Dorming at ESU is never easy. With so many different options to choose from, it’s hard to figure out which living arrangement is best for you. However, this list (ranked from best to worst) will help you make the best decision so you actually enjoy where you live next semester. Keep reading for the ultimate ranking of ESU dorms!
Do you want air conditioning? A full size bed (no more twin!)? Your own kitchen, loaded with all the appliances you need? Do you want your own laundry room? Your own clean, spacious bathroom? Then, the University Ridge is the place for you. Each apartment boasts 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining area, full size kitchen, and washer/dryer. Everything you could need is in one apartment and costs less than living with fewer amenities on campus does. You don’t even need to have a meal plan if you want to live at the Ridge. I have saved so much money by cutting down my meal plan and eating home cooked meal with my SO every day instead. Also, transportation to campus is provided to you via the shuttles. Yes, you’ve heard stories about the infamous shuttles (my girlfriend writes about them all the time), but they really aren’t THAT bad.
These apartments, located on campus (although they are at the very tip of the campus map), have smaller beds, they do still have two bathrooms, air conditioning, and a kitchen. The only down side is that the cable is kind of spotty (hopefully you won’t need to call Jim Carey…) and they do not provide a microwave in the kitchen or furniture in the living room.
Hemlock Suites are the closest suites to other buildings on campus, especially the library. They come with their own air conditioning in each room. There are different suite configurations available depending on whether or not you want to share a bedroom with a roommate or if you want your own small room, but each suite has a bathroom and a small kitchenette available.
Hawthorn Suites are farther away from campus, compared to Hemlock. These suites are the same as Hemlock, with a living area, bathroom, small kitchenette, and their own air conditioning. I mean come on, we all know we like to be able to control the temperature of where we live.
I might be biased towards Laurel Hall since I lived there last year but I believe it’s the best traditional dorm on campus. I never really dealt with loud neighbors there or wild crazy nights. It was quiet, peaceful, and clean (for the most part). Laurel often houses the honor students with high GPAs so it’s no wonder why the building remains quiet most of the time.
Located by Koehler Fieldhouse, you can walk on over from Linden and see the basketball teams play easily. There’s a spacious quad out front that students love to tan on during the spring semester and for the most part, not many people complain about Linden at all.
Minsi houses many of the foreign exchange students and athletes. I’ve had friends that lived there and they said the bathrooms weren’t all that great but they didn’t mind the bedrooms, which I guess is a plus because you spend more time in your room than on the toilet. Minsi has a small patio out front complete with tables and chairs that’s great for studying or just hanging out with friends.
Out of all the traditional dorms, Lenape is the farthest from class buildings on campus. It is the tallest dorm ESU has on campus so if you have a dorm on the top floor and the elevator isn’t working, you’re looking at a steep walk up those stairs. Also, Lenape is known for being the “party dorm” and a lot of crazy things have happened in that building. I would suggest avoiding it if you enjoy being relaxed in your room and studying in bed.
Oh Shawnee, good ol’ Shawnee. I can’t even express my disgust with Shawnee enough. Shawnee is a triple, so basically 3 people are squeezed into a room with a bunk bed, a single bed, two dressers, two desks, and two closets. That right there screams STAY AWAY. The bathrooms are shared by like 15-20 people on your side of the floor and they’re DISGUSTING. Talk about a health hazard. Knowing what I know now, after having lived there my freshman year, I would advise anyone to avoid Shawnee like the plague.
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