It’s that time again. You’re telling your roommate, who steals your Pop Tarts, that you are “exploring other options.” You’re wondering whether you and your bestie will start to hate each other by the end of the year. It’s time for the room selection process.

Luckily, next year you won’t be a freshman, and you’ll have better housing selection than you did your first year. With many different residence halls available to students, the options may seem a bit daunting. There are a lot of options to consider when deciding where to live for the next year of college.

One of the first options you need to look at is whether you want to go with public housing or private certified housing. Most people go with public their first year because it’s cheaper, but private certified can be worth the cost. Each of the private certified halls also has its own personality to it, so make sure to browse around each one to get a feel for what it may be like to live there for a year.

Another thing to consider is if you want air conditioning. For most dorms, the cost difference is around $300. Air conditioning only really makes a difference during the hotter months at the beginning and end of the school year, but for some it is a must-have. Talk to those who have lived in halls without air conditioning to see if it is a necessity for your next year.

Do you want to live in Urbana or Champaign? Location is a very important factor to take in when choosing housing. Most of the residence halls are the same distance to the Main Quad, but there are also several other places you may visit. Is one hall closer to more of your classes? Do you want to be closer to the ARC or CRCE? Is your hall close to where all of your friends are going to be? Consider each hall’s location to make sure that you’re not traveling too far across campus.

Also, before you make your choice, be sure to check out each of your hall’s dining options. Some private certified halls don’t offer dining services, which is important to keep in mind. Other public residence halls may only offer dining services on certain days, and traveling to other halls for meals can really frustrate some people. Be sure to read up on this before you make your choice.

To the right is a list of the halls from most to least expensive. Prices are 2017-2018 rates taken from University and Private Certified Housing websites. They may vary according to your academic year.

Below is a list of the halls from most to least expensive. Prices are 2017-2018 rates taken from University and Private Certified Housing websites. They may vary according to your academic year.

PCH = Private Certified Housing

UH = University Housing

*includes Pennsylvania Avenue, Florida Avenue, Busey-Evans, Illinois Street, Hopkins, Scott, Snyder and Weston

**includes Allen Hall, Lincoln Avenue, Barton and Lundgren, and Taft Van Doren

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