Written by Danica Loucks
Bowdoin students say that the amenities, cleanliness, proximity to classes, residential community, social atmosphere, and spaciousness are quite good in on-campus housing. In fact, Bowdoin first-years live in rooms that are nicer than many upperclassmen get at competing schools. There are eight freshman dorms at Bowdoin, commonly referred to as “The Bricks,” all of which have been beautifully renovated within recent years. The old buildings were basically gutted and rebuilt on the inside, so students have modern and spacious dorms, while the campus maintains a traditional appearance. These dorms are equipped with laundry and bike storage in the basements, and the rooms are either quads (a common room and two bedrooms) or doubles (a common room and a bedroom), although recently, an influx of students has resulted in making quads into quints and doubles into triples.
Upperclass students can choose to live in any of the other dorms, social houses, and apartments on campus. If nothing satiates their needs, students can live off campus if they are a junior or a senior, but overall, students at Bowdoin love their options. The biggest complaint is about the housing lottery—it can be a very long-winded and frustrating process, especially for underclassmen, since the whole system is based on seniority. Students can also apply to be a proctor or resident adviser in the first-year or upperclassman dorms, and if you are hired by the Residential Life directors, you get a single room, a stipend, and more responsibility.