at the end of the day.
The River is also the perfect spot for aspiring engineers, because the Thayer School of Engineering is right next door. For those of you whose future does not lie in Thayer, never fear! Come springtime, all your friends across campus will be wishing they were in your position, with the Connecticut River in your front yard. Say hello to quick jaunts in canoes, kayaks and Ledyard Canoe Club’s new paddleboards.
Bikes are hot commodities among River-dwellers. Hector Moreno ’15 said most of his classes were in Dartmouth Hall, roughly a 12-minute walk from the cluster, so a bike would definitely have helped.
Residents added that while the cluster’s three-room doubles were spacious, its two-room doubles are a little small.
Most importantly, former residents emphasized that living in the River doesn’t mean you can’t explore other clusters.
“Something I wish I’d known when I had first arrived was it was ok to just go and chill out in other freshman dorms,” Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki ’15 said.
With a little bit of luck, you’re in for a tight-knit community and some great new friends — and maybe a few long walks.
Tips and Tricks: The River
Bring:
- A bike.
- A fan (or two?). The River, as one of the older dorms, can have poor ventilation as spring warms up.
- A bike.
- A hair-dryer. Your hair will freeze in the winter if you venture out with wet hair.
- A bike (Not essential, but it’d be nice).
Leave:
- Dressy clothes. As a freshman, you don’t have too many occasions to slip into formal clothes so maybe bring one set, but you don’t need more.
- Anything non-essential. It’s better to pack light and bring a few more things every time you return to campus than having boxes and boxes of possessions that you have to pay to store.
Walking Distances:
River to Foco: 10 minutes
River to Zimmerman: 15 minutes
River to KAF: 9 minutes
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River to Webster Ave: 9 minutes