As freshmen prepare to enter their first year at Loyola, there are two options for their new on campus home: Biever or Buddig Hall.

Both of these have pros and cons but as I’m entering my sophomore year now having experience living in both, I believe I can fully say which is the better freshman dorm.

Biever tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to which dorm a freshman wants to stay in. Communal bathrooms and the risk of being in a triple rather than a double tends to scare people away.

Although both of these aren’t ideal, Biever still has plenty to offer. The wide window space that allows sunlight to spill into the room was something I loved during my time there.

The brick walls that gave more of a rustic feel that you could decorate with chalk made for a more homesick feel.

The AC, even if you couldn’t set it to exactly the temperature you wanted, still got much colder than Buddig. Biever also had a kitchen on every floor, whereas Buddig only had one on the 12th floor.

Even the downsides of Biever are things I found ways to enjoy during my time there. Communal bathrooms, no matter how gross they can be, lead to a sense of community. It was a commonality we had among the floor. It forced more interactions and let us get to know each other better – something that was much needed as a freshman moving away from home for the first time.

On the other hand, Buddig is the choice most freshmen would make. Mostly due to the appeal of the suite style living with no communal bathroom. Although that is a huge bonus, it may well be the only positive thing about living in Buddig.

The windows in this building are smaller and offer far less natural light, which would only be a plus for people who don’t enjoy vitamin D.

There is less freedom to decorate the rooms in Buddig, as students aren’t able to move the desk and there isn’t room to move the beds from the original position either. In some rooms, there isn’t even an option for moving the beds as they are built into the ground.

The suite bathrooms, although nice in the sense you only share with three other people instead of an entire hall, are small and can be hard to get through.

The two elevators in Buddig also have a history of being bad, and are well known for breaking down or having long lines due to so many people living in the hall.

The air conditioning is also an issue in the Buddig. Unlike Biever where you have more control of the temperature, Buddig rooms only stick to a 72 degrees lowest temperature. For some, this is really hot and can be uncomfortable.

One huge plus in Buddig, however, is the sink in each room. This allows way more storage and one never has to think about walking down the hall at night to brush your teeth.

As someone who has now lived in both residence buildings, I would give Biever a 7/10 dorm living experience as a freshman and Buddig a 4/10.