Housing Registration and Selection is coming up and may already be here for some of you. Although UGA has a housing page for each community and dorm, I wanted to give a pros and cons list of ECV from someone who actually lives there and is choosing to live there again.
PRO: No Communal Bathrooms
When I was looking for a dorm to live in my Freshman year, I knew I DID NOT want communal bathrooms. The ECV community is apartment style so your apartment either has 1 or 2 bathrooms depending on how many people are in the apartment. Even if you are a freshman and get the expanded style apartment where you share the apartment with five other girls, you will only have to share the bathroom with two other people, which is more private than sharing it with the whole floor.
PRO: Study Spaces, Multi-Purpose Rooms and a Game Room
Although I love studying in my room or living room, sometimes you may want a change of scenery. Sometimes you may just want to get out of your dorm. You don’t have to go far since each residence hall has study space and multipurpose rooms. Busbee Hall has a game room that every hall can use, and the Mailroom/Community Desk in Rooker can rent you different games and movies.
PRO: Lots of Space
From the moment I walked into the apartment in August I noticed the living room and kitchen were bigger than I expected. The huge window let in a lot of light as well. Even the bedrooms were a good size, which you may not see in other dorms. I share a bedroom with one other person, but we never really feel cramped because we arranged our furniture so that we have plenty of space. The bathrooms are the same size as the bathroom you probably have at home and have room for you to add extra storage like shelving. Sharing the bathroom with a roommate is not a big issue in ECV because it has a nice storage space under the sink and near the shower and toilet.
PRO: Many Different Floorplans
Normal Plan (Upperclassmen)
2 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms, 2 Bedrooms and 1 Bathroom, 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms (shared), 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms (Private), 4 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms
Expanded Plans (Freshman)
2 Bedrooms 1 Bathroom (double occupancy- Total of 4 People in the apartment), 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms (double occupancy- Total of 4 People in the apartment), 4 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms (double/single occupancy- Total of 6 People in the apartment)
Check out the University Housing website for all available floor plans and pricing.
PRO: Social Community
All of the athletes live in ECV. For example, my floor is full of football and basketball players. Since the athletes are usually practicing, working out, etc. this gives you a chance to meet and interact with people you normally wouldn’t get to see. I meet someone new in the elevator every day. Students can live in ECV from Freshman-Senior year so you meet tons of different people. RA’s always have events planned at each of the dorms, which is another great way you can meet new people. It may seem quiet during the day, but at night it comes alive. During football season, people tailgate all over ECV and are always welcome to people joining them.
PRO: Quick walk to Ramsey Student Center
Many people have to take a bus to get to the gym which can be a pain if you have a fitness routine. Since I am so close to the gym, I go more often. Another benefit is that since all students have to take some sort of physical education class to graduate, the ones held at Ramsey may be your closest class. I could leave my dorm 10 minutes before class starts and I’d still arrive early.
PRO: Quick Walk to Joe Frank Harris Dining Commons
Joe Frank Harris is the best dining commons, in my opinion. It has lots of study space and many different dining options whether you are on a dining plan, use PawPoints or pay with cash/card. East Side Deli has sandwiches and salads, Sushi with Gusto has fresh sushi made every day, Market at East Campus has Jittery Joe’s Coffee, snacks, candy and bottled beverages. Sweet Java Browns also has Jittery Joe’s Coffee and baked goods. Village Summit is a dining hall that serves smoothies, has a salad bar, an omelet station, a make-your-own pizza line, pasta, a grill for burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches and more, plus a homestyle cooking line, a deli and many vegetarian/vegan options.
PRO: Close to the University Health Center
If you ever feel sick, need an eye exam, or need to talk to a health care professional, the Health Center is less than a mile away from East Campus Village. This can be a quick walk from your dorm, which is super convenient if you are sick. Your parents will also be at ease if they know you are close to a health center.
PRO: Open during Holiday Breaks
I know it’s February and the holiday season is technically over but this is the time to think if you will need housing during the holiday season at the end of the year. Unlike other dorms, ECV stays open during the holiday season so you can stay in your apartment if you want to. If you have a job in Athens over the holiday season, staying on campus allows you to stay closer to your job so you won’t have to commute back and forth to work. Maybe you are planning to go home for the holidays but you don’t want to stay home for almost a month. I’ve heard so many students talk about how they can only be home for so long before they start to miss Athens. You may not have as much freedom when you are back home during the holidays but at least you have the option to come back to school.
PRO: Summer Housing Available
If you are planning taking summer classes and you are looking for a place to live on campus over the summer, ECV might be a good choice because you wouldn’t have to move out in May. This allows you to focus on school rather than where you will be living over the summer.
CON: No Stove or Oven in the Unit
If you are looking for a full kitchen for cooking this can be viewed as a con but there are community kitchens in each residence hall that few people ever use so you still have a place to cook if you want to. I never felt like I needed the stove or oven. One of my suitemates bought a toaster oven for our kitchen which works just fine. Between my Keurig, microwave, the toaster oven and my dining plan, I’ve never had a problem having enough food.
CON: Loud Roommates/Suitemates/Neighbors
With every college living situation, there is always a possibility of noisy roommates, suitemates, or neighbors. In my apartment, most of the noise came from either my neighbors down the hall, above me, or in my living room. My neighbors love to blast music at night or have girls over which can be loud at certain times. My upstairs neighbors always sound like they are doing gymnastics but that’s not all of the time. My suitemates love to have friends over every night and that can be loud in the living room. Luckily, I can fall asleep despite the noise. As long as you establish rules for the apartment from the beginning and make sure everyone is on the same page you will probably have a better experience than I did.
CON: Roommates/Suitemates
Sharing an apartment means sharing a kitchen and living room and possibly a bathroom, so there is a chance that your version of clean may not be the same as someone else’s version of clean. Dirty dishes, hair in the shower, dishes in the living room and more may be how your roommates or suitemates live. Sometimes you don’t choose the people who are in your apartment, so you may be stuck with some people who don’t meet your standards. In Creswell and other dorms with communal bathrooms, someone will be responsible for keeping it clean, but in your apartment, it is up to you and your suitemates…just be mindful that this is a possibility.
CON: Further Away from Most of Your Classes
East Campus Village is not at all in the center of campus. Most classes are held near Tate or in North Campus so you should be aware that you will have to walk, bike or drive a further distance than if you lived in Hill or Mell or any other dorm right near the Tate Student Center. Thankfully Orbit, East Campus Express, AG Hill, and the East-West bus routes all service the ECV bus stop. These routes can get you to any class you may have, so you aren’t completely separated from the rest of campus. I feel like the distance is not that bad as long as you leave early enough to make it to your classes. Before the semester starts, I suggest that you map out your classes and decide if you will walk, bike, drive, or take a bus (and which bus you will take).
CON: Only One ECV Hall Will Have an Academic Year Contract for 2019-2020
It was announced this year that Busbee Hall will be the only residence hall that has a 9-month contract. Rooker, Vandiver and Mcwhorter will only have 11.5-month contracts which include summer housing. I know that summer housing can be a pro as mentioned above, but it can also be a con because that fewer rooms are available if you are looking for housing just for the academic year.
These pros and cons are just my opinion and may not be the same for you. I hope this gave you some more “insider” information than UGA’s Housing page, but I still recommend that you check out other dorms to be sure you make the right choice for you!