University of Florida Dorms: An Insider's Guide to On-Campus Living
Choosing a dorm at the University of Florida (UF) can feel overwhelming. With numerous options, limited online photos, and countless opinions, it's hard to know where to start. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of UF dorms, helping incoming freshmen find the perfect fit.
Location, Location, Location!
Location is a crucial factor when choosing a dorm. Your proximity to academic buildings, dining halls, and social hubs can significantly impact your daily life.
Greek Life Considerations
If you're interested in joining a sorority, consider prioritizing dorms on the east side of campus. These include Beaty Towers, Jennings Hall, Broward Hall, Rawlings Hall, Yulee Hall, Mallory Hall, Reid Hall, Honors Village, and Cypress Hall. This area offers a five- to ten-minute walk to sorority row, where 17 of the 18 sororities are located.
Living close to your sorority house provides numerous advantages. It allows for quick access to meals, meetings, and study dates, which is especially convenient with rigorous schedules. Additionally, it enhances safety when returning from the sorority house at night. Walking alone at night can be dangerous, particularly over long distances, a concern on any college campus.
For those interested in fraternities, dorms closer to fraternity row might be more convenient. These include Springs Complex, Keys Complex, Trusler Hall, Graham Hall, Simpson Hall (if in Innovation Academy), Hume Commons, Tolbert Hall, North Hall, East Hall, and Weaver Hall. Sixteen fraternity houses are located in this area, although four others are on the north and east sides of campus, making it less essential to live on the west side.
Read also: University of Georgia Sorority Guide
Academic Buildings
While it might be tempting to choose a dorm based on proximity to specific classroom buildings, this isn't always the best strategy. Class schedules and classroom assignments can change, making a dorm's location relative to a particular building less relevant.
Dorm Styles: Traditional vs. Suite
UF offers two main styles of dorms: traditional and suite.
Traditional Dorms
Most dorms are traditional, featuring communal bathrooms on each floor. Popular options include Broward Hall and Jennings Hall, known for their social atmosphere and central location. These dorms are highly sought after and tend to fill up quickly, so prioritize them in your preferences if interested. Recent renovations have made them more appealing than some other traditional dorms.
Other popular traditional-style dorms include Mallory Hall, Yulee Hall, and Reid Hall, all located in the Yulee Area and connected. Renovated around 2010, these dorms offer a comfortable living experience.
Suite-Style Dorms
Suite-style dorms offer a more private living arrangement, with shared bathrooms and/or a common room. Popular choices include Beaty Towers, Springs Complex, and Infinity Hall.
Read also: History of the Block 'M'
Beaty Towers, located across from sorority row, houses a mix of freshmen and upperclassmen. It features two small bedrooms (each with two beds and two closets), a small kitchen, and a bathroom shared by four people. This dorm is ideal for those who plan to cook, prefer sharing a bathroom with fewer people, and don't mind close proximity to their roommate.
Springs Complex, near fraternity row, consists of six separate buildings offering double and single suites connected by a shared bathroom. It's a short walk to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Flavet Field, the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, and the Reitz Union.
Infinity Hall, located in Innovation Square, is a newer dorm with single, double, and super suites (which include a living room and private bathroom for each bedroom). It offers amenities like a game room, private study rooms, and a lounge. Infinity Hall is close to the Warrington College of Business, Library West, and Marston’s Science Library.
Living Learning Communities (LLCs)
Living Learning Communities (LLCs) provide an opportunity to live with students who share similar interests and lived experiences. UF Housing and Residence Life offers numerous LLCs, including:
- Arts LLC (Reid Hall)
- Entrepreneurial LLC (Infinity Hall)
- Engineering LLC (East Hall)
- Pre-Health LLC (North Hall)
- Black Cultural LLC (Graham Hall)
- First Generation LLC (Thomas Hall)
- Honors Residential College LLC (Honors Village)
- International LLC (Weaver Hall)
- Lavender LLC (Springs Complex)
- Live in Motion LLC (Lakeside Residential Complex)
- Out of Stater Gator LLC (Broward Hall)
- Returning Gators LLC (Murphree Hall)
- ROTC LLC (Tolbert Hall)
- Social Justice and Civic Engagement LLC (Yulee Hall)
- Innovation Academy LLC (Simpson Hall)
- Promise Program LLC (Buckman and Thomas Hall)
Living in an LLC is optional. The Honors Residential College, located in Honors Village, is primarily for Honors College students, but exceptions are sometimes made. This new residence hall offers traditional single and double rooms with communal bathrooms, as well as single and double suites with semi-private bathrooms. Amenities include laundry rooms on each floor, classroom and study spaces, a meditation room, music practice rooms, and a maker’s space.
