Marks Hall Reviews
University of Southern California
Reviews Summary
Marks Hall is a dormitory that offers a mixed college experience, often described as a blend of camaraderie and challenges. Located conveniently on campus, it provides an authentic college dorm atmosphere, famously featured in "Forrest Gump." The dorm's social aspect largely depends on the residents; while the girl's floor is typically quiet, the guy’s floor is vibrant, with open doors and weekend festivities fostering close friendships. However, Marks Hall has its drawbacks. The absence of air conditioning and elevators may pose difficulties, especially for those on upper floors, while shared bathrooms are prone to clogs and cleanliness issues. The rooms are small, and the lack of communal spirit on some floors leaves certain residents longing for stronger connections. Laundry machines are often out of order, and noise can sometimes disrupt study areas. Overall, while Marks Hall holds nostalgic value for some, potential residents may prefer more modern accommodations unless they're seeking a throwback college experience with its quirks and charms.
Cramped Rooms
No Air Conditioning
Communal Bathrooms
When students lived here
Freshman Year
5
Overall rating breakdown
Room
Building
Location
Bathroom
Browse 5 Student Reviews
Reviews with a Verified Student badge were written with a school email.
2 years ago
Pros: Very quiet if you need that. Generally clean restrooms, though they are shared.
Cons: Not much of a social scene, most are very reserved. No heating or weak AC, so prepare to buy some appliances.
Verified Student
4 years ago
Man, was this dorm a piece of crap, but it was MY piece of crap! The girl’s floor last year was super quiet and never socialized, but the guy’s floor was the opposite. Since we were just one floor of guys, we got to know each other super well, and I spent the majority of my time hanging out with dorm friends, who are now my close friends! It’s a total college dorm experience (Forrest Gump’s college dorm scenes were filmed there), and every door on the guy’s floor would be open and partying on the weekends. I guess it really depends on the group of people you’ve got, but we had a lot of fun. It’s a great location in relation to the rest of campus. I do have to say that the bathroom floors were constantly overflowing with human waste as the p...
4 years ago
Inarguably USC's biggest freakshow. Maybe a good place to have an acid trip in, but definitely don't live here
4 years ago
Luckily I had a room at the end of the hall, so my double was the size of a triple. But with no AC, the air was constantly stuffy and stale. Having no elevator really sucked, since the girls’ floor is on the 3rd floor, so constantly going up 3 flights of stairs every day was exhausting. There’s a gym and laundry room in the basement which can be convenient if you like to work out. Also big study rooms on the 1st floor, but they’re normally too noisy to do actual work in. Overall I didn’t really enjoy Marks Hall—I wish I’d gotten Marks Tower or Pardee or something, because there was no sense of community there. The super long single floor meant that I never really got to know anyone else, but I know some other people enjoyed living here. Ove...
4 years ago
I'm sad that USC doesn't upgrade all their dorms to include air conditioning. I chose this dorm just because it was the cheapest. Rooms are pretty small cramped, no A/C, communal bathrooms that just suck and are worse than other communal bathrooms I've been in. Livable, but I wouldn't do it again.