During my first year at NCSU as a transfer student, I was assigned to live in a single dorm at University Towers. This is an honest review of this residence location for upcoming freshman students assigned here, whether you just learned about where you will live or moved in already. Please note that I lived alone, so my experience will be different compared to those who share a space with a roommate.
Let’s start with the benefits and advantages of living at UT. You will have access to a dining hall within the same building known as Cloud 9, so you will not have to travel outside the residence hall if you don’t want to for most meals. This is highly convenient when you’re exhausted and don’t want to walk far, or if the weather isn’t great. Access to a dining hall right upstairs can save you much time and effort.
Another benefit is that you share your bathroom with your suitemates and roommates. You don’t have to use a communal bathroom like in most residence halls. This means you’ll have a more private space and don’t have to leave your room to shower. Also, on each floor, there is a study space anyone can use. The first floor has computers and a printer that you can use as well.
While living at UT, you will have access to a gym that is open 24/7. There is also a recreation room with a pool table, so you can play pool with other residents and your friends. You’ll have access to an outdoor pool at various times of the year. Also, there is a volleyball pit year-round.
Although there are some benefits, there are some downsides to University Towers, and everyone who has lived here will likely agree it is the laundry room. During my time there, a lot of the washers and dryers were broken. There was even a whiteboard we all used to label which ones weren’t fixed. On top of this, UT holds roughly 885 people, so sharing the limited machines is tough. It is important to mention that they removed the machines after the move-out, so hopefully the experience will be different for the newly arriving freshmen. Since so many people live here, it can also get loud sometimes. Especially on the weekends and in the evenings. If loudness isn’t your forte, avoid going downstairs around those times.