Rating the Dorms on Connecticut College’s Campus!!

For many students at Conn, their dorms and dorm rooms are an incredibly special place. It’s where first-years will make some of their closest friends and maybe even have their Camel Moment, and where yap sessions with roommates and newfound besties will occur until 2am to distract from the stress of midterms or finals week coming up. Most importantly, it’s where Conn will become ‘home.’ 

For upperclassmen, choosing which dorm to live in is just as important as the dorm memories themselves. So, as a nearly second-semester sophomore who has gotten to experience four different Conn dorms (and heard countless stories about others) over my 1.5 years here, here is a list of my favorites, and… some others…

#1: Morrisson House

If you are a first-year who got assigned to Morrisson House before you got here in August, consider yourself very lucky. Sometimes known as the ‘hotel’ by upperclassmen due to its daily cleaning and always spotless (and private on one side) bathrooms that are lockable, I think Morrisson is one of the nicest dorms you can live in at Conn. While some may complain about being in a ‘forced triple,’ you will find that these rooms are actually pretty spacious, with a half-wall dividing the room into two sides. This makes whoever has the single bed feel like they have their own private space despite being in a triple. All Morrisson rooms come with a window seat on both sides as well, making studying or chilling in the room extra comfortable. This is also a lively dorm where heading into the weekend you are likely to hear music and lots of laughter coming from the rooms, making for an overall fun atmosphere. Additionally, Morrisson is attached to Harris Dining, making food access very easy, regardless of what you think of Harris.

#2: Katharine Blunt House (KB)

Like Morrisson, Katharine Blunt House (more commonly known as KB by current students) is also located in North Campus, across from the Crozier-Williams Student Center (better known as Cro). While not exclusively for first-year students, a good number of them do end up living here. They have gender-specific floors, with the 5th floor being all-female, if you have a preference for that. KB is known for having spacious singles and doubles, with plenty of floor space for yapping, study sessions with friends, and pregames. There is also a very lovely coffee shop, Coffee Grounds, right there.

#3: Windham House

Located between Blaustein Humanities Center and Shain Library, Windham is a favorite among Conn students as well. Unlike the first two dorms on this list, Windham is exclusively for sophomores and upperclassmen. Its central campus proximity to the library and most academic buildings make it convenient for all classes. Warnshuis Health Center is also located right next to Windham, making it a good place to be in if you are sick with the Camel Cough, from too many Thursday and Saturday nights at the Ridges and Winches, or need urgent care for whatever other reason. The rooms here are also on the bigger side, adding an extra bonus to living there.

#4: Branford/Plant/Blackstone

These dorms can really only be described as “mid”. They are right in the middle of campus, and are perfect if you love a historical vibe. They feel like Harry Potter on the outside, but on the inside, the rooms are way smaller than the previous 3 dorms, and exposed pipes greet you when you lie down for bed every night! What a lovely surprise! The linoleum floors and the fluorescent lighting in the hallways can give it the feel of a hospital or creepy old hotel. Perhaps that’s why there’s no one hanging out in them. Good luck sleeping between the late night rowdy partiers coming hom and hanging out in the old quad or the Ubers dropping people off! But the old architecture does provide some charm, especially the old windows. Good inspiration for architecture or art history students. 

Dishonorable Mentions:

Lazrus:

If you get Laz as your housing assignment, I hope you like walking because given its location, it may as well be in New Jersey. But given that Conn’s campus is pretty small to begin with, that’s really not much of an issue. But on the plus side, you’re close to the Arbo and can grab plenty of nature time when you’re stressed out and need some fresh air. But I hope you don’t have too many belongings, because the singles are tiny…. and so is the dorm, with only 29 people. Laz is also only for upperclassmen. 

Larrabee:

Don’t let the renovated bathrooms fool you..  You still may have to deal with flooding bathrooms where they literally look like they’ve been turned into the pool at the AC, leaving you debating whether you should just join the swim team in order to take a shower because… what’s the difference? This is a party dorm for the freshman, and will likely be very loud with music after hours.

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