Question for Carolina students, alumni, and USC parents

[Gamecock in Fort Mill]

First post on this site and I am proud to state my daughter will start her University of South Carolina education in the fall of 2015. I have a general question for anyone who has gone to Carolina and knows a lot about the campus. What is your recommendation for the best freshman housing based on experience or common knowledge from what others have said.

I have been a big fan of The University of South Carolina for many years. I am so proud my daughter will be attending the school her Mom and I always wishes we had.

GO COCKS!

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

Honestly, no such things as "good" freshmen housing, however, given you have a daughter, I'd suggest something like Wardlaw, since it is a single gender dorm.

 

[1977 Cat]

I think my daughter stayed in McClintock and it was fine.
This post was edited on 1/22 10:17 AM by 1977 Cat

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Originally posted by Gamecock in Fort Mill:
First post on this site and I am proud to state my daughter will start her University of South Carolina education in the fall of 2015. I have a general question for anyone who has gone to Carolina and knows a lot about the campus. What is your recommendation for the best freshman housing based on experience or common knowledge from what others have said.

I have been a big fan of The University of South Carolina for many years. I am so proud my daughter will be attending the school her Mom and I always wishes we had.

GO COCKS!

My older son stayed at Capstone for his first two years and then McBryde last year. He is living in an apt this year for his senior year. My younger son is staying at Bates West.


I heard Patterson has been upgraded and the women's quad. Don't do Co-Ed dorms...

Also, to save some money on books, my son have found PDF's of books on line or rented used books...

Virtual Tour of Residence Halls

 

[CockofEarle]

can't beat the quad, center of campus & didn't they have a re-model done? *


*

 

[USCBatgirl21]

I lived at home as a Freshman, but stayed in Patterson Hall my Sophomore year, and in Sims (on the Women's Quad) after that. Both areas are great for a Freshman, and are centrally located on campus. The Women's Quad is made up of McLintock, Sims, and Wade Hampton. Patterson Hall is directly behind them and has been remodeled to Suite style recently (it was traditional when I was there 20 years ago). South Tower is nice too, and is traditional style.

The link above has virtual tours of the buildings which may help.

And I agree, I would not do a co-ed dorm.

Too bad kids these days don't get to experience the joy that was the Honeycombs.
This post was edited on 1/22 10:30 AM by USCBatgirl21

University Housing

 

[USCBatgirl21]

Originally posted by Rod Dangerfield:
Honestly, no such things as "good" freshmen housing, however, given you have a daughter, I'd suggest something like Wardlaw, since it is a single gender dorm.

If only Wardlaw wasn't torn down when they tore down the Honeycombs.

 

[Gamecock in Fort Mill]

Thanks everyone for the information so far...have a great day, and GO COCKS!

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

Originally posted by USCBatgirl21:

Originally posted by Rod Dangerfield:
Honestly, no such things as "good" freshmen housing, however, given you have a daughter, I'd suggest something like Wardlaw, since it is a single gender dorm.

If only Wardlaw wasn't torn down when they tore down the Honeycombs.

My mistake. I was talking out of the wrong body cavity. I meant Wade Hampton.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Originally posted by USCBatgirl21:

Originally posted by Rod Dangerfield:
Honestly, no such things as "good" freshmen housing, however, given you have a daughter, I'd suggest something like Wardlaw, since it is a single gender dorm.

If only Wardlaw wasn't torn down when they tore down the Honeycombs.

Did you have the pleasure of meeting "Captain Nude" on Friday/Saturday nights at the Honeycombs?

This post was edited on 1/22 11:27 AM by world famous 3rd base hecklers

 

[ckali7]

Bates Hooouuse!

 

[76gintcock]

You're getting a lot of good answers. You might also try asking your question on College Confidential. Registration is free and easy, and there are lots of parents and students there to answer questions like yours. I've attached the link.

College Confidential

 

[Gamecock in Fort Mill]

Thanks for the link 76.

 

[4thgengamecock]

If its available, stay in the Honors Residence (on the site of what used to be the Honeycombs). I stayed there my freshman year, and it was plush. If that's not possible, the best advice I can give is to avoid Bates at all costs. By far the best dining hall with the worst dorms. And avoid the Roost, too. That place is super sketchy.

 

[USCBatgirl21]

I never lived there.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Originally posted by USCBatgirl21:

I never lived there.

John was a hoot.... He would drink a beer or two or more and later that night he would take his clothes off and put a towel around his neck and run up and down the hallways looking for open doors saying "Captain nude to the rescue"..

