A sophomore's guide to the galaxy (housing lottery)

Student Life
Written By Elliana Reynolds

Going through the housing lottery for sophomore dorms can be stressful. Do you go in solo or with your 18 closest friends? Do you want to poop in peace in a private bathroom or in the middle of a frat bathroom gathering? These are all questions that race across our minds during the lottery process, and it can cause a lot of anxiety. SO! To ease that anxiety, here's a sophomore dorm guide!

(If you want a better look at the included photos, simply right click and select "open image in new tab.")

North Campus

New Pembroke

The infamous New Pembroke is snuggled on North Campus by Thayer Street and lots of stinky freshmen. New Pembroke has both singles and doubles, both of which are on the decently size, and also semi-private bathrooms. There's also a kitchen and a laundry room, thank god!

Pros:

  • HUGE windows.
  • Close by Andrews and V-Dub.
  • Close to the Nelson if you're into that lifestyle.

Cons:

  • Not close to the Main Green and STEM area.
  • Narrow hallways.
  • Loud if your window faces Thayer (i.e. MOTORCYCLE GANGS).
  • Washing machines are in the basement aka a very scary basement.
  • No elevator
  • Riot-proof design makes it hard to navigate sometimes.

Plantations House

Plantations House, or more formally known as the Donovan House, is a substance-free housing that takes students by application. It does not participate in the Housing Lottery. It is dedicated to creating a community of those who would like to live in a substance-free area. (This does NOT mean you have to be substance-free - but it means you cannot bring substances into this dorm or enter while under any influence.) This dorm/house is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors, but prospective residents must apply. Unfortunately, this application has closed for next year (2020-2021), but keep an eye out next year for the application! Applications are often due early February.

Nestled in between Andrews and New Pembroke, it's a really cute house that sits on Bowen St. It's got all the facilities necessary for life, such as a kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry machines. It's also got a nice lounge.

Pros:

  • It's really cute
  • Access to nice facilities
  • Substance-free
  • Close to Andrews/V-Dub

Cons:

  • It's North campus, so it is far from literally everything else other than things in North campus
  • Lots of freshmen all around
  • Can be loud due to the motorcycle gangs

"Middle Campus"

Caswell

Caswell is located on the Simmons Quad right in proximity to Blueno (for now) and has doubles similarly sized to Keeney rooms and communal bathrooms. Plus, Caswell has a pretty spacious basement that's great for parties.

Pros:

  • Located in the middle of campus but NOT on the Main Green.
  • Pretty cute fireplaces and fire escapes.

Cons:

  • The kitchen and lounge are not the cleanest.
  • There's only 3 washers and 3 driers for the whole building.
  • Radiators might be haunted. Either a million degrees, freezing, or spraying water.
  • No elevator.

Hope

If you want a dorm located right on the Main Green, then Hope is the place for you! Hope has mostly doubles (similar size as Keeney doubles) and a very small handful of singles to choose from, and the bathrooms are communal. Like Caswell, Hope also has a basement that's good for parties.

Pros:

  • Main Green, baby! Or Silent Green if that's how you swing.
  • Roof access with a ~cool view~ if you know how to get up there.
  • Right by the Blue Room. Sugary muffin overdose? Yes.

Cons:

  • No elevators.
  • Can get kind of loud with the Main Green right there.

Littlefield

Littlefield is home to the second-year RISD dual-degree students as well as the lucky few who are able to nab a spot during the lottery. It comes with access to a kitchen, communal bathrooms, and decently spacious rooms. Yes, Emma Watson lived here, but the real awesome thing about Littlefield is its proximity to everything; it's close to the Rock, the Main Green, the Ratty, and the STEM area. It's mostly doubles!

Pros:

  • Proximity to everything relevant as a student (dining hall, classes, etc.)
  • Not that loud compared to other dorms close to the Ratty

Cons:

  • Communal bathroom
  • Occasional fires

Minden

Located at the intersection of Brook Street and Waterman is The Minden, formerly a hotel built in 1912 that has since been turned into a dorm for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Minden has spacious singles, doubles, and triples -- many of which are "suites" with private bathrooms. The first floor includes a lounge, kitchen, a laundry room, and a bike storage room.

Pros:

  • Private bathrooms.
  • An elevator!
  • Right by all the STEM buildings.
  • Equal distance from everything else.
  • Super close to Thayer.

Cons:

  • If you don't have a private bathroom, then you have to use your floor's communal bathroom. To put it lightly, whenever I see the one on my floor, I thank god that I don't have to use it.
  • Have to clean your private bathroom.
  • Basically equal distance from every dining hall. Great but horrible when it's super cold and the closest food sources are on Thayer where you have to spend actual money. RIP my wallet.
  • Wardrobes instead of closets.

South Campus

Barbour

"Perkins is so far away! Ugh!" Well, so is Barbour, but she's worth the distance. Located a block west of Jo's, Barbour mainly has triples and suites that consist of singles, doubles, and triples with their own bathrooms and kitchens (if you Google "Brown University residence hall floor plans," you can see which ones do and do not), and the suites typically have a common space.

Pros:

  • Private bathrooms.
  • Kitchens!
  • Close to Jo's.

