Make yourself at home: frosh housing

One of the first things every incoming freshman wonders is, where will I live? Will I get the smallest room on campus? Or a room with a view? Well, not to worry. Whether you're on Old Campus or in Silliman or Timothy Dwight, you're sure to get a decent, liveable room. Here's the rundown on Yale housing for freshmen, beginning with Old Campus.

Vanderbilt Hall, the large U-shaped dorm on the Chapel Street side of Old Campus, will house Branford and Davenport frosh and part of the Berkeley freshman class. Most Vanderbilt suites are three-room quads that consist of two bedrooms and a common room. Bathrooms are usually communal, shared with the other residents of each single-sex floor. Though the bedrooms are narrow and have bunked beds, the large common rooms, complete with fireplaces and window seats, make up for it. The window seats, which can turn into three-seat sofas with a few pillows, overlook the Vanderbilt courtyard, a popular place to socialize.

The rest of the Berkeley frosh will be located in McClellan Hall, which has traditionally served as annex housing for upperclassmen. McClellan, with its spacious, almost brand new suites and private bathrooms, includes the famous party suite known as the Octet (an eight-person suite) and large single or double bedrooms. Though having an in-suite bathroom means you have to clean it yourself, most frosh find that the added convenience more than makes up for cleaning duty. Another benefit of McClellan is that many Berkeley frosh will be able to roll out of bed to get to their morning classes, since McClellan is only a few steps away from Linsly-Chittenden Hall, the site of many English and history classes.

Right next to Vanderbilt is Bingham Hall. Located on the corner of College and Chapel streets, Bingham will house Calhoun and Trumbull freshmen. Though Bingham is one of the oldest buildings on Old Campus, recent renovations, including hardwood floors, improved bathrooms, and an elevator for the tower's nine floors, have transformed the once-cramped quarters into spacious suites.

Bingham rooms are either three-room quads or sextets with a combination of singles and doubles. Most rooms boast large common rooms and bedrooms, and the basement contains Old Campus' best laundry facility and the Freshman Lounge. An achievement of the 1997-98 Freshman Class Council, the lounge, which is located down the hall from the laundry room, provides freshmen with a place to socialize, play games, and watch TV. Due to its great acoustics, the rotunda in the C entryway becomes a very popular practice space for singing Yalies.

Next in line is Welch Hall, which will house Morse freshmen. The windows and exterior of Welch were renovated recently, improving insulation and the building's façade. Rooms in Welch hold up to six people, with spacious bedrooms, large common rooms, and private bathrooms. Very few Welch bedrooms have bunkbeds, and many rooms have built-in shelves or overhead storage bins. Fire doors allow access to adjacent entryways, and the higher floors span two levels, giving them a penthouse feel.

Lawrance Hall will house frosh from Ezra Stiles. Suites in Lawrance house up to six frosh and boast large common rooms, many singles, and spacious doubles that permit debunked beds. Each suite has three or four singles and one or two doubles, as well as a private bathroom within the suite. Fire doors allow access to adjacent rooms and the basement laundry in Farnam.

Farnam Hall will house the Jonathan Edwards freshmen. Farnam is similar to Lawrance, with big common rooms and private bathrooms. The laundry room located in the basement of Farnam provides easy access for JE frosh. The windows look out onto Old Campus or onto the New Haven Green.

Finally, Lanman-Wright Hall will house Saybrook and Pierson frosh. Though Wright Hall has the smallest two-bedroom quads on Old Campus, its courtyard is a favorite hangout area, with large trees and comfortable benches. Because Lanman-Wright is directly above the post office, this area of Old Campus is always busy, with notice boards covered in advertisements for shows, students rushing to check their post-office boxes between classes, and plenty of people relaxing in the courtyard.

But what if your room assignment doesn't say Old Campus? Incoming frosh in Silliman and Timothy Dwight colleges shouldn't feel left out. Living in your college freshman year helps you meet upperclassmen more easily, and the almost all-frosh entryways ensure quality bonding time with other '04ers. Silliman and TD freshman counselors have fewer counselees—and thus can provide increased personal attention—and both colleges organize special freshman events.

Freshmen in Silliman live in five entryways. Entryways E and F have window seats, fireplaces, and access to the laundry rooms in the basement of E. Rooms in J, K, and L are a bit smaller but have built-in shelves. These entryways are connected to the basement, which contains a TV room and computer lab in addition to the laundry rooms.

Timothy Dwight freshmen live in quads within TD's four frosh entryways. Each floor has two or three quads, a freshman counselor, and a few seniors, which fosters bonding between freshmen and the upperclassmen in their college. Fire doors connect rooms to those in other entryways.

Don't forget that your suite means more than just your bedroom or common room. There will be many friends down the hall and up the stairs. The grassy courtyard outside is a place to play frisbee, sunbathe, meet people, or catch up on reading. If your room seems too confined or your roommate too annoying, you can always head outside.

Photo by Julia Tiernan.

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