So, you’re considering Private Certified Housing for your first year here at the University? Kudos to you, my friend. With there being 15 different private housing options, (two women’s facilities, five men’s facilities, and eight co-ed facilities) the choice can be intimidating. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of Private Certified Housing.

Pros

Larger rooms: The big rooms are what Private Certified Housing facilities are known for. Bromley Hall, one of the co-ed dorms on campus, boasts that they have the largest dorm rooms on campus. Feel free to sprawl out. There’s no chance you’ll be feeling claustrophobic in these spacious living quarters.

Air conditioning: This is another one of the biggest perks of private housing facilities. No matter which one you choose, a cool, air-conditioned room will be waiting for you the day you move in. While some of your friends in University Housing are sweating themselves to sleep in the warm months of August and September, you can go ahead turn up the fan on the air conditioner and grab another blanket. 

Wi-Fi: A majority of these facilities on campus have high-speed wireless Internet access. Several campus dorms don’t offer Wi-Fi; however, they do offer various wireless hot spots in frequently visited areas around the dormitories. Say goodbye to those annoying Ethernet cords and hello to surfing the Internet in bed.

Semi-private bathrooms: All of the private certified facilities include semi-private bathrooms that are typically directly connected to your dorm room or connected to your suite. With these types of bathrooms, you will be sharing a bathroom with your roommate(s) and any suitemates. This means no long walks carrying your toiletries to and from your dorm room and the communal bathroom. You’ve also successfully avoided ever having to wear “shower shoes.” 

Living rooms: Twelve out of the 15 private housing facilities include fully-furnished living rooms. These rooms are located between two smaller dorm rooms, so you will be sharing them with your suitemates. They often include a couch or couches, a television and a coffee table. Think of these rooms as your own personal place to study or host a movie night with friends.

On-site laundry: We all hate it. However, nothing makes laundry worse than having to trek your dirty clothes to the laundromat just to bring them back again. All Private Certified Housing facilities include on-site laundry either in the facility or in your room, making your life just a little bit easier.

Other exclusive amenities: There are many other amenities available to PCH residents. Bromley Hall has extra amenities including an indoor pool, housekeeping services and a lobby that includes a baby grand piano. Illini Tower offers residents a 24-hour game room equipped with two flat screen TVs, shuffleboard, a ping pong table and a pool table. On top of that, both Bromley Hall and Illini Tower have gyms in their facilities. 

Cons

Cost: One of the biggest drawbacks to Private Certified Housing is that it costs more than University housing. On average, these rooms costs roughly $2,000 more than University Housing. It’s up to you (and probably your parents) if you’re willing to pay for the extra amenities that are included in private housing.

Meal plans: Residents are restricted to eating at their facility, through their facility’s meal plan. This means these residents are unable to eat at University Housing dining halls such as Ikenberry Commons, Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall, Illinois Street Residence Hall, etc. without paying for it. However, any student can purchase a meal plan from the University. Meal plan-only rates start at $2,209.

Longer walks to bus stops: Unlike all of the University Housing buildings, which have stops for many of the Champaign-Urbana MTD bus routes, many of the private dorms are not. Most of the private dorms are anywhere from one to two blocks away from a bus stop. While this is no problem in the early, warmer months of August and September, you’re going to dread even a single step outside come the cold, windy months of winter.

Austin is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter

@austinwbaird.