The Big College Move: A Comprehensive Guide for New Yale Students

Table of Contents

Moving: A Simple Checklist for New Students On-Campus Living Residential College System What to expect: A guide from Yale grads

Berkeley College Branford College Calhoun College Davenport College Ezra Stiles College Jonathan Edwards College Morse College Pierson College Saybrook Silliman College Timothy Dwight College Trumbull College

-Off-Campus Living Downtown Dwight East Rock Westville Wooster Square

Nightlife and Off-Campus Dining Alpha Delta Pizza (Pizza and Sandwiches) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Blue State Coffee (Coffee) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating Bar (Pizza Place and Bar) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafes (Ice Cream) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating The Owl Shop (Cigar Shop and Bar) Yelp! 4.5 Star Rating Louis’ Lunch (Burger Shop) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Toad’s Place (Live Music and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating 116 Crown (Bar and Eatery) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating Gryphon’s Pub at GPSCY Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating Karaoke Heroes (Karaoke and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating

Conclusion Call to Action

Images Sources

The Big College Move: A Comprehensive Guide for New Yale Students

So you got accepted into Yale. Congratulations. After the initial euphoria and feeling of “I did it! Ivy league, baby!” wears off, then comes what to some is a daunting realization: How am I going to prepare for the big move? Never fear — the Internet is your friend, and we’ve prepared a crash course on moving to New Haven, Connecticut. This guide’s got the skinny on the residential college houses, off-campus living and even a little taste of the Yale nightlife.

Moving: A Simple Checklist for New Students Yale provides each student with a desk, a chair, a dresser, and a bed. Bedrooms are assigned by gender, but suites (bedrooms are inside the suites) may be mixed gender.

1. Make a checklist. You’ll want to pack light, but you don’t want to leave anything behind either.

2. Be sure to check out the dormitory rules and regulations before packing any items that might run you afoul of the campus’ laws.

3. The Facilities Superintendent’s dorm room report has a list of items you will be responsible for. Check it and report it to the Superintendent within five days.

4. If you know who your roommates are going to be, call ahead and coordinate things you can share. (E.g. a TV, Stereo, Hair Dryer, Iron or Steamer, etc.)

5. Pack a “First Night Survival Kit” of essential items in case you arrive ahead of your luggage or you are too tired to unpack once you get there.

6. If you’re moving over long distances, ship your larger items and luggage to your destination

and just bring your survival kit to get settled more easily. Tip: Once you arrive, you can make a trip to IKEA. Items to keep an eye out for: desk accessories for studying, affordable room organizers and—if needed—room dividers for privacy.

1. Snacks (drinks and small nonperishable foods)

On-Campus Living

If you are an incoming freshman who had your heart set on off-campus living from the get go, bad news: Yale’s got a policy that requires freshman and sophomore students to live in on-campus housing—unless of course you are over 21 or married. That means that cool apartment you picked out with your friends is going to have to wait a couple of years. But we do have good news: Yale’s dorms ranked No. 8 on Her Campus’ list of “The Coolest Dorms in the Country,” and a Yale grad we talked to confirmed it, saying the dorm rooms are more like suites.

Residential College System Yale puts all of its students into what is called the residential college system (think Harry Potter’s Hogwarts’ housing) which the college’s website states, is for the purpose of providing a small-school environment at a large university. Each college has its own residential facilities with which students are associated for all four years of their stay at the university. There are 12 residential colleges across campus. To boot, you must take your chances with the Sorting Hat, or, lottery. With the exception of students living in Silliman College and the Timothy Dwight College, freshmen don’t even get to live in these houses until sophomore year. They instead live on what is known as Old Campus before being relocated in sophomore year. Your Old Campus facilities are assigned based on the house you choose or are assigned to. The colleges generally are equipped with your standard Yale facilities: Common rooms, laundry rooms, computer labs, dance studios, small nighttime cafes (called butteries,) scenic courtyards, dining halls, libraries, etc. But some are equipped with something a little extra to give the college its own flair.

