By Angela Sasser and Mark Ziemer
Living at ACA
The former home building of the Atlanta College of Art is the dorm residing just in front of the entrance to the High Museum of Art. It’s generally the destination of graduate students and upperclassmen, who seek a quiet and open atmosphere for study, exercise and cooking.
Pros:
- ACA has a large kitchen with storage space and high tech stoves. Watch out though, they are super stoves which like to cook fast and burn things!
- ACA has TV rooms, conference rooms, an exercise room and computer labs on two floors. The exercise room only has a bicycle and a few other cardio machines, but it’s better than not exercising because you don’t have the gym nearby (no more excuses!).
- It’s generally quiet at all times. Sorry, you social folks! The dorm is meant for
- upperclassmen that have work to do.
- There are decently sized private bedrooms with attached kitchenettes complete with two-burner stove and fridge. Spring House, however, has no kitchen, requires you to pay for a meal plan and forces you to live in the same room with your roommate
Cons:
- There is less of a social life than Spring House, but that’s not necessarily a con if you don’t like people in the first place.
- There aren’t many programs offered for socializing, but there are occasionally a few offered for you to attend.
- Some rooms can be unexpectedly small (mostly the -05 rooms near the fire exits), but after living in a shoebox of a room with paper walls in my previous college, I don’t mind the larger rooms in ACA at all.
- The chairs are made from plastic and metal and break easily. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say a torture expert made them.
Living at Spring House
Spring House is the dorm for all incoming freshman students, and is located a block from the main campus in a former motel.
Pros:
- Spring House has a very social atmosphere. There is always something going on around the dorm or in the main floor, and if there isn’t, chances are you can start something up. TV show parties, ping-pong challenges, break dancing and gatherings around laptops to watch the latest Internet video are all
- common occurrences.
- Since Spring House used to be a motel, you can make the place live up to its name and smell the flowers. Just watch out for the armies of pollen that cover every inch of the place.
- Another advantage of Spring House is the close proximity to the main building. Perfect for those who don’t have a car, or for those having to stagger back to their beds after a 36-hour work session on a project.
- Yes, there is a pool. No, it isn’t available for more than a few weeks during the fall and spring. Unless basking on a giant tarp is your thing …
Cons:
- Spring House itself is cheaper, but you are required to be on a meal plan. Thus the cost difference between the two dorms isn’t that great, unless the Hub 24/7 is your favorite place to eat.
- There are no kitchens, so any aspiring culinary geniuses will have to realize it’s a more traditional dorm, and make do with Easy Mac and that Boyardee fellow.
- Beware: about half the rooms in the place are extremely cramped, with room sizes and wall colors more suited for a criminal interrogation than livable space. Between that and the sheet-thin walls, I hope you like your roommate, because personal space is something you’ll be lucky to get.