Cons:

  • A relatively long walk away from most of campus.
  • Easy to not leave your room!
  • Have to clean your own bathroom and kitchen.
  • Riot-proof design makes Barbour hell to navigate

NOTE: Sophomores are no longer allowed to go off meal plan, and as of the publishing date of this guide, Barbour is still considered a sophomore dorm. Consider this when gunning for a dorm.

Grad Center

Grad Center is right across from Jo's and consists solely of singles! You can have a "suite" of singles where you share a bathroom, but there's no common space other than the hallway. But there is the Bear's Lair common space for all of Grad Center that is pretty snazzy and has a little gym.

Pros:

  • Singles!
  • Right by Jo's.

Cons:

  • Brutalist architecture makes this place a bit scary.
  • The stone staircase to get to the dorms is kinda excessive, to put it lightly.
  • No elevator!

New Dorm (Vartan Gregorian Quad)

Located above Jo's, New Dorm offers sophomores HUGE doubles (sorry, suites are for juniors and seniors). These doubles, though, have their own bathrooms. Pooping in peace, amiright? There are also communal kitchens on the lower floors, and a big lounge on the fifth floor.

Pros:

  • Right by Jo's (duh).
  • MASSIVE rooms.
  • Elevator!
  • Actually a cute building

Cons:

  • A walk from campus.
  • Jo's can be pretty loud (i.e. drunk people).

Perkins

What is Perkins most famous for? Let's say it together: being FAR away from campus! Really, this is not anybody's first choice -- unless, maybe, all of your classes are in the music buildings. East of Hope Street, Perkins has doubles, communal bathrooms, and each floor has its own kitchen. There's also a lounge on the first floor. They also have wardrobes, but you can't really move them.

Pros:

  • Big windows.
  • The remoteness allows for some darty action outside!

Cons:

Wriston Quad

Buxton

Buxton is home to Asian American and Asian program housing, but you can still get in as independent through the lottery. There are both good-sized singles and doubles to choose from, and the bathrooms are communal. There are also closets (which is common to most dorms on Wriston)!

Pros:

  • The windows give you access to great lightning.
  • Closets!
  • Location.

Cons:

  • No lounge or kitchen for independents.
  • No elevator.
  • Can be a little rowdy if you face Keeney.
  • Only two washers and two driers.

Chapin

Chapin is home to Harambe and Theta Alpha. There's a selection of doubles and singles for independents, and the bathrooms are communal. The kitchen is in the basement, and there's three washers and four driers.

Pros:

  • Location.
  • Closets.
  • Right by the Ratty, mmm!

Cons:

  • Kitchen sucks! The stoves are pretty old.
  • Can get really loud.

Diman

Diman houses Kappa Alpha Theta and Delta Phi, but there's also independent housing with singles and doubles. The bathrooms are communal, and independents have access to a lounge and kitchen in the basement.

Pros:

  • Location!
  • Closets!

Cons:

  • Basement floods whenever it rains.

Goddard

Goddard houses Alpha Delta Phi (the literary society) and Delta Gamma, but there are also single and doubles for independents. The kitchen doubles as the lounge for independents, and it also has closets!

Pros:

  • Location!
  • Closets!

Cons:

  • Like other Wriston dorms, you can't use program lounges as an independent.

Harkness

Home to Kappa Delta and the Technology House, Harkness can also house you, an INDEPENDENT, in a single or double! There's a lounge and kitchen in the basement for independents, and there are two laundry rooms.

Pros:

  • Location! (Pretty close to Wickenden if you're in the mood for some yummy Amy's.)
  • Closets!

Cons:

  • Lounge and kitchen are pretty dingy.
  • Not as nicely furnished as the other Wriston dorms.

Marcy

Marcy houses Beta Rho Phi and Zeta Delta Xi, but independents can also live here. There are doubles and singles, and if you get lucky, you and your pals might even be able to snag a suite with its own bathrooms and common space. There are also communal bathrooms for those not in one of the few suites, and there's a kitchen.

Pros:

  • Location!
  • Closets!
  • If you're into surprises, it's highly likely that you'll walk into some frat event going on!

Cons:

  • Can get pretty noisy.
  • Possibly had a mice invasion...

Olney

There is no official fraternity that lives here anymore, so it's mostly full of independents. Otherwise, it's like all other houses in Wriston: it's got communal bathrooms, decently spaced doubles, and a kitchen. If you're looking for a decent double or singles, this is the house to nab.

Pros:

  • Close to the Ratty
  • No official frat, so there's no organized community you'd feel excluded from.

Cons:

  • Not a strong sense of community, mostly independents
  • Can be loud (Wriston)

Sears

Sears houses Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Tau, and independents. There are singles and doubles, and the basement has a lounge and kitchen for independents to use. The bathrooms are communal, but there is also a single-use one on the first floor. Oh. And guess what Sears has that all the other Wriston dorms has? Closets. Oh yeah, baby!

Pros:

  • Location!
  • Closets!
  • The singles and doubles are pretty spacious.

Cons:

  • Can be loud on the quad.

I'd also suggest visiting dorms! It doesn't hurt to wait outside the building, sneak inside behind someone with card access, and ask some rando for a little view of their room. The worst they can say is "no."

Images via Elliana Reynolds '22 and other sophomores whose identities shall be protected '22.

Elliana Reynolds
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