It happens every year. Emails flood the inboxes of students, assuring them living on campus is the best decision or reminding them to hurry up and sign a lease with the Villas.
The decision of where to live in the next academic year is something that students stress over for months ahead of time. But with deadlines approaching, it's time to make a decision.
Dorm life
Living on campus in a dorm is a popular choice among undergraduate students who choose not to commute. Every resident receives a desk, a dresser, a lamp, an extra-long twin bed, a nightstand, wireless Internet, a cable connection and a wardrobe or closet in the room when he or she moves in.
Ellicott Complex
Ellicott Complex is the largest out of all the dorms on campus. With six residence quadrangles - including Fargo, Red Jacket, Richmond, Spaulding, Porter and Wilkeson - the complex can hold the most students.
The rooms are all priced differently, depending on how many people are living there: a single is $7,934, a double is $6,867, a triple is $6,542 and a quad is $5,905 for the upcoming 2013-14 school year, according to ub-housing.buffalo.edu.
What the student says:
Pro: "It's so easy to meet new people and there is a wide variety of different people who live here."
Con: "Sharing a bathroom with about 20 girls."
- Kelsey Durkot, a sophomore nursing major who has lived in Ellicott for two years
Greiner Hall
This "green" sophomore-only dorm is home to 600 students. While living here is more costly - $7,678 for a double and $8,867 for a single per academic year - there are many more perks. Aside from the standard furniture, every student gets a flexible dresser, which can be styled as the resident pleases. Instead of lamps, there are lighting fixtures built into the wall. Each room is a double and designed in suite style, with four people sharing a bathroom and closet.
What the student says:
Pro: "I love the big walk-in closet and the high ceilings in the room. It makes the room look bigger and nicer."
Con: "It's isolated. Well, each suite is [isolated] and that makes it hard to meet new people."
- Christine Barry, a sophomore psychology major
Governors Complex
There are four halls or corners of Governors: Roosevelt, Clinton, Dewey and Lehman. Roosevelt is reserved for freshmen in the Honors program, but the rest of Governors is available to any student in any year. Located closest to the academic buildings, it is priced the same as Ellicott dorms. Other advantages include: a printing center, a gym and a dining hall.
What the student says:
Pro: "There is a great sense of community between everyone."
Con: "The dining hall, gym and convenience store are significantly small and need to be updated."
- Sandi Katz, a sophomore psychology and speech and hearing science major
Clement Hall
Home to first-year students, transfer students and upperclassmen, this South Campus residence hall houses students who live in suite-style double rooms connected by a bathroom.
What the student says:
Pro: "As a freshman, it was closer to the nightlife and there was a bigger sense of community than on North Campus. It's not uncommon for floors to become close with other floors and residents from both Clement and Goodyear to interact often."
Con: "It was my least favorite because of the commute. Even though it's not a long commute, early classes sucked because the buses weren't always on time and I had to get up extra early to make sure I could get to class on time."
- Kwasi Adusei, a senior nursing major
Goodyear Hall
Located on South Campus, this residence hall is reserved for first-year students. These rooms are designed as a suite-style with two people in each room connected by a shared bathroom. Perks of this South Campus dwelling include: a 10th-floor lounge open to students during designated hours, a fitness center, a dining hall and a convenience store.
What the student says:
Pro: "I liked having all my friends super close by and all in the same building so it was easy to hang out. We could eat dinner together every night if we wanted to. It was nice. Also, I liked the gym a lot better because it was never crowded with lots of people and I felt more comfortable working out. I liked having the plaza across the street at my convenience as well."
Con: "The dorms were tiny and ugly and so outdated compared to North Campus dorms ... Sometimes I felt too distant from campus in the sense of being a part of UB. Goodyear kind of made me feel like they stick all the leftover kids who don't have priority there and they don't know what to do with. The worst part about living on South is the commute to North Campus every day and the constant anxiety of feeling or being late to class."
- Jessica McGarry, a sophomore nursing major
The on-campus apartments
Students who want the convenience of living on campus but are tired of dorm life should look into the on-campus apartments. Students can opt to live in Flint Village, Hadley Village, South Lake Village, Creekside Village or Flickinger Court. Each of these apartments contains a private living room and a private kitchen.
Flint Village
These apartments, located at the main campus entrance, are open to undergraduate upperclassmen, graduate students and professional students. There are four different styles available, from four bedrooms to one bedroom, averaging $726 a month for a 12-month lease. Each apartment is available fully furnished with utilities included.
What the student says:
Pro: "Work orders are attended to in a rather timely fashion. The staff are very friendly. As for the living quarters, the living room is a decent size, so is the kitchen; the rooms could be bigger but it's fit for the person staying there. The laundry rooms are always clean and the floors are fairly quiet. The apartments are also conveniently placed in the middle of campus."
Con: "The heating and cooling system of the apartment only circulates in the living room so your room will be cold during the winter months and warm during the summer months. The price is way more expensive than the dorms and they have shortened the months to lease the apartments to 10 months instead of having it for the whole year. So if you are taking summer classes, good luck finding a place to stay either on or off campus."
