CHCRC vs. Southwest: My Honest Thoughts
By Leila Metres
Content
During my first year at UMass Amherst, I lived in Oak Hall in the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC). In my sophomore year, I lived in Prince Hall in Southwest. There were a number of factors that went into my decision to switch residential areas, and I firmly believe that neither is better or worse, just more or less suited to my desires for a given year. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to live in both Oak and Prince, and wanted to contrast the benefits of each, as well as some differences I’ve noticed.
Honors Benefits
Newer Dorms on Campus
The most obvious reason to choose an Honors dorm is how new they are. Opened in 2013, the Honors College Residential Community feels so new that it could’ve been built just last week. The dorms are spotlessly clean, from the stairwells to the hallways to the bathrooms. In my opinion, the modern style of the buildings is also really beautiful and a nice contrast to some of the other architecture on campus—one of the key features being the amount of natural light.
Natural Light
My favorite thing about the Honors dorms is how bright and open they are. There are colorful walls and windows in every hallway. The sun streams in throughout the day, making things feel sunny and inviting. This can make a big difference when it gets to the part of the year that’s generally darker and colder, and you’re wishing for as much light as you can get! And even when it’s hot outside, you’ll never get too hot.
Air Conditioning
Having air conditioning in the Honors dorms is an added plus. During the first and last couple months of the school year, you don’t have to worry about sweating yourself to sleep. How much this affects you will depend on the weather in a given year, but it can always give you peace of mind to know that it’s there. The CHCRC dorms and North Apartments are the only dorms on campus that provide air conditioning, making it a (not-so) hot commodity! These added benefits provide big incentives for living in Honors, but they come with a cost.
Southwest Benefits
Cost
While the cost of living for me in Honors or Southwest last year (first-year shared) was about the same, it’s a lot more cost effective to choose Southwest after that first year. To live in a CHCRC shared suite or apartment, the housing costs increase for both suites and apartments, whereas the Southwest rate remains the same. A CHCRC apartment does include a kitchen, but if you’re in first-year housing or a suite, you’ll have to go to the dining halls in Southwest.
Proximity to Dining Commons
To walk to Hampshire or Berkshire, the closest Dining Commons from Honors, it takes seven to nine minutes. But Prince is located right across from Hampshire, making the walk just a minute or two to Hamp and Berk. Luckily, Honors does have closer access to Roots Café for breakfast meal swipes, although the options are less varied, and after 10:45 A.M., you are only able to use dining dollars or money for the food offered there. As an athlete, food is a big incentive for me—and so is the availability of break housing.
Break Housing
This is a little bit more of a personal consideration, but as a spring season athlete, I come back a couple of weeks early from winter break. During this time, which is called intercession, we train, eat, sleep, and get ready for the season ahead. Because Honors doesn’t have break housing, I wasn’t able to go back to my dorm there last year. Luckily, one of my teammates who had a non-athlete roommate kindly opened up her room to me during intercession, but this year in Prince, I’ll be able to come back early without worrying about securing part-time housing. This may not affect you if you don’t need break housing, but there are other differences to consider between Southwest and CHCRC.
More Differences
Friendships
One of the biggest reasons I chose Honors last year was because as a student-athlete on the track team, I wanted to make sure that I had a place to make non-track friends. And I did so, coming out of living in Honors with a couple really close friends that I’ve continued to stay in touch with. But going into my second year, I wanted to be more integrated into the track community, not have to make the walk to Southwest in the cold at night, and just have more casual encounters with teammates in my living space. Those hallway conversations can be really fun, and they vary based on the culture of the dorm you’re living in.
Culture
Overall, there’s a different culture in the Honors and Southwest dorms. The Honors dorms are quieter but still very lively, while the Southwest dorms are more spirited and energetic. While living in Oak, classes were cancelled one day because of snow and I couldn’t sleep. I decided to start my homework in my floor’s common room, and I couldn’t believe the number of people in that room who were also doing homework at 8am on a snow day! (On the other hand, you may experience the hockey team marching and chanting Seven Nation Army before 8 a.m. in Southwest.)
In the Southwest dorms, the doors don’t automatically close, which can create more of an inviting atmosphere for people in the halls to chat with whoever comes by. I don’t think either environment is better or worse, but some people might lean towards one or the other depending on their preference for noise or conversation levels.
Choosing a residential area is all about finding the right fit for you, and what that looks like may change from year to year. This article doesn’t even get into Central, Northeast, Orchard Hill, Sylvan, North, or any off-campus options!
When choosing your dorm, figure out what criteria means the most to you, and remember that it’s okay to change your mind later down the line. UMass is a great place to live on campus, and above all, it’s an opportunity to explore what it means to live on your own for the first time.
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Leila Metres