What to expect: A guide from Yale grads Author’s Note: The following section’s information is derived from interviews with two Yale Alumni: Will Moritz and David Mackenzie, both from Trumbull College. Since placement into a residential college is random, the colleges don’t tend to pick people based on their personalities (unlike the administration in Hogwarts might.) The colleges don’t use social characteristics as criteria but college houses are populated instead to represent a blend of personalities with diverse and complementary qualities. Will Moritz, a Yale Alumni from Trumbull College say’s “your residential college is going to be the center of your social life on campus.” While your friends aren’t restricted to your college, the people living in your residential college are going to be around day after day. So how are you going to interact with them? One tip for you freshmen: Meet as many people as you can in your first year. Your college experience is going to be largely defined by the connections and encounters you make, and remember: starry-eyed freshmen are just like you. Make friends with everyone. Living on campus as a freshman and sophomore can be fun because of the room set up you have. "Leave kitchenware at home--or face a fine.” says David Mackenzie. “ Usually, the dorm suites are two rooms with two people and then two singles so you have six people in a suite with a common living room where you all hang out. It’s a much nicer setup than the standard two bed closet (-sized room) at other universities and ensures that no matter what, you’ve always got people to be around. It’s great if you’re a social creature. Also, don’t be afraid to form relationships with your professors (No, not that kind.) Some of the most valuable things you can learn from professors aren’t taught in the classroom but rather in conversations afterward. The same goes for conversations you have with students outside your major. You can learn a lot from other people, so don’t be afraid to get out there and connect. When you enter your sophomore year and get off Old Campus to get into your residential college, you’re going to have a lot of fun engaging the activities. Take advantage of your surroundings while you’re forced to remain living on campus. Eat in the butteries late at night. Go watch movies in the theater. Junior and senior year, you’ve got a decision to make: Do you remain on campus or don’t you? By this time, if you’ve been engaging in extracurricular activities, those are the friends you’re going to have, more so than the friends you’ve made from your residential college.

Certain extracurricular activities (e.g. acapella) have houses where juniors and seniors from those clubs room together in houses off campus. So certain houses are almost like fraternities in a way. There’s the theater house, the acapella house, etc. Keep in mind, living off-campus isn’t cheap. Undergraduates usually live in the downtown area nearby campus, where a room can cost you in the $800-1000 range. This is the price to be paid when you want to be at the epicenter of undergraduate social interaction. If you live in some of the other off-campus areas where grad students live, you run the risk of taking yourself out of the scene, so to speak. Or at the very least, you just have to commute. Take a look at houses in Lynwood Place or perhaps Elm Street. Or, if you want to, you can remain at any one of Yale’s 12 (soon to be 14) residential colleges.

Berkeley College

Berkeley College is known for its gothic architecture, central location and is popular for its dining hall, which gets so overcrowded that the school announced in 2012 its closure to non-Berkeley-residents two Mondays out of each month. The freshmen at Berkeley College live in Lanman-Wright Hall, a.k.a. “L-Dub.”

Branford College

Branford College is the home to Harkness Tower, which is one of the largest free-standing stone structures in the world. It also one of the few colleges to host a printing press as part of its facilities. Freshmen in Branford share their space in Vanderbilt Hall with Saybrook freshmen.

Calhoun College

Living here used to suck, when trolleys periodically came screaming by at night. The trolleys were eventually removed, and the college celebrates Trolley Night to this day to commemorate their demise. A removal they don’t celebrate so much: The tree that held the college’s iconic tire swing in the courtyard had to be removed in 2007 as it was a threat to fall on the building. Calhoun freshmen reside in Bingham Hall with students from Trumbull.

Davenport College

If we’re still on with our Harry Potter references, perhaps you could call Davenport the Gryffindor of the bunch, considering how the college is often regarded as the one to apply for if you find yourself wanting to make your own destiny. The college does not boast unique facilities (really, no college does,) but they are considered some of the best in class, so to speak. Davenport students live in Welch Hall.

Ezra Stiles College

This one gets style points for having an underground recording studio as a part of the building. Architecturally, the college is the sister of Morse. Both of them advertise the lack of right angles in the architecture of the buildings. Stiles and Morse also share the same kitchen, which serves items like brick-oven pizza. Much like Berkeley, the popularity of the dining hall has caused the college to cut back on its availability, in this case closing the kitchen off to non-Stiles, non-Morse students between the hours of 5-6:30 p.m. Stiles College students live in Lawrence Hall.

Jonathan Edwards College

Jonathan Edwards is the oldest of the residential colleges on campus and the students reside in Farnam Hall. It comes equipped with a lot of the standard facilities but also plays host to one of the most interesting residential college traditions on campus: Wet Monday. Wet Monday takes place at midnight on Easter Monday, and entails this: Freshmen storm the courtyard with water guns and water balloons. Upperclassmen defend it with the same.

Morse College

Morse — along with Stiles, underwent a transformation that gave the college added space and updated its student facilities. The Morse-Stiles kitchen of course, is an attraction here. It also boasts a 50-seat theater as part of its offerings to students. Morse freshmen live in Durfee Hall.

Pierson College

Pierson shares certain facilities with Davenport, its house rival, and lists a printing press along with a bookbinding studio as part of its facilities. In one of the more unique college traditions, on Pierson Day, Pierson students can wrestle in a vat of yellow Jell-O against any other student — or even the house master if they so choose. Pierson freshmen reside in Lanman-Wright Hall with students from Berkeley.