- Michelle Abekeh, a senior exercise science major
Hadley Village
Located close to the Academic Spine, these apartments are open to upperclassmen who are also undergraduate students. These four-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments are available for a 10- or 12-month lease - $630 a month for 12 months and $699 a month for 10 months - and come fully furnished with utilities included.
What the student says:
Pro: "My favorite part about living at Hadley is the ability to hang out with my suitemates in the common area but then having my time for myself in my room. I also love the spaciousness of my room."
Con: "My least favorite thing is not having an elevator because I live on the third floor so it sucks having to carry all my things all the way up, especially since I have a problem packing. I also wish the closet was a little bigger to accommodate all my shoes."
- Natalie Nwanna, a senior psychology major
South Lake Village
Located on the shore of Lake LaSalle, South Lake Village is home to undergraduate upperclassmen, graduate students and professional students. Available designs include a four-bedroom and two-bathrooms, two-bedrooms and one-bathroom, one-bedroom and one-bathroom and a studio apartment. The price averages at $756 per month for a 12-month lease. The four-bedroom style is the only one available for a 10-month lease for $699.
What the student says:
Pro: "It's the nicest and roomiest out of all the on-campus apartments."
Con: "There are no Stampede busses anywhere near me.
- Josh Wohlfeld, a senior business major
Creekside Village
This "green" housing complex at UB is open to graduate and professional students only. The apartments are arranged as a two bedroom with one-and-a-half baths as a two-story townhouse or a two-bedroom with one bathroom as a one-story home. Each unit is equipped with a washer and dryer and is available for 12 months for $771 per month.
Off-Campus Apartments
These apartments are located around Buffalo and offer some variety to the living situation on campus. The lack of strict rules and policies are appealing to some students. For example, students are able to live with people of the opposite sex or with students from other local schools, considering the off-campus apartments aren't solely for UB students.
Collegiate Village
Collegiate Village, located six minutes from South Campus and 10 minutes from North Campus, offers studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments. Per person, the price ranges from $925 per month to $540 per month, depending on the design of the apartment. However, this price includes hot water, Internet, cable, parking, laundry machines and a gym. In each of these apartments, there are lockable bedrooms and a private bathroom. These apartments come fully furnished with full-size beds, a living room, a kitchen, a washer and a dryer.
University Village at Sweethome
Located at 283 American Campus Dr., these apartments are only a couple minutes away from North Campus. The available layouts of these apartments include four bedrooms, two bedrooms and one bedroom. The price per person ranges from $624 a month to $974 a month for a 12-month lease, depending on which apartment you choose to live in. Each bedroom in the apartment has its own bathroom and includes utilities and furniture. Also available to Sweethome residents is a shuttle that transports students to campus and a movie room, a fitness center, a pool, poker tables and free tanning.
What the student says:
Pro: "It's homey and a good living space. The shuttles are also always prompt and on time. The free coffee is also great and delicious."
Con: "Unlike the dorms, it's a less of an open feel."
- Max Blaise, a sophomore mechanical and aerospace engineering major
Villas at Chestnut Ridge
Apartments are designed in four different ways, varying from a four bedroom with four-and-a-half bathrooms, which are three floors, to a one-bedroom and one-bathroom studio apartment. They are priced ranging from $679 to $989 per person per month for a 12-month lease. Each of these apartments comes with private bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a washer and a dryer. As a resident, students can enjoy a private shuttle to campus and fitness, computer and recreation centers.
What the student says:
Pro: "The best part about living here is the proximity to campus and the unit itself. It's pretty spacious and after decorating a bit, it starts to feel like home. Not being tied to the school is also a plus. Getting a noise complaint here would be tough. Having the gym just a minute walk away is also a huge bonus."
Con: "I'd say the worst part about living here is the quality of service for what we pay. Rent is extremely expensive and it's clear the staff doesn't have the intention of dealing with its residents after the paycheck has cleared. When we initially had the tour of the complex, we were told electric would hover around $25 per month between both of us. Now we're dealing with monthly charges of up to $80 from National Grid without any answers from either the Villas or NG."
- Paul Prince, a senior media study major
Villas on Rensch
These two-story, single-style apartments come with four bedrooms and four bathrooms for $734 a month. This 2-year-old, fully furnished housing option offers USB power plugs scattered around the apartment and walk-in closets. The residents can enjoy the Mac computer center, the multimedia room, the fitness center or free tanning.
What the student says:
Pro: "I like living there because it is nice place to live. You get your own bathroom and it's furnished. There is also buses that bring you to campus so you don't have to drive
Con: "It's expensive. You have to wait a long time for the buses sometimes. There is no pool or basketball court like at Sweethome. And those are less expensive. Also, maintenance finds too many random reasons to go inside your apartment."
- Kyle Maier, a senior communication major
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Kimco Realty / Wikimedia Commons
