You’ve been accepted to Boston University (congrats!!)—now what? I know what you’re thinking, trust me; I was in your shoes what feels like only yesterday. My biggest concern as soon as I decided to attend BU was not what classes to take, or clubs to join, but where and with whom am I going to live? As a freshman, it’s recommended you choose between Warren Towers (consisting of A, B, and C Towers) and West Campus (including Claflin, Sleeper, and Rich Halls) because a lot of underclassmen live in these two places and they are very typical college dorm style residences. However, one of the two reigns above the other, and that is West Campus. I am here to explain to you and persuade you why West campus has ultimately deserved its title as “West is Best!”
1. The Location
I am personally a huge fan of West Campus solely because if its location. Yes, the walk to my classes at CAS can be a bit of a pain, but on the upside, at least I know I am getting a little exercise each day. Besides that, the location of West Campus cannot be beat. I actually really like how my classes are not right outside my dorm’s door. This way I have separation between school and my home away from home in Rich Hall. Plus, West Campus has the most campus-y feel at BU, with Nickerson Field at its center, where you can always find sport teams practicing or most recently friends having snowball fights. In the spring, you can expect to find me studying outside. Also, FitRec, Agganis Arena and Allston (where most weekend happenings take place) are 5-minute walks in either direction. On top of that, popular spots like Brown Sugar, Goodwill, and Sunset Cantina are right on Comm. Ave. outside West. So you might have a longer walk to classes, but I’d say toned legs and prime location are worth it.
2. The Dining Hall
College dining halls are notorious for serving some not-so-delicious food. But, I have found myself lucky in comparison to my friends at other schools after hearing about their own run-ins with raw chicken and very limited meal options. For a while now, the dining hall at West Campus has been considered top-notch—that is until the glamorous facilities at 100 Bay State arrived. Nevertheless, West Campus dining hall is still very good, it provides a variety of meal options and I have yet to leave either disgusted or still hungry. Warren’s dining hall on the other hand could use some work, plus it’s a hassle to get to for us Warren visitors.
3. It’s Newly Renovated
Up until this past summer, West Campus was in the process of being renovated- first Claflin, then Sleeper, and finally Rich. Which means, that for the most part the bathrooms are recently fixed and the rooms are newly furnished. College communal bathrooms can never be too amazing, but in comparison to Warren’s old and rusty ones, West Campus bathrooms are much better. Of what I have seen, the bathrooms at West are even bigger, and when it comes to sharing with a bunch of other collegiates™, the bigger the better. As for the actual dorm rooms, it seems as if the ones at West are a bit bigger as well, and definitely have extra storage space with the lofted beds and larger closets. The floors are carpeted which is a nice homey touch so your feet are never touching cold tile, even if the color doesn’t match your bright colored bedspread. Also, I have heard that the heating at Warren is always really high, like sweltering, sweaty, gross high. There is definitely no competition between the renewed West Campus and the prison-esque Warren towers when it comes to aspects of the dorm.
4. The Social Atmosphere
We all know that your social life practically doubles while in college and the easiest place to start is in the dorms. Although Claflin, Sleeper, or Rich don’t have the typical common rooms found at Warren Towers, West Campus does have plenty of study rooms, music rooms, game rooms and cinema rooms. Also, West Campus’ location attributes to its social atmosphere. The residents of West Campus alone are typically very outgoing. Here live a whole lot of athletes, theatre students, and partygoers considering West Campus’ proximity to all the athletic facilities, CFA, and Allston. Again, just the location of Nickerson field at the center of West Campus attracts a social atmosphere because it’s a great spot to hang out with friends. Now if you are still debating whether to choose West Campus or Warren Towers, take into consideration whether you’d prefer laying out on Nickerson field gossiping with friends or attempting to do the same on Comm. Ave. Good luck with the latter!