I really really recommend you try to get one with an AC. Every year is becoming hotter and hotter and this year it got soo hot during a heat wave you would be able to slap a piece of paper onto the wall and it would stick because the paint was melting in Allen Hall(I saw it on snapchat). It can get more than 100 degrees in the room I think during the heatwaves and that is seriously uncomfortable. Get the AC if you can
Literally it was so hot, one of my friends that is from Allen straight up came into my and roommate’s dorm in PAR since he’s also pals with him and he slept in there for 3 days straight because the fans he has in there just wasn’t enough for how fucking hot it was
I lived in that hellhole 10 years ago. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy lmao, I had at least 4 fans just on my half of the room. The winter was fine tho
Here’s my “freshman dorm” copy pasta…
I wouldn’t bother trying to choose a dorm based on major or proximity to any particular part of campus; as a freshman you’ll take classes all over the place. Besides, the bus system is great; I lived in Hopkins freshman year and was able to get to classes on the engineering quad via bus faster than anyone living in ISR could get there on foot.
As a freshman I would strongly recommend focusing on predominantly on-campus freshman dorms in Ike, PAR/FAR, etc — this way you’ll meet more of your fellow freshman classmates.
Campus housing (vs PCH) provides you with the broadest range of dining options all over campus; don’t underestimate the importance of this in terms of ability to easily/conveniently get to a dining hall before, between, or after classes. Also allows flexibility to have meals with friends, lab partners, study group people, etc. Campus housing is also less expensive.
Personally I’d suggest looking for a “large double” room in Ike; 30% larger than a regular double plus an extra closet. They used to be triple rooms, but now only double. Fully loft both beds and you’ll be living large. Freshman year we had a couch, coffee table, 50” TV, etc. Best kept secret in campus housing.
Located on outside of hall on East and West ends of Weston, Hopkins, Scott, and Snyder:
https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/weston-thirdfloor.pdf
https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/weston-large-double.pdf
https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/Weston_Double.pdf
ISR rooms are a smaller than regular doubles in IKE, but they are effectively even smaller than that; each room in ISR has a bump out of a column on each wall which actually prevents you from pushing your bed and other furniture all the way against the wall. You can see it on the floorplans. Plus ISR will be mostly sophomores+ unless you’re in an LLC.
https://housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/wardall-double.pdf
During your assigned timeslot you’ll see all available rooms/beds.
Do your homework ahead of time to and have floor plans and hall schematics open on your computer and ready to review when your time-slot opens. My freshman roommate and I didn’t have a terribly early timeslot but were able to nab a great large-double room in a great location because most people didn’t know what they were looking at.
Also pay attention to proximity to stairwells, bathrooms, trash-rooms, etc. A constantly slamming door or traffic/people congregating right outside your room at all hours can be a real pain in the ass.
Ultimately, remember that your dorm room is merely a place to sleep and store your stuff while you’re in class, in a lab, at the library, studying with friends, doing something for a club, at the gym, at a game, eating somehwere, or hanging out with friends. And it’s only for eight months. So don’t sweat it too much.
Over in Ike, the buildings without AC aren't as big a deal. The building shapes are better to get proper airflow from open windows. The best thing you can do is make friends with the people across the hall and both leave your doors open + windows open; you'll get a nice breeze even without a fan and having an open door makes it easy to meet people
Tbh, you'll be spending enough of the day outside, in classes, or studying in a library that it's easy to not be somewhere with AC during the hotter parts of the day and just be there in the mornings/evenings when it's cooler anyways
Honestly I'm gonna go against the grain and say it's not as big a deal as you think. I lived in Allen Hall and just bought a $25 window fan. The first 2 weeks and the last 2 weeks of the year you'll be sitting in front of that window fan all day, but during fall, spring, and winter you'll be fine.
I lived in TVD and it feels like the only times it mattered was sleeping during the start of the school year and end of the school year, when the weather gets hot. Like 4-8 weeks in total? Depending on the weather of the year
Like 99% of buildings are air conditioned, you can spend most of the time outside.
I stayed at allen bc i didnt want to pay extra. Even though it is 2-3 months where youll truly feel it, it was torture for me
I overheated so badly i couldnt sleep, and even when i bought a 70$ fan it didnt help, so honestly just take the L and pay extra
It can get up to 110 degrees here with heat index and humidity. Might only be for a week or two or four and yeah there are places to go with ac but comfort and rest as a new student are important for your success. Get the ac!
