From late-night dorm hangouts with new friends, triples converted to doubles, ping-pong and foosball tables in common rooms and elevators, air conditioning, ice machines and filtered water dispensers on each floor, to stolen laundry in the dryer, flooded bathroom floors, and burnt microwave popcorn that has left a lingering smell, the dorms on the South 40 provide the all-encompassing first-year dorm experience, full of highlights and horror stories. 

All first-years are required to live in WashU’s residential area known as the South 40. There are 10 different first-year residential halls, split into older traditional suites and modern doubles, which, according to the Princeton Review, are the second-best college dorms in the nation. But what is most characteristic of the South 40 is the copious amounts of facilities open to students. With an onsite gym, dining spaces, basketball and sand-volleyball courts, game rooms, music practice centers, dozens of study rooms, Paws & Go (a convenience store), and Bear Necessities (a gift shop), the 40 has all that a fearful first-year could ask for, and eases the transition to independent living.

As the Class of 2028 geared up for move-in, many took to the internet to investigate their new living arrangements and their associated expectations. First-year Henry He, a Shanedling resident, was initially hesitant about his traditional-dorm assignment with an older building and more roommates. 

“[Shanedling] looked terrible on YouTube. I saw some people taking videos, and honestly, [it] looked like a prison,” He said. 

Now three months into living in the dorm, He has changed his views on traditional living.

“You make six instant friends. We have a TV,  Xbox, fridge, stickers, some notes, and some posters on the [wall],” He said. 

Some chose to resort to the floor plan in order to get a mock-up of the dimensions of the room. First-year Hannah Carbunaru, a Dardick resident, felt extremely lucky when she found out she would only have to share a bathroom with suitemates because of her unique situation of being assigned a corner room at the end of the hall.

“It’s nice not having to share a bathroom, because then we can just leave all of our stuff [in there]. And only two people use the bathroom, not three or four.” Carbunaru said. 

On the other hand, first-year Becca Karon, a Lien resident, found out upon arriving on move-in day that she also had a corner room and would not have suitemates. She described how the lack of others in her immediate vicinity made the adjustment to WashU more difficult. 

“It didn’t help with the transition of getting to know more people when I first came,” Karon said. 

Nonetheless, a unique aspect of dorm living is the opportunity to foster friendships with those living on your floor and in your building. Those in traditional dorms have one common area where residents from each suite have the opportunity to come together and socialize, fostering a dorm culture. 

“I [love] coming to the common room. [We] always have movie nights and some other fun activities,” He said. 

Unlike the floor atmosphere cultivated in traditionals, those in modern dorms aim for a more cohesive floor culture upon becoming a WashU student. First-year Noa Sobel, an Umrath resident, arrived on campus excited about a preconceived idea of dorm living that included hotel-like amenities and open, inviting doors.

“I thought it would be like college movies, [where] everyone knows each other and it’s part of [the] hall experience,” Sobel said. 

Though the floor culture that Sobel had hoped for during her first year at WashU did not meet her expectations, she noticed that friends of hers in certain other dorms did form the kind of floor community she’d sought out when choosing WashU.

“Some of my friends’ dorms have been the opposite way, where they are all a good community and all their doors are always open. I think it depends on the dorm,” Sobel said.

Despite some mixed emotions, most first-years reported contentedness with WashU’s first-year dorms, even just after a few months of living on the 40. 

“I love my actual room and the layout between my room, my suitemates’ room, and the bathroom. We have one hallway, [an] entrance, and then there’s a room, [the second] room, and a bathroom, and I like that [setup]. We can have a joint little gathering,” Sobel said.  

It’s safe to say that the South 40 gives students the picturesque first-year dorm experience, despite some minor setbacks that vary from student to student. But do the dorms truly live up to the hype that tour guides, admissions officers, and even the Princeton Review rave about? Well, that’s up for you to decide!