Read also: Legacy of Fordham University
Dorm-Specific Reviews
Beaty Towers
Standing over 160 feet tall, Beaty Towers sits on the southeast side of campus, near on-campus dining, Broward Recreational Center, libraries, and sorority row. This apartment-style residence hall includes a private bathroom, study, and kitchenette in each suite. Beaty Towers houses a living-learning community specifically for Innovation Academy students and can accommodate up to 787 students.
Pros:
- Study room in the common area.
- Private bathroom cleaned weekly by staff.
- Built-ins provide good closet space.
Cons:
- Parking is difficult.
- Farther from food and activities.
- Bed arrangements can be awkward.
Broward Hall
Known for its convenient location near Turlington Plaza, the Reitz Student Union, and sorority row, Broward Hall can house 690 residents in single, double, and triple rooms. Each floor has a common area kitchen with a microwave, range, and stove.
Cypress Hall
Located on the east side of campus, Cypress Hall is a newer, three-floor residence hall that opened in 2015. It offers pathways to the College of Education, College of Arts, and College of Design, Construction, and Planning. Cypress Hall provides accommodations for students with significant mobility impairments, including movable sinks, bidets, showers without curtains or sliding doors, and SureHands lift systems.
Pros:
- Spacious rooms.
- Accommodates mobility-impaired students.
- Washer and dryer units on every floor.
Cons:
- Expensive rent.
- Noise issues from emergency vehicles.
- Limited parking.
Jennings Hall
Jennings Hall is a traditional residence hall with double and triple rooms. It is located near Sorority Row, the Education Library, and Fresh Food Company. Constructed in 1961, it was the last of six all-girl residence halls built following the coeducation bill of 1948. While no longer exclusive to women, two wings separate residents by gender.
Pros:
- Nice common space.
- No issues with bugs or rodents.
- Newer furniture and large desks.
Cons:
- Loud window unit air conditioning.
- Communal bathrooms require shower caddies.
- Humidity in bathrooms.
Lakeside Complex
The Lakeside Complex offers a quieter, more relaxed living environment with a scenic setting by a lake. The rooms are spacious, and many are suite-style, providing more privacy.
Mallory Hall
Located in the Yulee area, Mallory Hall is close to the College of Education, College of the Arts, and College of Design, Construction, and Planning. It includes single, double, and triple rooms. Mallory, Yulee, and Reid Halls are connected in the shape of a “Y” to allow for common facilities.
Pros:
- Two bathrooms per hall.
- Short walk to sorority row.
- Numerous events for the Yulee area and Mallory Hall.
- Renovated bathrooms.
Cons:
- Difficult to make command strips stick to the walls.
- Older rooms.
- Loud and cold window air conditioner.
Reid Hall
Reid Hall is often occupied by music students due to its proximity to UF’s School of Music. It's part of the Yulee Complex, which served as the first permanent residence halls for women.
Pros:
- Close to the music building and College of Music.
- Near Broward Dining.
- Practice allowed in dorms.
Cons:
- No parking.
- Lower quality compared to other dorms.
Yulee Hall
Located on the eastern side of UF’s campus, Yulee Hall is near the College of Education, College of the Arts, and College of Design, Construction, and Planning. It includes single, double, and triple rooms and houses the Global and Social Justice Living Learning Community.
Pros:
- Close to the dining hall.
- Large common room in the basement.
- Social floor.
Cons:
- Busy laundry room.
- Limited communal space on some floors.
- Old building with a poor water fountain.
Other Notable Dorms
- Weaver Hall: Known for being well-maintained with a diverse community and a central location.
- Murphree Area (Murphree, Buckman, Fletcher, & Sledd Halls): Historic part of campus with charm and a fantastic location.
On-Campus vs. Off-Campus
While the majority of UF students live off-campus, most freshmen choose to live in dorms for their first year. On-campus dorms offer a built-in community and convenient access to campus resources.
On-Campus Dorms:
- Pros:
- Built-in community.
- Convenient location.
- Meal plans often included.
- Shorter lease terms (9 months).
- Cons:
- Less space and fewer amenities.
- Dorms close during breaks.
Off-Campus Housing (Private Dorms & Apartments):
- Pros:
- More space and amenities (kitchen, living room).
- More independence.
- Option to stay in Gainesville during breaks.
- Cons:
- Potentially less social.
- Longer lease terms (12 months).
- Additional costs (utilities, furniture).
- Parking challenges.
Finding a Roommate
Living in a dorm often means sharing a room with a roommate. UF Housing offers a platform called RoomSync to help you search and pair with a roommate based on similar lifestyles, interests, or major.
Securing Your Spot
To live on-campus, complete your housing application as soon as possible. After completing the application, you'll receive a housing contract offer in March. Once you sign the contract, you can submit your preference of residence hall and roommates. The room selection process then begins.
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