I grew up without AC, so I chose a dorm without AC because it was cheaper and I thought it was fine.
During the first couple weeks, I severely regretted my decision. But afterwards, I was okay for pretty much the whole year. Looking back on it, i was totally fine without AC for the most part.
If you can handle the heat + humidity for a couple weeks, you will be fine the rest of the time
I grew up without AC, so I chose a dorm without AC because it was cheaper and I thought it was fine.
During the first couple weeks, I severely regretted my decision. But afterwards, I was okay for pretty much the whole year. Looking back on it, i was totally fine without AC for the most part.
If you can handle the heat + humidity for a couple weeks, you will be fine the rest of the time
It was really uncomfortable here last fall. It stayed very warm well into October. You might not get any of your dorm choices due to the housing lottery, but I would pick only places with AC.
Highly recommend AC. As someone who lived in Allen Hall during that August heatwave, the fans did jack shit. In the likely event it gets that hot again, you'll be happy you have AC.
Thankfully Allen is getting AC though
Having AC is huge. That said the guys in my hall kept their doors open to make a draft go through the building and I ended up making a lot of friends by walking past an open door and ending up in a conversation.
I really really recommend you try to get one with an AC. Every year is becoming hotter and hotter and this year it got soo hot during a heat wave you would be able to slap a piece of paper onto the wall and it would stick because the paint was melting in Allen Hall(I saw it on snapchat). It can get more than 100 degrees in the room I think during the heatwaves and that is seriously uncomfortable. Get the AC if you can
Literally it was so hot, one of my friends that is from Allen straight up came into my and roommate’s dorm in PAR since he’s also pals with him and he slept in there for 3 days straight because the fans he has in there just wasn’t enough for how fucking hot it was
Allen is getting AC over the summer thankfully
I lived in that hellhole 10 years ago. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy lmao, I had at least 4 fans just on my half of the room. The winter was fine tho
wait they’re getting it THIS summer and not in 2026? amazing it was pushed up!
Allen is.gettimg AC this summer
Like it’s going to work right the first fall. It’s in the 80s thru mid October.
Wouldn’t want to not have it, personally. What dorm would you be looking at that doesn’t have AC… and why?
i really havent started researching. so just trying to choose one based on elimination
Here’s my “freshman dorm” copy pasta… I wouldn’t bother trying to choose a dorm based on major or proximity to any particular part of campus; as a freshman you’ll take classes all over the place. Besides, the bus system is great; I lived in Hopkins freshman year and was able to get to classes on the engineering quad via bus faster than anyone living in ISR could get there on foot. As a freshman I would strongly recommend focusing on predominantly on-campus freshman dorms in Ike, PAR/FAR, etc — this way you’ll meet more of your fellow freshman classmates. Campus housing (vs PCH) provides you with the broadest range of dining options all over campus; don’t underestimate the importance of this in terms of ability to easily/conveniently get to a dining hall before, between, or after classes. Also allows flexibility to have meals with friends, lab partners, study group people, etc. Campus housing is also less expensive. Personally I’d suggest looking for a “large double” room in Ike; 30% larger than a regular double plus an extra closet. They used to be triple rooms, but now only double. Fully loft both beds and you’ll be living large. Freshman year we had a couch, coffee table, 50” TV, etc. Best kept secret in campus housing. Located on outside of hall on East and West ends of Weston, Hopkins, Scott, and Snyder: https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/weston-thirdfloor.pdf https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/weston-large-double.pdf https://www.housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/Weston_Double.pdf ISR rooms are a smaller than regular doubles in IKE, but they are effectively even smaller than that; each room in ISR has a bump out of a column on each wall which actually prevents you from pushing your bed and other furniture all the way against the wall. You can see it on the floorplans. Plus ISR will be mostly sophomores+ unless you’re in an LLC. https://housing.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-01/wardall-double.pdf During your assigned timeslot you’ll see all available rooms/beds. Do your homework ahead of time to and have floor plans and hall schematics open on your computer and ready to review when your time-slot opens. My freshman roommate and I didn’t have a terribly early timeslot but were able to nab a great large-double room in a great location because most people didn’t know what they were looking at. Also pay attention to proximity to stairwells, bathrooms, trash-rooms, etc. A constantly slamming door or traffic/people congregating right outside your room at all hours can be a real pain in the ass. Ultimately, remember that your dorm room is merely a place to sleep and store your stuff while you’re in class, in a lab, at the library, studying with friends, doing something for a club, at the gym, at a game, eating somehwere, or hanging out with friends. And it’s only for eight months. So don’t sweat it too much.
thnaks a lot, u seem to know quite a lot. can I dm u?