He is a businessman in Columbia now...

 

[76gintcock]

My wife posts over there all the time. She's like "Dear Abby." Our D is a senior, so we've pretty much lived through the entire process, from admissions through graduate school applications. It never stops. She has loved her experience at USC.

 

[76gintcock]

I think the Roost is limited to the Midlands Tech bridge kids. Maybe Bates as well. I suspect the OP would have told us if the Honors Dorm were an option. That's kind of an obvious choice.

 

[IrmoRed]

Patterson=breakfast buffet! Bates was an eyesore in the 80s. Go single gender. My daughter will be in a single gender dorm,god willing! At least freshman year.

 

[4thgengamecock]

Originally posted by 76gintcock:
I think the Roost is limited to the Midlands Tech bridge kids. Maybe Bates as well. I suspect the OP would have told us if the Honors Dorm were an option. That's kind of an obvious choice.

I figured that about Honors, but wasn't sure. I know freshman can live at Bates and the Roost, though. I used to have a friend who lived at the Roost, and my cousin stayed in Bates last year. Not good places to stay.

 

[USCBatgirl21]

Of course if your daughter goes Greek, she should definitely live in the House any chance she gets.

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

This thread is bringing back some good memories.

 

[4thgengamecock]

Originally posted by USCBatgirl21:
Of course if your daughter goes Greek, she should definitely live in the House any chance she gets.

I'd say that depends on which house. The ones in the Greek Village are really nice, but some of the others are really awful. One of my buddies who joined a fraternity at another school came to visit, and we stopped by his USC chapter. The house was beyond sketchy (my friend was massively disappointed). In general though I'd say Greek housing is pretty good, with a handful of pretty bad options that are easily avoided.

 

[76gintcock]

Greek housing wouldn't kick in until sophomore year.

 

[cockgun]

My daughter is a senior this year and will graduate in the spring. She stayed in Patterson her Freshman year, just after it was renovated, and enjoyed it. It had a parking garage nearby and was close to all of her classes. The following year she stayed in her sorority house and then moved off campus for her last two years. Patterson was fine.

 

[biloxibird]

I lived at the Wade Hampton Hotel--great place slightly off campus. Now its footprint is pretty much a walkway for whatever the AT&T Tower is called today.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Originally posted by biloxibird:

I lived at the Wade Hampton Hotel--great place slightly off campus. Now its footprint is pretty much a walkway for whatever the AT&T Tower is called today.

I have forgotten about that hotel...


That was a cool place to stay...

 

[Gamecock in Fort Mill]

Thanks to everyone again for the information....Rod Dangerfield, I'm happy that this thread brings back memories for you. This worked out really good in different ways for both of us.

Take care everyone.

 

[Kmart84]

Biloxibird, I also was at the Wade Hampton Hotel for 3 years. I was an RA for two of them. My last semester I had to move because that's when it closed.

 

[chick75]

Agree with the group on coed. Has nothing to do with wanting to

keep your daughter away from the guys, but it has to do with privacy. Coed dorms sound edgy and mature. They are a pain in the ass. It may be cute for awhile, but sooner or later it will change.

GOCOCKS! BEATKY! BEATTAM!

 

[fxcock]

I am in the same boat as the OP. Is Woodrow an option for Freshmen? I stayed there in the 80s and loved it.

 

[allyourbase]

I wouldn't be so quick to write off coed dorms. I stayed in ones my freshman and sophomore years and it was fine. I guess it's a matter of maturity. I knew plenty of single sex dormers who flunked out because they just couldn't handle college. 99% of college success depends on the person.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

I had some awesome times in the Honeycombs. It was a blast shooting off bottle rockets between the buildings.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Originally posted by allyourbase:
I wouldn't be so quick to write off coed dorms. I stayed in ones my freshman and sophomore years and it was fine. I guess it's a matter of maturity. I knew plenty of single sex dormers who flunked out because they just couldn't handle college. 99% of college success depends on the person.

For my daughter, I'm not worried about flunking out by living in a single gender dorm, I just don't want to promote co-ed dorms to anyone...

 

[hahnenkampf]

My dorm (Baker) was torn down some years ago, but my daughter spent her first two years (1995-1997) in the Women's Quad. She loved it there. My wife also lived in the Quad when she was a student there in the early 70s -- she also loved it. Once we married, we lived in the married student housing behind the Russell House -- but alas, that is a parking lot now.