Saybrook

Pray you don’t get Saybrook if you don’t like getting down to your underwear in front of people at football games. That’s the major tradition that sets it apart from everyone else: the famous “Saybrook Strip.” It happens at football games, where the entire Saybrook section strips down to their skivvies. Some Saybrook seniors at the Yale-Harvard football game elect to go the full monty. It’s a source of pride for these guys. Oh yeah, and they’ve got a lot of the same facilities as the other houses do. The freshmen live with students of Branford in Vanderbilt Hall.

Silliman College

This one’s got a couple things going for it: One, if you’re an incoming freshman and you want to get a head start on living with your residential college, this is one of two colleges that allows freshmen to live with upperclassmen off the bat. Two, this one has a dining hall that tops student surveys. So those students looking for good food and instant gratification in terms of a living space might be interested in this house. It’s the largest residential college as well, has a basketball court, theater and a recording studio.

Timothy Dwight College

Timothy Dwight is the other college that does not require its freshman to stay on Old Campus, allowing them instead to move in straight away. Timothy Dwight boasts similar facilities to Silliman, its rival college.

Trumbull College

Trumbull is the smallest of the twelve residential colleges on campus in both physical size and number of students who are enrolled. It was one of the original eight residential colleges and reportedly the building that designer James Gamble Rodgers called his masterpiece. It contains a lot of the usual amenities of Yale dorm facilities, just in a more elegant, scaled-down environment. Trumbull freshmen live with Calhoun students in Bingham Hall.

Yale’s site has great resources about each house and where they are located, in the city and relative to one another. Check out PDF versions of their maps here.

Off-Campus Living

If by the time you reach your junior year you’re ready to get away from your residential college, New Haven isn’t without off-campus housing options either. While it’s not uncommon for undergraduate students to live off-campus, certain areas are predominantly graduate student areas. Yale’s Off-Campus Living Department manages a database specifically made for students (although, faculty and staff can use it, too) in search of apartments. Renters post their listings and students can get in touch with them directly. Please keep in mind that when we refer to an area as safe, that doesn’t mean crime does not occur in the area — it simply means that the does not have a reputation for crime. You can always check out reviews and local area ratings by visiting sites like College Prowler or Yale’s Off Campus Living partner Tenant Landlord Rating to see how your peers rate each option.

Also, keep in mind, the one-bedroom measurement is just a reference point. We recommend finding a 2-3 bedroom apartment and a roommate while living off-campus, because it can be safer, and can save you money in the long run. Yale itself owns a fair number of the properties that surround the campus area and the transition to one of these residences can be easily coordinated by the administration of your specific college with some planning ahead.

Downtown

If you want to be around the action, then downtown living is the pick. The residence options in this area are mostly apartments catering to students. The campus is located in the downtown area as well, so living here would provide a shorter commute and access to a variety of the town’s entertainment options. That’s the upside. The downside: pricing. Living in a one-bedroom apartment downtown is going to run you $1,000 at a minimum. This may sound like a good deal, but keep in mind that Yale graduate student advocacy groups have warned the lower the price in the downtown area, the more dangerous the location.

Dwight

Dwight is one of the areas that might be better to avoid. Street violence in the area reached such preposterous levels that in 2011 the neighborhood was considering instating a curfew for neighborhood teens starting at 9 p.m. Some students opt to live here, where a one-bedroom apartment costs in the vicinity of $900, but it is not an area known for safety.

East Rock

The East Rock area of New Haven is often called “Grad Haven” and is a place where grad students usually rent housing. It’s an extremely popular place to live for students and almost universally recommended for students new to the area looking for housing. It’s a not the closest to campus. Depending on what school you’re trying to hoof it to, walking to your classes could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 or 40. That said it’s often regarded as one of the safest and most picturesque areas in town. The pricing at first glance may not seem cheaper than it would be downtown, with most listings for one-bedroom apartments coming in the $1,100 range. However, the area as a whole is much nicer and the apartments themselves are in better shape. But if close proximity to campus is a chief concern, East Rock may not be your style.

Westville

Westville is a predominantly suburban area. While it’s not known for cheap student housing, a quick survey of Craigslist revealed that Westville actually has some of the best prices on one-bedroom apartments of any of the neighborhoods, with the lowest price on a one-bedroom falling at $765. Some of their two-bedroom options are going for the same price as a one-bedroom apartment in East Rock or the downtown area. The only problem is that Westville is not exactly close to campus. Students living out here would almost certainly need their own car to make it to campus, so if car costs are an issue, it may end up being more financially prudent to pay extra in rent for walking distance.

Wooster Square

Wooster Square is a historic district south of East Rock and East of Downtown. It is not as consistently highly rated for being a good student neighborhood, but its proximity to campus makes it an immediate plus for those looking for nearby off-campus living. It’s also got a reputation as being a safe area. Wooster apartments typically run for the same price as East Rock apartments, so expect to drop somewhere in the $1,000 range for a one-bedroom offering.

