Whether it’s University Housing or Private Certified Housing, living in a dorm is an exciting and scary rite of passage for all students at the University. Each dorm offers different values to their residents, and students often consider the benefits and disadvantages of each.
Urbana North
On the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Green Street lies the Illinois Street Residence Halls, consisting of Wardall and Townsend halls.
Sofia Ruiz Cordero, sophomore in FAA, is a Townsend Hall resident advisor and an ISR Hall Council member. Ruiz Cordero said that despite applying to be an RA at Allen Hall, her placement at ISR worked in her favor.
“The individual bathrooms are nice, coming from someone who previously lived at Allen, where we didn’t have that,” Ruiz Cordero said. “Also, we have so many options at the dining hall, especially with a kitchen like Inclusive Solutions that I hit up frequently as someone who can’t have gluten.”
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Townsend Hall, described by Ruiz Cordero as the “poster child” of campus dorms, gradually became the go-to example for tour guides due to its renovations.
Another standout residence lies along the edges of Goodwin Avenue and Nevada Street: Busey-Evans Halls, known for being a “peaceful haven” and their beautiful greenery.
Mariana Ortiz, freshman in Social Work, lives at Busey Hall, the all-women residence. Its counterpart, Evans Hall, houses only male students.
“It’s a cute little community at Busey,” Ortiz said. “I feel like nobody really knows about it despite it being one of the best-kept dorms.”
One negative thing Ortiz addressed is Busey’s abandoned dining hall, leaving residents to resort to nearby dining halls at ISR and LAR.
A few blocks from Busey-Evans, down Gregory Street, sits Allen Hall.
John Vu, freshman in Engineering, applied to live at ISR to be near his engineering classes but was placed at Allen instead.
Despite not getting the dorm he initially wanted, Vu is content with Allen’s resources: a relaxed basement environment, pottery classes in the ceramics lab and proximity to CRCE.
“Your resident housing doesn’t really affect you,” Vu said. “Don’t think that living in some place that isn’t your first pick will change your future here.”
Urbana South
Florida Avenue Residence Halls, known as FAR, live up to their collective name for being farthest from campus’s northern border.
JT DeLongchamp, freshman in ACES, lives in Trelease Hall, one of two halls in FAR. After initially deciding between FAR and Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls, he and his roommate don’t regret their choice.
He explained that he uses PAR’s dining hall and the Urbana South Market, while also enjoying FAR’s Corner Café. Although the dining hall played a role in figuring out where to live, he said that it doesn’t anymore.
DeLongchamp said FAR has decently spacious rooms, and he enjoys spending time with his friends.
“I think people should just give FAR more of a chance,” DeLongchamp said. “Everybody looks at the distance immediately and kind of outcasts it.”
Ikenberry North
Sophia Coronado, sophomore in LAS, lived in Nugent Hall in Fall 2024 before moving to her sorority’s house. During her freshman year, Coronado lived at Allen.
“One really nice thing about Nugent is the laundry room,” Coronado said. “It is always empty, and it was such a relief to be able to do my laundry without the wait. At Allen, no one would take their clothes out of the machines, and it became a whole thing.”
Coronado compared living at Nugent Hall to staying in a hotel, describing it as both a comfortable retreat and a stepping stone toward learning how to be independent.
Reflecting on her experience, she encouraged new residents to embrace the community by keeping their doors open and making an effort to connect with others on their floor.
Trinity Mitchell, junior in LAS, lives at Wassaja Hall and previously stayed at Weston Hall her freshman and sophomore years. Mitchell stayed in the dorms because of their convenience and for the accessibility to transportation.
“I feel like you meet more people when you’re in the dorms,” Mitchell said. “There’s a good mix of different grades, genders and majors to socialize with.”
Mitchell described how Wassaja Hall felt more individual-based after switching from a community-based environment at Weston.
Emma Martinez, junior in FAA, has a single room in Barton Hall, an all-women dorm. Barton’s all-men counterpart is Lundgren Hall. Martinez previously stayed at Weston and Nugent in her freshman and sophomore years, respectively.
She explained that dorm life lets her focus on her goals, academics and relying on herself while on campus. Martinez enjoys opening the windows, especially when the weather is warmer, and conversing with her neighbors. She said in other dorms, she and her neighbors kept more to themselves.
Martinez said she enjoys Barton’s quirks and is satisfied with her dorm. She also said while some dorms are known for being quiet or energetic, she sees Barton as a happy middle.
“Enjoy living in the dorm,” Martinez said. “Take in the experience.”
Valeria Gomez, freshman in Education, lives in Hopkins Hall. While choosing her dorm, Gomez and her roommate wanted a social dorm and got a large double room. She enjoys the location since it’s central to campus.
Gomez enjoys Hopkins’ lobby, which allows her to socialize with other students. Gomez explained how almost every bus stops by Hopkins Hall, something she takes advantage of.
“Hopkins rocks,” Gomez said. “It’s such a freshman dorm. It’s a canon event. Everyone has to go through something like that.”
Ikenberry South
Emma Gutierrez, freshman in DGS, lives in Snyder Hall. She chose Snyder due to its sociability and explained that it allowed her to get out of her comfort zone.
Gutierrez recalled how she became friends with people on her floor by telling them that one of their keys was in the door’s keyhole, sparking a friendship.
“It’s so weird how one little thing ended up being such a good friendship at the end of the day,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also said Snyder differs from other residence halls because it’s social, and she has made additional friends with people on her floor. She said living in a dorm is an adjustment, but it gets easier.
“You get to definitely make the most of it, and choose your path, even if it’s not social or not really doing much with it, you get to have fun with it,” said Gutierrez.
At the corner of Fourth Street and Peabody Drive are Taft-Van Doren Halls. Khemiah Jeffries, freshman in Education, resides at Taft Hall.
According to Jeffries, there isn’t much to do in Taft. Socializing only happens in the hallway or basement study lounges where Jeffries has made friends.
“It’s not very spacious, and there’s no AC in the dorms,” Jeffries said. “There’s not much excitement here other than inviting each other to parties.”
Jeffries advises students to research the dorms and be on time when housing registration opens.
Private Certified Housing
A housing crisis before Fall 2024 left many students struggling to find a place to live. Some of them ultimately resorted to Private Certified Housing.
Bri Gonzalez, freshman in Business, lives at Presby Hall. Gonzalez and her roommate experienced delays with their housing choices, particularly at Ikenberry North and Bromley Hall.
