Infinity Hall is a unique dorm at UF. For one, it’s not physically on campus yet it’s still considered campus housing since it is run by UF Housing but uniquely partnered with a company called Signet. It also is one of the newest dorms on campus, meaning everything is in good condition and none of the furniture or plumbing is old or worn out.
The exterior is glassy and very modern, while the interior has the appearance of a hotel. The ground floor of the building has several labs and rooms, each owned by outside companies, including a 3D-printing lab from which I had the opportunity to get a 3D-printed name plate for free.
I lived here during my freshman year and currently live here as a sophomore. Like almost anything, there are many pros and cons to living in this dorm.
One remarkable thing about Infinity Hall is that there are no communal bathrooms, which is typical of traditional-style dorms with one bathroom per floor. Infinity Hall is suite-style, which means you will be sharing your bathroom with your roommates and suitemates. This was one of the major reasons I chose to live in Infinity Hall. Personally, I am a neat freak and cannot stand messy or dirty spaces and hate public restrooms. I lived in a double suite for both years, which is the layout of most rooms in Infinity Hall. You have a toilet and shower you share with your roommate and a sink area you share with your roommate and other two suitemates if you live in a double.
However, unlike communal bathrooms, which are cleaned daily or very frequently, the bathrooms in suite-style dorms are cleaned less frequently. In Infinity Hall, the bathrooms are cleaned once a week on a specified day based on the floor you live on. The cleaning staff come in and clean your bathroom, similar to the way a hotel cleaning staff would. However, the janitorial team does not clean your actual room. Instead, you would have to clean your bedroom yourself. Vacuum cleaners can be checked out from the front desk, and additional cleaning supplies would have to be bought on your own. But then again, this is the case with most dorms.
Another wonderful thing about Infinity Hall is the study rooms on the first floor. All you need is your fob, and you’ll be able to enter a study space if you’re tired of staying in your dorm room all day or if there’s no room in the libraries on campus. Personally, I’ve found the study rooms useful for when my roommate was sleeping. One of the rooms is even great for big groups since it has a projector.
However, Infinity Hall is lacking when it comes to having an actual kitchen. There is a communal kitchen on each floor, which includes a hot plate, microwave and ice machine. Sometimes the hot plates take a very long time to heat up, especially if it’s worn out. Once, I had to wait about 30 minutes just to get pasta to boil. I have managed to make it work by trying to boil already heated water, which reduces the boiling time. I also try to cook using the microwave primarily.
Another advantage to Infinity Hall is that washing and drying machines are on every floor. Other dorms have a common laundry area on the first floor only. If you live in Infinity Hall, that means you will not have to lug your laundry as far. Also, in Infinity Hall, there’s a common area on every floor next to the kitchen, which makes it a great place to hang out with your friends and get to know other people living in your dorm.
As I mentioned before, Infinity Hall is physically not on campus. Instead, the dorm is located two blocks east of campus and can be a long walk if you have classes located in buildings central to campus. Luckily, there are a few bus routes that stop at or near Infinity Hall, which make a 20-minute walk a five-minute bus ride.
Finally, another one of my favorite parts about Infinity Hall is its proximity to many other great stores. It’s a five-minute walk from Target, Publix and CVS, so there’s no issue getting food and other supplies. The Target and Publix were not there my freshman year, so if you choose to live at Infinity Hall, you’ll definitely get to reap all the benefits. In addition to stores, there’s also many restaurants and fast food places located a walking distance from Infinity Hall. There’s a Subway and Wing Zone located almost next to Infinity Hall, so there’s no issue if you need to grab a quick bite.
Like any other place to live, Infinity Hall has its pros and cons — but overall, it’s an excellent choice if you would like elements of the typical dorm experience while also getting a little taste of apartment life.