Nightlife and Off-Campus Dining

“Alpha Delta Pizza is another late night food essential - especially their Wenzels.” - David Mackenzie Of course, no college experience is really college without experiencing the nightlife of the town. New Haven is just like any college town: It’s got its highlights and lowlights.

We canvassed the area and incorporated the best options for fun and food in the area. The locations listed below include summaries of Yelp! Reviewer’s comments, creating a small compilation of the spots to go when seeking out a good time or good food in New Haven. But remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg, so there’s always going to be more to explore when you’re there.

Alpha Delta Pizza (Pizza and Sandwiches) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Alpha Delta is open until 4am to meet your late-night food needs and is famous for a sandwich called “The Wenzel,” which is so popular on campus that one girl reported in a news article that a guy tried to pick her up by saying he had one at home.

Blue State Coffee (Coffee) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating If you like studying in coffee shops as opposed to common rooms and libraries, Blue State is probably the destination. They’re known for a rock-solid cup of brew and an atmosphere great for students looking to hunker down and hit the books.

Bar (Pizza Place and Bar) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating Well, they certainly didn’t put much imagination into the name, but this place is a combination of a bar and, as general consensus would have it, the pizza king of New Haven. One caveat: Good luck getting in. If you do, try the mashed potato pizza.

Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafes (Ice Cream) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating

Ashley’s is the best ice cream in New Haven, according to just about everyone who has ever tried it. The flavor offerings aren’t crazy, left-field ice cream from space. Instead, they focus on offering delightful versions of your old favorites.

The Owl Shop (Cigar Shop and Bar) Yelp! 4.5 Star Rating If you’re into feeling like you live in a Humphrey Bogart movie (and let’s face it, we all want to feel like Bogey,) The Owl is your place. The Owl is a cigar shop and bar specializing in having an impressive selection of whiskey. They also have live music. Keep in mind: it gets smoky inside!

Louis’ Lunch (Burger Shop) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, Louis’ Lunch is deserving of inclusion on this list because it is, according to the Library of Congress, the first place to ever serve a hamburger.

Toad’s Place (Live Music and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Toad’s Place came up as most often mentioned when it came to places to find live music in New Haven. The bar, according to reviewers, is under par, but as far as places to see live music go, this would be the place to do it.

116 Crown (Bar and Eatery) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating If you want a Manhattan feel without actually going to Manhattan, by all accounts 116 Crown is your destination. The mix drinks are well reviewed, as is the food. Cheap is not the operative word here, but it’s no doubt a place worth at least checking out.

Gryphon’s Pub at GPSCY Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating This bar gets great reviews on Yelp! For being affordable, free admission for Yale students and it is accommodating to smokers and a great place to play pool, do some shots, sing a little karaoke on select nights and just hang out when you’re not studying your fingers to the bone. (Okay, we know at least some of you do that right?)

Karaoke Heroes (Karaoke and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating Let’s face it: We all secretly have the desire to get up on stage and make a fool out of ourselves trying to sing along with old favorites. If the karaoke aspect isn’t enough of an attraction, add in the fact that this bar is superhero themed, complete with staff wearing capes.

Conclusion Ultimately Yale Administration decides where and with whom you will live, but you do have some room to suggest roommates and overall, the campus has a very satisfactory living space. The best thing you can do for yourself is take the time to enjoy the Yale experience and to not spend so much time in your dorm room. There are plenty of places to study, relax, congregate and have fun on and off campus. Good luck and once more, congratulations.

Call to Action If you have items to move to a University or College that are bulky, heavy, or just plain awkward to move yourself, consider finding a shipper using uShip that can help you make transition to life on your own away from home much more bearable. The team at uShip will review the details of the move and provide quotes from the best customer rated movers which service the areas you are moving from and moving to. uShip’ s recommended movers will take care of your things and bring them safely and securely to you at your destination, wherever that may be. Please Note: While we find movers that ship nearly anything from short to long distances in the continental United States, we cannot recommend shipping your Mom—if you’re bringing her, she should definitely ride in a passenger vehicle or public transportation.

Images ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Yale_University_Old_Campus.JPG

○ (Picture of Old Campus) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Sillimancollege.JPG

○ (Picture of Silliman) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Berkeley_College_(South)_at_Yale.jpg

○ (Picture of Berkeley) ● http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Rock_from_SSS_Hall,_October_17,_2008.jpg

○ (Scenic view of East Rock) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/James_Gamble_Rogers.JPG

○ (Picture of James Gamble Rodgers, who designed the residential colleges) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/New_Haven.JPG

○ (Shot of New Haven) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Louis-lunch.png

○ (Louis' lunch) ● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Yale_Harkness_Tower.JPG

○ (Yale Harkness Tower)

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