A common question I've noticed, is who am I going to live with?
My advice is not to worry. Everything always works out in one way or another. If you are truly unhappy with your roommate, switching rooms or apartments isn't out of the question and is actually fairly common.
THE DORMS.
Most freshmen end up in them, so I'm starting there.
You have three options right now. Helaman Halls, Heritage Hall, or Wyview.
When I lived in the dorms, I lived in Helaman Halls, so I have less to say about Heritage & Wyview. I believe they all have their advantages, but once again, you should choose a place that fits you.
HELAMAN HALL FEATURES
Here is a link to BYU's information about Helaman Halls
I honestly don't think that their website has great pictures or really helps you to know what they are like. But basically, right now there are eight halls (4 boys, 4 girls). And they have some monstrosity of a building under construction down there that I'm assuming will become another dorm (or two) in the future.
They all have lobbies (with vending machines! Details later), a basement (with hang out space, piano rooms, kitchen stoves, storage space, and laundry machines), a mini loft-like lobby on the second floor (same sex only), etc.
Each building has three floors.
1st floor: Pros--no stairs to climb to get to your room, closest to the vending machines, moving in is the easiest. Cons--I felt less safe because the windows are not completely burglar proof, you're closer to the lobby, sometimes it doesn't feel like you are away from all the action.
2nd floor: middle ground. It is the best to be on in my opinion. Also the suites are found on this floor.
3rd floor: Pros--best view, feels the furthest away from all the commotion of dorm life. Cons--lots of stairs to climb everyday, makes moving in a bigger hassle, farthest away from vending machines.
Other than that, wards are also determined by what hallway you are in. For example: all first floor girls that live in Hinckley Hall are in the same ward. They are paired with the first floor boys in another building.
ROOMS
Almost every room is exactly the same, except for the lucky few that live in the suites (details later). They look like this:
Each room consists of two beds, two closets, two desks, one mini fridge, one window, one sink/mirror. You do not have a bathroom in your room, there is a communal bathroom in every hallway. When you show up, your bed will most likely be low to the ground. The first thing you should do is change that. You'll find that when you raise your bed, you have tons more storage space for all those clothes you just couldn't leave at home. It's also good to keep in mind that you will eventually be moving out of the dorms, so hold on to as many of the original boxes under there that you can, so moving out is easier on you.Here are some other things you should know:-BYU provides some linens, but you have no idea how many people have used those over the years. I recommend to everyone that you should bring your own.
-All room doors automatically lock when they close. Make sure you bring your room key with you wherever you go so you don't get locked out. If you do though, each hall has an RA that is assigned to you, and if they are in their room they can unlock it for you. Careful though, sometimes they are in class and cannot be reached. It is much safer to just keep your key with you. Your RA is the person you will go to for any of your dorm needs. They will be the one who does your cleaning checks, holds hall meetings, and restocks the toilet paper when you're out ;)
-You will have frequent cleaning checks, but each hall has cleaning supplies that will be sufficient enough. You don't need to provide your own.
-People of the opposite sex are not allowed in your room, unless during visiting hours. They are held twice a week. Wednesday nights and Sunday nights from 7 pm-9 pm. The door must be open during this time. The opposite sex is however allowed inside your dorm building lobby until 12 am every night (1:30 am on Friday nights). The Helaman halls have a pool table, piano, couches, Foosball table, and TV in all of the lobbies. There are also games that you can rent from the office.
-The second floor of every dorm has two suites. These rooms are bigger than all the other rooms in the dorms. If you can, look into trying to get one of these. Trust me, they are much nicer than the other rooms.
-The laundry room takes quarters only. Usually there is a machine or two open always. I would recommend using this.
Questions about Helaman Halls? Ask away.
