After deciding on what college to attend the next hardest decision is probably “where do I want to live?” (give or take). This is a guide, with pros and cons, to all freshman dorms at Baylor University that females have access to. Baylor has 3 types of dorms First year communities which is strictly freshman, LLC which are *Living Learning Centers (read below for description) and residential colleges which no one really knows whats that’s all about.
North Village is a community consisting of 3 dorms; Heritage House, Texana House and University House (U-House). I live in Texana so I might be a little biased but I honestly believe that Texana, or North Village has the BEST dorms! It is an apartment styled dorm which means no community bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen!
Pros: Bigger rooms, like seriously. You only share a bathroom with one other person. There is a living room and a kitchen with a stove and a fridge. It is steps away from moody library, you have no excuse not to be part of club moody. If you are pre-med and you don’t stay in Earle, then this dorm is the next best thing. It’s right behind the BSB (Baylor Science Building) which is where you will spend the rest of your life.
Cons: It is one of the more expensive dorms. It’s a farther away from all the dining halls. Rumor has it that it might become an Upper-Division community soon. It very independent and you don’t know or meet most of the people you live with.
Summary Sentence: Home away from home.
East Village is a Living and Learning Center that is home to two dorms; Earle and Teal. Earle is for the science/pre-med majors and Teal is for the engineering students. It is part of the newer side of campus, right across from the new Baylor business building. Since the dorms are centered around majors, there are always pre-health discussions that the residents utilize. If I wasn’t living in Texana, I would be living here.
Pros: Wake up 5-10 minutes before class and you can still make in just in time. Need a study buddy? Knock on any door. EV is one of the better dining halls on campus. Bigger rooms and suite styled dorms, which means you could end up sharing a bathroom with just three other people instead of the whole floor.
Cons: You are required to live there for two years. Not everyone can live there because it is selective. It’s far from everyone and everything except the science building and the EV dining commons. EV closes at 8pm. Everyone in college is stressed but when you decided to squeeze all the pre-med students in one dorm…the stress level elevates.
Summary Sentence: Home of the stressed.
North and South Russel are *Living Learning Centers that was renovated and reopened fall 2015. They have a nice community and great overall vibe with people who are friendly and who genuinely care for your well-being. I have lots of friends who live in Noro and they always seem like they are having fun. It seems like they have an event every week and that was something Texana was lacking. The sense of togetherness and community.
Pros: Right across the Penland Crossroads (or what we like to call P-nasty, the only dining hall that’s stays open past 8pm) very convenient for late night dinner. The SUB and the Baylor Book store also isn’t too far from here. This dorm is literally right across IHOP and Subway (which doesn’t qualify as on campus dining). Great community.
Cons: The dorms are small, like… really small. My dorm in Texana is at least twice as big. They have community bathrooms which are often plagued with hair balls in the showers. According to a friend, ants are dorm pets. Her advice is to invest in a fridge (Thanks Tomi). Dear science majors; Noro is a far walk from the BSB, not the farthest but still.
Summary Sentence: Home to a great community.
Penland is the newly renovated dorm. What was once a dorm for boys only is now a co-ed dorm. This was where I wanted to stay but anytime I mentioned Penland, the faces people would make was discouraging. I always argued that since its being renovated it won’t be as nasty as it was before. I actually haven’t been inside the dorms of Penland, just the lobby, but I have seen some snapchats at it looks like a basic, not-enough-space, type dorm.
Pros: You are literally connected to the Penland crossroads by a hallway, might not be the best dining hall but food is better than no food. Across from the SUB and the Baylor Bookstore. Probably the closest dorm to Fountain Mall.
Cons: It’s also really small. A farther walk from the BSB. Community Bathrooms. There’s probably more but that’s all I got.
Summary Sentence: Used to be Home of all the cute boys.
Dawson is one of the older dorm buildings on campus. It is also a LLC for Leadership. I have multiple friends who stay there but I never visit because I don’t like walking far distances. The dorm is much bigger than I thought I would be, not as big as Texana or Earle, but big enough. Some rooms are suite styled so you share a VERY SMALL bathroom with 3 other girls. The people there are friendly!
Pros: It’s SUPER close to Memorial (Memo) dining hall which is arguably the best dining hall on campus. Close to Waco Hall which is important because chapel is required and tardiness is not acceptable. It’s on the older side of campus which is the prettier side of campus, unless you hate trees and nature then never mind.
Cons: It’s old. It’s the lead LLC which means you probably WILL take a leadership class, if you can finesse your way out then you won’t have to. It far from everything; the BSB, Moody, Late night at Penland, Fountain Mall.
Summary Sentence: Home to leaders in training.
Collins is probably the most historic female dorm on campus. You either love it or you hate it. But when I first heard “600 girls” in one building, I ran the other direction. I really don’t know much about Collins, I only have one friend there, but I gathered all I could.
Pros: Right next to Memo. You get to meet lots of new girls…I mean there’s gonna be 600 girls, one is bound to be your best friend. All the pros from Dawson!
Cons: Community bathrooms are nasty but you don’t have to clean them yourself. The walls are realty thin and you can hear anything that happens in the room besides yours. The building is old.
Summary Sentence: Home of 600 girls.
So, depending on what you view as important (distance from the nearest dining hall, community bathrooms, distance from moody, distance from BSB or room space) this rank could vary from person to person. I do not like tight spaces and since I’m pre-med I wanted to stay close to my second home-the BSB, which is why Texana was a perfect fit for me.
Check out this website to learn more about the dorms at Baylor.
* Living-Learning Centers are communities that are organized around specific academic programs. Students of all classifications are able to live among other students with similar interests and degree plans. As part of the emphasis on community, residents share common cohort classes and have access to other academic services and programming provided in the communities.
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