At the end of July, incoming freshmen will open their mailboxes and receive a letter of monumental importance.
A freshman's room assignment is vital for two reasons: It establishes where a newcomer will live and with whom they will live.
Students have 10 options when it comes to which residence hall they will live in for year one, and no hall is exactly the same.
But what is there to be excited about when it comes to the freshmen dorms? The following is a look at the cost of each residence hall and its various features, along with a review of each hall by sophomores who most recently lived in them.
HARPER/SCHRAMM/SMITH
Population: 450 per hall
Floors: 10
Dining: Harper Dining Center
Cost for a double room with 7-day meal plan: $7,768
Summary: The Harper/Schramm/Smith dorms (known by most as HSS) are the most-requested dorms among incoming freshmen. All three halls were renovated during the 2003-2004 school year and feature modernized lobbies and floors.
Outside of the HSS dorms is a large courtyard and courts for basketball, volleyball and tennis as well as a putting green. The dorms are located a few blocks north of the City Union, making the walk to class a tad longer than from other residence halls.
Sophomore says: "I really liked Schramm's updated decor, renovated bathrooms and the variety and large quantity of study rooms. I loved the location. A parking garage was close by, the Rec was a short walk and classes were just as close as from any other residence hall." - Keri Simonds, nutritional sciences pre-med major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
ABEL/SANDOZ
Population: Abel 1,004; Sandoz 433
Floors: Abel 13, Sandoz 9
Dining: Abel Dining Center
Cost: Abel $7,768; Sandoz $7,405
Summary: Abel/Sandoz has been undergoing renovations since the 2007-2008 school year. The luxurious welcome center that connects the two dorms opened for the Spring 2009 semester. Wireless Internet is now available in both halls.
Renovation will continue during the 2009-10 school year. Abel will finish its renovations this summer and will feature, among other updates, refurbished bathrooms and lounges. Abel Dining will be closed for this coming school year for renovations, but catered breakfasts and dinners will be served on weekdays in the "fishbowl," located inside the Welcome Center.
Sophomore says: "It was super loud, but Abel was fun. It was a melting pot – everyone was so different. The room size was decent. The building was good, though the elevators could be difficult at times. Its location on campus was good, plus the Squeegee gas station was close for when I needed food." - Cassie Pombrio, a UNL news-editorial major
CATHER/POUND
Population: Cather 456, Pound 228
Floors: 13
Dining: CPN
Cost: $7,260
Summary: Cather is another freshman-dominated hall. Both Cather and Pound halls are across the street from the Vine Street Fields and Courts located on the east side of City Campus. The biggest complaint against Cather and Pound is their room sizes. The dorms, with the exception of end rooms, are approximately 192 square feet, about 10 percent smaller than the dorm rooms at HSS.
Pound is primarily for upperclassmen students, and most rooms are singles. Two floors of Pound house returning Honors Program students. Each floor on Pound features a computer lab as well as washers and dryers.
Sophomore says: "The thing I liked most about living in Cather was the overall friendliness of the people that lived there and the convenient location when it comes to classes and dining halls. The dorms in Cather were definitely too small, but the building is pretty nice if you like an old-school feeling." - Kramer Morris, business administration major at UNL
NEIHARDT
Population: 462
Floors: 3
Dining: CPN
Cost: $7,623
Summary: Neihardt houses the Honors Program students and is the oldest residence hall on campus. The Honors Program office is located on the first floor, giving students easy access to faculty and staff. Dorm rooms are located on the second and third floor.
According to University Housing, more people return to Neihardt than any other hall on campus. The small size of the hall promotes a sense of a tight-knit community of learners. Features of Neihardt include the Blue Room, a large lounge with couches and a large television, and a basement snack shop.
Sophomore says: "I liked the building, but I would have liked something more modern – I wasn't too into the old atmosphere of it. The dorms were way too small, I felt like I had maybe three feet of open space on the floor. Its location was really nice, though, because it's right in the center of campus." –Jake Thacker, a UNL education and human sciences major
SELLECK
Population: 612
Floors: 3
Dining: Selleck Dining Hall
Cost: $7,623 ($7815 for all-break housing)
Summary: Selleck is located right in the middle of city campus, which makes getting around easy. It features one of the top dining halls on campus, Selleck Dining Hall. Selleck has a wide range of food choices daily and is open more hours than any other dining hall on campus.
Selleck houses international students, and its blend of international and traditional U.S. students makes it a veritable melting pot of cultures. The hall also houses a large portion of music students and features practice rooms with available pianos.
Sophomore says: "I liked that it was right in the middle of campus and right next to the Union. You didn't have to worry about waiting for elevators or having to climb so many flights of stairs since it's only three floors. You met a lot of people because we all lived right next to each other instead of on top." -Randy Matulka, general studies major
is a member of the 
1 comments