Unit 2 Reviews
UC Berkeley
Reviews Summary
Unit 2 dorm at Berkeley is a mixed bag according to student reviews. The mini-suites are a popular choice for privacy and modern amenities, while traditional dorms face challenges with shared bathrooms and limited space. Some students praise the sociable atmosphere and proximity to campus and social areas, while others note issues like cramped triples, old facilities, and unreliable elevators. Overall, Unit 2 offers a typical college dorm experience with its ups and downs, making it a vital part of the Berkeley student life.
Location
Cramped
Social
When students lived here
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Overall rating breakdown
Room
Building
Location
Bathroom
Browse 23 Student Reviews
Reviews with a Verified Student badge were written with a school email.
I lived in Cunningham and it was lowkey awesome. Made some good friends, social life was popping. Rooms weren't that small, I even had a triple and I had a decent amount of space. Shared bathrooms weren't bad but maybe because I was a guy I didn't really mind. Made amazing memories in the dorm and will definitely miss it. Enjoy your freshmen year, its probably the best year in college.
HERE'S THE SECRET! Get the mini suites!! As someone who now lives off-campus, the location of any dorm (maybe except foothill because it's lowk uphill) is really not that bad. You'll likely have longer walks when you live off campus and you'll get used to it. There's so many stories about what happens in those shared bathrooms in the traditional dorms (aka ones where the whole floor shares the bathroom). In mini-suites, it's 1 double and 1 triple sharing 1 bathroom. It honestly was so good for privacy and if you're concerned about sharing bathrooms with those of opposite sex too.
To be honest, nobody's first choice is unit 2. Sure, it's only a few minutes farther than unit 1, but it's substantially farther than BW/Unit 3. It's not as far as Clark Kerr, but they have nicer amenities. I lived in a Cunningham Hall double in the corner room. It was a bit larger than the standard doubles/triples. On my floor, the bathroom only has one functioning shower; three of the four sinks have very low water pressure; and the fourth sink has too much water pressure that it splashes everywhere. The elevator is painfully slow and there is no way to see what floor the elevator is on to know if it's time to cut your losses and walk down the stairs. The mail room's hours are a bit limited. The gym is a joke–rsf is a 25-minute walk. The ...
Very convenient location to and from campus. About 15 minutes walk! People on my floor are very nice. Safe and convenient area to walk
PROs: Cleanliness is typically not an issue, but that is due to the people I live with. Other cleanliness can be debated, one room on my floor had mold. Bathrooms are cleaned daily and my floormates tend to keep the bathroom clean. Being on the 7th floor is an issue when the elevator breaks down. Location is terrible, had to call the cops on a break-in myself and it was never otherwise reported. Room sizing is terrible, 181 sq feet for 3 people.
Was in Wada Apartment facing the courtyard. My apartment layout was different than the rest of the floor as I lived with the RA which meant that we had 2 bathrooms instead of 1 and 3 rooms instead of 2. Because we were facing the courtyard we never got direct sunlight into our apartment which worked in our favor on hot days as our place never went above 75°. The problems we did face as an entire building was laundry, as Wada only had 5 washing machines with 2 of them being broken all year. My apartment also had a ghost but after saging the place I didn't feel or experience anything again. If anyone lives in apartment 414 now, I highly suggest saging!
Broad range of difference in quality between the halls. Towle Hall was definitely on the upper end. People talking about high sociability were likely not on suite floors. Suites seem nice for the separate bathroom, but are far less social, especially if your suitemates don't end up as your friends. Also, having a separate bathroom (which I believe is cleaned less frequently than floorwide bathrooms) with very messy suitemates makes for a less-than-ideal time
I stayed in a triple and it was a small place for the three of us. The room's walls are thin and the halls common area is in okay condition. Bathrooms are pretty gross and definitely not the ideal place to be. I'd suggest staying away from the older dorms like Unit1,2,3 and going with the new dorms.
Honestly Berkeley dorms suck in general but are a significant part of the college experience. I stayed in Griffiths Hall in a triple and for the most part I had a positive experience. You are close to campus, near all the Southside businesses, greek row, good proximity to Elmwood. However the rooms themselves are borderline illegal in how little space you have. 169 SF for three people is not a lot and I would definitely say you need to schedule time to rotate in/out of the room. The good side is that a lot of the other kids on your floor are in the same crappy living situation so you will definitely bond one way or another. Pros: location, “college experience,” access to buses, nice community balcony with views Cons: small af, old af, w...
It might depend on what building you were in. Some buildings had problems with elevators I was in Davidson and it was fine. Also be careful walking home at night. Avoid People’s Park.