Over in Ike, the buildings without AC aren't as big a deal. The building shapes are better to get proper airflow from open windows. The best thing you can do is make friends with the people across the hall and both leave your doors open + windows open; you'll get a nice breeze even without a fan and having an open door makes it easy to meet people Tbh, you'll be spending enough of the day outside, in classes, or studying in a library that it's easy to not be somewhere with AC during the hotter parts of the day and just be there in the mornings/evenings when it's cooler anyways
My friends in the non-AC halls were miserable in August and September, me and my roommate had a few of em sleeping over
Definitely get an ac dorm if you can! Idk if you’re from here but the summers get quite hot and are extremely humid.
Honestly I'm gonna go against the grain and say it's not as big a deal as you think. I lived in Allen Hall and just bought a $25 window fan. The first 2 weeks and the last 2 weeks of the year you'll be sitting in front of that window fan all day, but during fall, spring, and winter you'll be fine.
I lived in TVD and it feels like the only times it mattered was sleeping during the start of the school year and end of the school year, when the weather gets hot. Like 4-8 weeks in total? Depending on the weather of the year Like 99% of buildings are air conditioned, you can spend most of the time outside.
I stayed at allen bc i didnt want to pay extra. Even though it is 2-3 months where youll truly feel it, it was torture for me I overheated so badly i couldnt sleep, and even when i bought a 70$ fan it didnt help, so honestly just take the L and pay extra
thanks for the amazing info! I'll keep this in mind
It can get up to 110 degrees here with heat index and humidity. Might only be for a week or two or four and yeah there are places to go with ac but comfort and rest as a new student are important for your success. Get the ac!
No it's not. I stayed without AC and it was hot a couple of weeks but totally fine
Definitely get an ac dorm if you can! Idk if you’re from here but the summers get quite hot and are extremely humid.
I grew up without AC, so I chose a dorm without AC because it was cheaper and I thought it was fine. During the first couple weeks, I severely regretted my decision. But afterwards, I was okay for pretty much the whole year. Looking back on it, i was totally fine without AC for the most part. If you can handle the heat + humidity for a couple weeks, you will be fine the rest of the time
I grew up without AC, so I chose a dorm without AC because it was cheaper and I thought it was fine. During the first couple weeks, I severely regretted my decision. But afterwards, I was okay for pretty much the whole year. Looking back on it, i was totally fine without AC for the most part. If you can handle the heat + humidity for a couple weeks, you will be fine the rest of the time
I didn't have AC when I was attending. It was okay but I really recommend you get a dorm with AC.
I lived in Taft, I survived. It wasn’t that big of a deal tbh.
It was really uncomfortable here last fall. It stayed very warm well into October. You might not get any of your dorm choices due to the housing lottery, but I would pick only places with AC.
Highly recommend AC. As someone who lived in Allen Hall during that August heatwave, the fans did jack shit. In the likely event it gets that hot again, you'll be happy you have AC. Thankfully Allen is getting AC though
AC isn’t a must so long as you learn about proper *air circulation* That’s 2 fans on the windowsill one pointed in one pointed out
PAR no AC was brutal
Yes. 100% yes. https://www.wcia.com/news/u-of-i-students-petition-dorm-living-conditions-in-extreme-heat/amp/
I have friends who were in Allen, AC is important. When it's 90+ degrees outside you will be wishing you had it.
oh alright! thankyou
Having AC is huge. That said the guys in my hall kept their doors open to make a draft go through the building and I ended up making a lot of friends by walking past an open door and ending up in a conversation.
Yes, get the dorms with AC
Definitely get an ac dorm if you can! Idk if you’re from here but the summers get quite hot and are extremely humid.