The motel suites: Courtenay, Dunglison, and Fitzhugh, better known as CDF, have been graciously given the reputation of being one of the worst first-year dorms on the grounds at UVA. In fact, when my suite-mates and I tell people where we live, it is usually followed by a look of both disgust. Characterized by their lack of indoor hallways, absence of a communal laundry room, and lengthy distance from central grounds, CDF tends to get a bad rap from UVA students who live in other dormitories. Despite the harsh persona given to these three buildings, as a CDF resident, there is no other building I would rather live in.
Community:
As an out-of-state student, it was difficult for me to imagine coming to a brand-new place and spontaneously meeting a bunch of new people, trying to form life-long connections in just a few short days. Once I found out that I would be living in a suite with my roommate and eight other girls, I was relieved to know that I would practically have a built-in group of people to start off my experience. I knew that the ten of us would be friendly and hang out every now and then, but I was not prepared for how close we would grow to one another. The girls in my suite have truly become some of my best friends at UVA. Whether we are spontaneously making trips to the dining hall together or simply talking for hours in our common area, I know that each moment will be filled with joy and will be cherished forever.
Outside of the people in my suite, living in CDF has allowed me to make connections with other people who share the same experience. When my suite-mates and I meet new people and realize that they are also living in CDF, we instantly feel a shared connection and have fun talking about our mutual experiences.
Living Space:
Although sharing a space with ten people may seem like a challenge, living in CDF has been effortless and even rewarding at times. The first benefit to living in the motels is the size of our bedrooms, which happen to be slightly bigger than a standard, hall-style dorm. When I’ve had friends from other buildings come over, they are not only shocked by the amount of living-space that my roommate and I share, but they were also surprised by all of the storage we have. Instead of traditional wardrobes that take up space in the room, our closets are built into the wall, complete with hanging rods, shelves, and drawers, allowing us to have ample space for our clothes and belongings. Although it is true that the motels did not receive air conditioning units until a few years ago, now we not only have our beloved air conditioner, but we also have the luxury of having a ceiling fan installed, which has been extremely helpful in this early-semester heat.
Next is the bathrooms. My hometown friends were concerned for me when I told them our bathroom only had two showers, two toilets, and three sinks for ten girls to share; however, in the month that we have been sharing our space, no one has ever run into the issue of waiting for a shower to open or feeling overwhelmed when getting ready. Additionally, even though we have to provide our own soap and hand towels, our bathroom gets cleaned and restocked three times a week by the university!
Finally, our common area, which is arguably my favorite part of our suite, is the perfect place for my suitemates and I to take a break from studying. We spend most of our time here just talking about our day or our favorite types of cereal, but we also enjoy having movie nights or playing games together. We’ve truly made our common area feel like a home, complete with LED lights, disco balls hanging from the ceiling, and a poster on our wall for every guest to sign when they visit the suite. Not only do we love our common area, but each friend that we invite over is obsessed with our shared space, making our suite the usual hangout spot.
Location:
As much as I would love to say that everything about CDF is positive, the one thing that tends to be bothersome is our proximity to central grounds. While it is definitely not the worst location (my condolences to Gooch-Dillard residents), living in the motels requires us to take a few hundred extra steps to get to classes, club meetings, and the corner. However, living in CDF does provide quick and easy access to two very important locations: the dining halls and Scott Stadium. The CDF buildings are located right in the middle of O’Hill and Runk dining halls, allowing my suite-mates and me to have multiple options for our meals. We often find ourselves walking to O’Hill’s Crossroads restaurants multiple times a day, or going up the hill to Runk for a sweet treat. Additionally, CDF is located directly across from Scott Stadium, providing us easy access to the stadium on football game days, as well as a quick trip home when the rain began during our first home game.
Summary:
Ultimately, the bad reputation that CDF gets for being the “worst first-year dorm” is overstated, and living in the motels has been one of the most rewarding experiences for my suite-mates and me. CDF has given me some of my best friends at UVA and the space that we share together is incredibly precious. Although we do always wish we didn’t have to walk next door to Gibbons to do our laundry, these shared experiences have brought us closer together every day. If I was given the option to leave CDF and live in one of the newly-renovated, close to central grounds, hall-style dorms, there is still no world where I would trade the experiences from my suite for another building.