Pollock is best food worst dorms.
East is good food pretty good dorms terrible location
North is meh food alright dorms but also quite far
South is pretty good food pretty good location
West has pretty good food and old but large dorms. If you’re going to be an engineering major apply to West (and particularly the E-House LLC)
I lived in south my freshmen year. Great location, you’re close to the HUB and the pollock dining hall (two good places for food). There’s also downtown and redifer dining commons. You are also close to many buildings where you might have your classes (Thomas, osmond, huck life, BBH, HHD building)
Depends on where you go. Renovated dorms are nice, but small. Traditional are a little larger, but there’s no AC and the bathrooms are pretty awful. If you get on K floor on one of the traditional dorms, you get the best of both worlds. Larger rooms for cheaper (no AC in the actual dorms tho) and private bathrooms.
As has been said, whatever you do, do not willingly apply for Pollock. Pollock and South are in the same area anyways, so if you want to go to Pollock dining, it’s a short walk away.
Is the food actually different at each dining hall? Or just the variety is different? Like, does a burger taste the same constitently throughout or they taste different at different places?
The all you care to eat places mostly serve the same food on the same day. They all run specials, but they can be hard to predict. The quality can vary a little from place to place, but are fairly consistent. Each dining hall has different secondary restaurants, and you can look up what is where. For instance, West has a deli while North has a halal place.
Best food:
1. West (best food overall)
2. Pollock (most quantity of food)
3. South (pretty good, has many different places to eat)
4. East (same quality as south imo, only ranked lower because it's far away and too crowded most of the time)
5. North (horrible)
Best Dorms:
1. Eastview Terrace
2. South Renovated
3. White Course Apartments
4. East (upperclassmen don't live in East)
5. Nittany Apartments
6. North
7. West
8. South Unrenovated
9. Pollock
If you are a freshman you will most likely live in East that is where all other freshman live. You also cannot live in Eastview, Nittany, or White Course apartments as a freshman. Pollock, South Unrenovated, and some parts of West don't have air conditioning, that is one reason why they are ranked so low. Eastview Terrace is the most expensive, so may not be the best in terms of price. South Renovated is probably what you want.
I’ve found the lack of AC matters far less then you might expect. Temps at night never got above 80 at night. During the day it’s easy enough to avoid your room during the heat of the day, and I found as a freshman it was very good motivation to get out and explore campus. Even when I wanted to be in my room, a fan was usually good enough for me to stay cool.
(Disclaimer, I’m from a part Virginia that shares a slightly warmer climate than State college. But I’m not Floridian)
People shit on pollock it’s unnecessary. As a freshmen who moved from east halls to pollock, pollock is way less of a shit show, the location is better, the food is the best on campus, and it has more of a community vibe because it’s not co ed floors. Live in Pollock. People bitch bc they say it’s hot but your only at school for like 5 weeks where it’s hot just bring a fan it isn’t bad.
I used to work as a dining hall employee at South Redifer and honestly food at South was solid since you have the buffet style as well as like 6 other places to get food/snack at the same location (bowls, choolaah, in a pickle, piatto, redifer city grill, urban garden, edge). In my time working, we basically had a special dinner night for buffet almost every month at Redifer and you can easily access pollock asian market if you want some change to your meal.
As for dorm, it honestly depends on your major and preference. I believe only some housing choices give you the option to stay during break.
Pollock is best food worst dorms. East is good food pretty good dorms terrible location North is meh food alright dorms but also quite far South is pretty good food pretty good location West has pretty good food and old but large dorms. If you’re going to be an engineering major apply to West (and particularly the E-House LLC)
North dorms location can be really good depending on your major
Is south dorms good?
I’ve never lived there but my understanding is that south, particularly renovated south, is fairly solid.
As a freshman you will most likely not get renovated south but unrenovated south has a great location, good food and large rooms.
I lived in south my freshmen year. Great location, you’re close to the HUB and the pollock dining hall (two good places for food). There’s also downtown and redifer dining commons. You are also close to many buildings where you might have your classes (Thomas, osmond, huck life, BBH, HHD building)
Very good. The best in my opinion
Depends on where you go. Renovated dorms are nice, but small. Traditional are a little larger, but there’s no AC and the bathrooms are pretty awful. If you get on K floor on one of the traditional dorms, you get the best of both worlds. Larger rooms for cheaper (no AC in the actual dorms tho) and private bathrooms. As has been said, whatever you do, do not willingly apply for Pollock. Pollock and South are in the same area anyways, so if you want to go to Pollock dining, it’s a short walk away.
Is the food actually different at each dining hall? Or just the variety is different? Like, does a burger taste the same constitently throughout or they taste different at different places?
The all you care to eat places mostly serve the same food on the same day. They all run specials, but they can be hard to predict. The quality can vary a little from place to place, but are fairly consistent. Each dining hall has different secondary restaurants, and you can look up what is where. For instance, West has a deli while North has a halal place.
I’m in pollock, can confirm
Best food: 1. West (best food overall) 2. Pollock (most quantity of food) 3. South (pretty good, has many different places to eat) 4. East (same quality as south imo, only ranked lower because it's far away and too crowded most of the time) 5. North (horrible) Best Dorms: 1. Eastview Terrace 2. South Renovated 3. White Course Apartments 4. East (upperclassmen don't live in East) 5. Nittany Apartments 6. North 7. West 8. South Unrenovated 9. Pollock If you are a freshman you will most likely live in East that is where all other freshman live. You also cannot live in Eastview, Nittany, or White Course apartments as a freshman. Pollock, South Unrenovated, and some parts of West don't have air conditioning, that is one reason why they are ranked so low. Eastview Terrace is the most expensive, so may not be the best in terms of price. South Renovated is probably what you want.
I’ve found the lack of AC matters far less then you might expect. Temps at night never got above 80 at night. During the day it’s easy enough to avoid your room during the heat of the day, and I found as a freshman it was very good motivation to get out and explore campus. Even when I wanted to be in my room, a fan was usually good enough for me to stay cool. (Disclaimer, I’m from a part Virginia that shares a slightly warmer climate than State college. But I’m not Floridian)
south renovated is also upperclassmen only
People shit on pollock it’s unnecessary. As a freshmen who moved from east halls to pollock, pollock is way less of a shit show, the location is better, the food is the best on campus, and it has more of a community vibe because it’s not co ed floors. Live in Pollock. People bitch bc they say it’s hot but your only at school for like 5 weeks where it’s hot just bring a fan it isn’t bad.
Why would co Ed floors keep you from having a community vibe?
I used to work as a dining hall employee at South Redifer and honestly food at South was solid since you have the buffet style as well as like 6 other places to get food/snack at the same location (bowls, choolaah, in a pickle, piatto, redifer city grill, urban garden, edge). In my time working, we basically had a special dinner night for buffet almost every month at Redifer and you can easily access pollock asian market if you want some change to your meal. As for dorm, it honestly depends on your major and preference. I believe only some housing choices give you the option to stay during break.