Carnegie Mellon University
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Carnegie Mellon University - Facilities - Facilities - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Facilities

Quick Stats

Service & Maintenance Staff 127
Campus Size 144 acres
Student Centers The University Center (The UC)
Campus Library? Yes
Main Libraries
  • Hunt Library
  • Mellon Institute Library
Popular Places to Chill
  • The fence
  • Hunt Library
  • Skibo Café
  • The UC
  • The Underground
Bar on Campus None, although Panther Hollow Inn (PHI) is right down the street.
Bowling on Campus None
Coffeehouse on Campus
  • Maggie Murph Café is located on the first floor of Hunt Library. During the school week, it is open whenever the library is, which means, 24 hours a day Monday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Friday.
  • Skibo Café on the second floor of the University Center is more known for its personal pizzas and fro-yo than coffee. However, this is a good place to go for a quick and inexpensive espresso, chai, or even hot cocoa; they make it on the spot instead of leaving it to sit in a large container all day.
  • Tazza D'oro is on the third floor of the Gates computer science building, and has some of the best pastries and espresso on campus. While it's a tad pricey (think your average Starbucks), Tazza D'oro takes Dinextra/Flex Dollars/Plaid Ca$h for non-meal items and meal blocks for the lunch paninis and salads.
Movie Theater on Campus McConomy Auditorium in the University Center

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

While the University Center (UC) is a favorite among students, there is a general consensus that all of the academic facilities at Carnegie Mellon are exceptional. The library and all of the academic buildings are open for students all night during the school week, and almost every building has some sort of eatery. Hunt Library is another favorite, mostly for the fact that it has a café that is open whenever the building is—perfect for the all-nighters that CMU students are used to suffering through. The only academic building that is not pleasing to most students is Wean Hall, the home to a majority of the science departments. Wean's concrete walls and prison demeanor differ greatly from the attractive architecture of every other academic building on campus. Walking through this building, you are most likely to see a T-shirt on a sleep-deprived student who probably lives the CMU stereotype: "Sex kills. Come to CMU and live forever."

Outside of the academic buildings (there aren't many), CMU has the UC and Skibo Gymnasium. The UC is a favorite because it is kind of a one-stop shop. There are two fitness rooms, racquetball courts, full basketball courts, a 25-yard pool, a diving pool, a convenience store, the bookstore, and the art store. There are multiple ATMs, eating centers, and lounges. CMU students usually do nothing but rave about the UC; however, reviews about Skibo Gym are completely different. The weight room is really cramped, and nonvarsity students get kicked out when a team needs to train. The court inside the gym is well-kept; however, the other arenas and training spaces look like they probably did when the building was erected in 1924. To top it all off, the weight room closes at 10 p.m.—that's basically the "afternoon" in CMU time, so most student just stick to the UC.

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Carnegie Mellon Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

TaoistPooh

Economics '14

1.2
D

Terrible Library

The library at CMU is smaller than my high school library. I went to Phillips Exeter, where the library was one of the most renowned in the world, but CMU's library is absolutely dismal. There is hardly enough research material for anything, so we need to get things on an inter-library loan. I think this is a waste of valuable time for students!

May 25, 2012

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Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

bobz85

Entrepreneurship '05

4.6
A

Great Technology

As a highly technical school, there were alot of new technologies to work with and to use to my advantage. Additionally i believe the entire campus has wifi.

Apr 10, 2012

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Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

spiffystuff

Fine Arts '14

4.6
A

Pretty and Practical

I love my campus. There are computer labs all over the place with printers that usually work. If you know where things are and how they work, then there are TONS of great technological things to use. you just have to make friends with people in all majors. the University Center has awesome workout facilities as well do many dorms in the school. the library is awesome with great variety and the campus is green. i am happy because it is like living in a country campus with a good sized town in my backyard.

Mar 10, 2012

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User rating for Carnegie Mellon University - Facilities is 3.5 out of 5 based on 34 user reviews.

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

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Facts

"Green" Initiatives

Stever House is the first residence hall on campus to be Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certified. It achieved a silver rating in 2003 by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2004, another dormitory, Henderson House, was renovated to receive a silver rating, as well. Six buildings on campus have "green roofs," and every single building has both a recycling and trash center. While this may seem trivial, every light switch on campus has a "Remember to turn me off!" sticker, which actually works as a reminder!

Favorite Things To Do

While a lot of students are involved in varsity, intramural, or club sports, you'd be surprised how unimportant sports are to CMU student spectators. If you aren't playing a sport, running the track, or holed up in Hunt Library, you are most likely eating and listening to music in The Underground, or laying out on the cut if it's a nice day. On rainy weekends, you can head to the University Center to see a $1 movie or go to the Purnell Center to see one of the School of Drama's many outstanding performances.

Did You Know? It is rumored that there are steam tunnels running underneath campus that extend from one end of campus to the other. Not many students venture to check the truth, but the KGB club (no relation to the USSR intelligence agency) apparently gives tours, although they are not for the faint of heart—there is a reason these steam tunnels remain a whispered rumor.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Raina Bradford-Jennings
Hometown
Brookfield, CT
Major
Professional Writing
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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