For most colleges, there are definitely pros and cons to living on campus. You are close to your classes, but you have a small space, or you may have affordable housing, but the meal plan is horrible. The difference with UCLA is that there are virtually no cons. I can confidently say that living on the Hill was one of the best experiences of my life.
To any incoming freshmen who may be reading this, do not be scared! Dorm life sounds incredibly intimidating, and I had no idea what to expect last year when I packed my bags and rolled my moving cart up the hill and into my dorm. But by the time I moved out in the summer, I was literally crying because I did not want to leave.
The Hill is a magical and illustrious fantasy land. You live 5 minutes away from every single one of your friends, you get some of the best food you will ever eat (buffet style I might add) and you have a never ending amount of cute study spots at your disposal. It is college student heaven.
And I will say it with my chest when I say I MISS living on the hill. It felt like the epitome of a college experience, and I cannot count the number of times I came back to my dorm at the end of a long day and was so excited to be there and hear about my roommates’ days. There was always something going on whether it be a movie night in the study lounge, getting ready to go out to a fun event or just sitting in bed, giggling with my roommates.
As a freshman, the dorms are truly the best place to be and let me tell you why. There is a certain energy in the dorms that is unmatched, especially in those first few weeks. Everyone is excited to take on the unknown, and everyone is ready to make new friends. Whatever you do, please take advantage of this atmosphere! I met some of my closest friends in those first few weeks. Go to the dining halls with new people, go door to door and introduce yourself to your neighbors, talk to the person sitting next to you at the study and just put yourself out there.
Another great thing about the Hill, which I’m sure we’ve all heard time and time again, is the food. When I tell you I have had some of the best pasta of my life at Epicuria, I’m not being dramatic. And the food on the Hill helped me expand my palette to new foods I never thought I would try. They have every cuisine you could think of, so make it a mission to try it all. Also, another perk I didn’t appreciate until I was gone is the social aspect of the dining halls. It is so easy to build friendships through a quick “dining hall date.”
And one last thing I will say about the Hill, it really did help me stay in shape. I lived at De Neve, which was at the bottom of the Hill, but even then, I was doing a workout every day just to study or get food. There are a ridiculous amount of stairs just everywhere. You can take it as a pro or a con, but I honestly felt great living on the Hill because of the extra movement time.
Now, as a junior, I will always look back at my time on the Hill fondly. It was a year of new experiences and finding myself in an incredibly novel environment. It was filled with little wins and excitements, even if it was just huddling with all of your friends in one cramped dorm room. Regardless of where on the Hill you end up, I can assure you that your time dorming at UCLA will be unforgettable.