Salley Hall: two words that make any incoming Florida State University (FSU) freshman shudder. Commonly known as the absolute worst hall on campus, living in Salley Hall is something nearly everyone tries to avoid. From allegations of mold in the rooms to the unideal location, living in Salley seems like it may completely ruin your freshman year. However, living in Salley Hall or any older dorm on campus isn’t something anyone should stress over. Where you live freshman year won’t define how the year will go for you, it’s about what you make of it.
In my short time at FSU, I’ve met several people who live in Salley. Every time I’ve asked people how they feel about their dorm, I have gotten the same response: “I actually kinda like it.” I have never met a Salley resident who hates the dorm. They tell me they like the unique layout, despite the close living quarters. Salley is the only dorm with a separate study space and a sink in the bathroom. Everyone I’ve known who has lived here likes that where they study is separate from where they sleep and that they have a big bathroom. The only real complaint I’ve heard is about the location, but FSU is a small campus. None of your classes are going to be more than 20 minutes from your dorm. If you get placed in Salley, don’t worry; it’s not that bad.
Not only have I seen people panic about Salley, but also about any dorm that wasn’t built in 2015. I currently live in one of the older dorms, Bryan Hall. Bryan is the oldest dorm on campus and the smallest. If you haven’t heard of Bryan, it’s okay, no one has. Bryan is the kind of dorm that people avoid. It’s old, has small rooms, and it’s so small that you can’t do anything without getting a noise complaint. Nevertheless, I have loved my time in Bryan. The small size of the dorm has made it so that I’ve created deep connections with the people living there. I know just about every single person in my dorm. The small rooms are hardly a problem; it’s just a place to sleep. There’s so much to do at FSU that the dorm is simply a bed. It may be old, but it has so much character. The outside of the dorm looks like a castle and the lobby is gorgeous with high ceilings and a chandelier.Â
This mindset goes for just about any dorm on campus. Some of them are old, have small rooms, and are in bad locations, but you can’t let that scare you. Every dorm has its positives and negatives. I’ve heard complaints about the newer dorms just as much as I’ve heard complaints about the older ones. The sooner you realize nowhere is perfect, the sooner you’ll be happy with your living space. The sooner you realize that every FSU dorm is better than the dorms at the school over in Gainesville (communal bathrooms who?), the sooner you’ll be happy with your living space.
Dorm living is what you make of it. If you make connections with the people in your space and realize that at the end of the day the dorm is just a place to sleep, you’re going to have a good experience no matter where you are. So, if you’re looking at your housing contract number and panicking about where you might be placed, stop. Take a deep breath and think about all the awesome experiences you are going to have that your dorm won’t play a part in. Your dorm is but a living space, and your experience at FSU won’t change based on an older dorm.Â
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