UF Advice

Congratulations UF Class of 2012!!

Those of you with Summer B acceptance letters probably have a few uncertainties and questions, especially about where you'll be living. The first thing you have to remember is not to fret!! You've been accepted to UF, and that's what's important! There are several great things about starting in Summer B: you'll have time to get situated before the Fall semester begins, you'll have time to become familiar with the campus, and Summer B classes tend to be more laid back than fall. I've done some research and tried to organize all the information in a helpful manner.

Freshmen Dorms - Summer B 2008
It can be hard to find information on the housing programs around UF. The following dorms are open to freshmen for Summer B:

• Murphree
• Sledd
• Buckman (no AC.)
• Jennings
• Springs
• Lakeside (far-side of campus)
• Windsor Hall (off-campus but closer to UF classes than many on-campus dorms, located right off of UF's Sorority Row, with attached bathrooms, assigned parking, on-site gym and pool, and guaranteed placement)

NOTE: UF recently changed which dorms will and will not be open over summer b. See updates here.

Important Dates for Summer B Students:
June 15 - Windsor Hall opens for Summer B
June 25 - Remaining residence halls open at Noon for Summer B 2008
June 30 - Classes begin for Summer B
August 09 - Residence halls close at 4pm for Summer B 2008

If you live in an on-campus dorm, you may need to move out between Summer B and Fall 2008 (you can apply after you've been placed into your Summer B dorm).

If you choose to live in an off-campus dorm, you are guaranteed that you can stay in the same room during the break between Summer B and Fall 2008. Windsor Hall is an off-campus dorm that has many advantages:
* Guaranteed Placement with Housing Agreement
* Guaranteed A/C
* Guaranteed Placement into dorm layout your select as your preference
* Often less expensive than the other UF dorms
* All dorm suites at Windsor Hall have attached bathrooms and kitchenettes

A Few Notes on Summer B:

• Bright Futures does not cover most summer sessions.
• Placement in on-campus dorms is NOT guaranteed, especially with so many students being accepted for Summer B.
• Placement into an on-campus dorm with AC is also not guaranteed, unless you choose Windsor Hall. Many students think that they are going to "luck out" and get the dorm of their choice from their preferences, but 1 in every 8 dorms on campus that are open over summer do not have AC.
• Florida summers + No AC = bad news.
• Class sessions are longer and the courses are accelerated but don't worry, it always works out fine.

Best Dorm for UF Students for Summer B?
In my opinion? Windsor Hall. On-campus dorms don't open until 5 days before classes start. I'd recommend heading up to Gainesville as early as possible to get an idea of where you're living, how the town is laid out, where your classes are and just to get a general head start. Windsor Hall opens up a full 10 days before the on-campus dorms do - it's certainly worth checking out. The attached bath and kitchenettes also make Windsor a much nicer place to live for anyone. Windsor also has a pool and trust me, being able to walking downstairs to a private pool is priceless over the hot Gainesville summer month.

Don't know who you are going to live with in the dorms? In that case, Windsor Hall is definitely the right choice for you. On-campus dorms offer a random roommate system (ie: they randomly match guys with guys and girls with girls in their double, triple and temporary triple dorm rooms). In contrast, Windsor Hall offers professional roommate matching based on a 66 point questionnaire that asks everything from study habits to music preferences.

Let's just say that the professional roommate matching at Windsor Hall (and the guaranteed A/C and dorm room placement) is all worth it's wait in gold.