Public and private housing each have different pros and cons. Students shared insight on the differences of their housing selections.

What made you decide to choose a public or private residence hall?

Public:

Michael Prochazkabr, freshman in DGS: “I chose Van Doren because it was one of the last open spots in the Six Pack, and I knew the Six Pack was one of the best places to hang out at and meet people.”

Private:

Violet Kamberbr, freshman in Engineering: “I decided to live at Illini Tower because it offers a good location close to the Quad, and that’s where most of my classes are. Also, the room size is pretty nice. I live with three other people and we have a kitchen, two rooms, a bathroom and a living room in between.”

What are some things you like about living in your residence hall?

Public:

Angelica Menezesbr, freshman in LAS: “I like that PAR is not a very distracting place to live. For example, we don’t have a place like the IKE where we can socialize, but this way we get less distracted while doing work since the lounges and libraries are mostly quiet.”

Private:

Nick SpontakI think this name should be spelled “Spontak”. If so, please change all mentions of his name. , freshman in Business: “I like that there are a good amount of people here. And there are a lot of amenities, like the gym and laundry is right in the basement, so it’s easy to access.”

What are some things you don’t like about living in your hall?

Public:

Prochazkabr: “I don’t like no air conditioning — that was bad. Van Doren was just a bad hall in general, just cause the rooms were super small and probably one of the smallest on campus.”?

Private:

Spontak: “The number one thing would be the food. The food is just very bad. I mean, there is some stuff that is alright, but I guess my major complaint would be about the meat and chicken. It’s just like always pink and undercooked, and I never feel good after eating it.”

What is one thing you wish you knew about public/private housing before you made your decision about where to live?

Public:

Menezesbr: “I wish I knew more about the living and learning communities before deciding.”

Prochazkabr: “Probably how cool Bromley is, because the rooms are huge and its more social there — way more social than Van Doren was. And I wish I knew the quality of my dorm before I picked it.”?

Private:

Spontak: “I wish I knew more about the food aspect, because if I were to do it again I would try to get in the Six Pack and try to get the food. Another thing is that the dining hours here only go till 7 and on the weekends 6. And then public has late night and if I was hungry at 10, I could just take a bus over to PAR and have late night.”

Kamberbr: “I wish I knew that public housing offered late night meals. It’s hard trying to make dinner sometimes.”

There are similarities and differences between both public and private housing but it comes down to each student’s personal preferences. Whether it’s a priority to have a big room with a lot of space or more dining hall options, both University and private housing have the means to fit one’s needs.

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