Is Arroyo Vista the best dorm at UCI?

Walls are super thin. You can hear everything and the RA’s never enforce the quiet hours. The kitchen is a mess and people steal your food. RA’s do not handle issues well. Honestly I would rather be homeless than dorm at Arroyo again. Dorm somewhere else!! ANYWHERE ELSE

The first floor double suite is a nightmare. Walls are thin. You can hear everything. It’s hard to sleep and most of the time no one cares. My hall in particular didn’t know how to clean up after themselves and a lot of drama happened in the hall. Not fun. My RA never enforced quiet hours and was not as present or helpful as my freshman year RA from middle earth (open house 2018 was amazing in middle). They didn’t handle certain situations well and would comment on smaller things happening around the house but was quiet when we would say something about noise lol. Washers suck sometimes and the first few weeks are hellish because the frats and sororities do their chants or whatever. The shared kitchen sucks because people do steal your shit so I’d recommend getting a micro fridge. I feel, in general RAs aren’t as present in halls as they were in Middle. People steal bikes a lot. I honestly wish I could’ve chosen at least a regular double bc the suite was not worth it. Maybe even Plaza. The patio is a joke of a small piece of concrete and wall and the only plus is a private bathroom and couch with a small table and it’s split into two rooms, but every time we would come through our front door people would stare into my room and I’d hate it <3 it’s really annoying and if your get the first floor suite, expect people to turn and look at your every time you walk out your door. Because of this u would just walk around and outside to get to the kitchen to avoid being stared at <3

It depends on what house you are in at AV, but overall it isn't the best experience. It's basically a dorm-style for the sophomore, junior, and seniors with a kitchen and living room. I had a good roommate that basically did his own thing. I would say that you are sharing a kitchen with roughly 18 people and if they are not clean it can be pretty difficult to live in AV. I will say the pros are that the location is really nice and that it is only a 9 month lease rather than ACC or off-campus.

Pros: Location is very close to the arc and within decent walking distance of campus. Lots of buses regularly pass by it too. Parking is easy cuz there's a huge lot (and honestly, they don't check it that often either). Also, they have activities on the lawn every few weeks and you can just walk in and join even though you probably weren't invited. Cons: Kitchen was terrible cuz of all the messy ppl using it. It can get loud cuz of all the frats/sororities. elevator doesn't always work. Bathrooms can get messy. I'm pretty sure you have to have a roommate or two, unless you're the RA or something. Overall, it was a lot like being in a freshman dorm, but chiller. You actually know who your RA is and sometimes they'll arrange activities and people actually show up, unlike the activities in VDC or other places lol. if you don't mind communal living in general, this is a decent enough option.

AV is right next to the ARC center (gym) and has bus stops that can take you to campus for free so location wise it is great. There's no air conditioning so it can get hot/stuffy so bring a fan. The room is okay, a regular double with twin beds, desks, and closets. The kitchen and bathrooms are shared.