Why the Quads on Livi are the best on-campus housing

As freshmen at Rutgers, essentially everyone has a friend who lives in the Quads on Livingston, or is lucky enough to live there themselves. Alternatively known as the ‘prison barracks’ of the freshman residence halls, the Quads are definitely one of the best things about Rutgers. However, this certainly isn’t obvious to everyone. When I first received my residence hall assignment, I was flooded with comments from upperclassmen friends and siblings, including the frequent and sardonic “good luck,” followed by a scoff; other times, I was given pitiful looks. Some friends offered their condolences, saying that I was free to use their dorm rooms as a back-up for when I couldn’t take the horrors of the Quads anymore. I was fully prepared to face a torturous school year, living in what seemed to be the dungeons of freshman residence halls. I was pleasantly surprised when the Quads ended up being my favorite place to be, even with the Towers looming over right next to us. The Quads are severely underrated and poorly mistaken to be some sort of prison cells, or the last place you would want to live. In reality, it’s the exact opposite.

A sense of community

The Quads have a sense of community like no other residence hall. Since they are broken up into three separate buildings, each with 10 houses, it really gives you a chance to connect with everyone on a deeper level. Each house has around 30-40 people in it, the perfect amount to really form bonds with everyone. Rather than have 30 people on one floor, scattered like other residence halls, the Quads are formatted so that everyone is given a chance to network, connect and make friends. Anyone from the Quads can attest to the fun times in the lounges, playing charades, studying, or just hanging out with friends from your community. Other residence halls do not give this kind of opportunity to form a close-knit group so fast. It’s especially useful for freshmen, as everyone is terrified and anxious to make friends. Living in the Quads freshman year erases this worry, since making friends comes naturally when you are given the right opportunity and the right space.

Secret tunnels and late night lounges

Okay, so it’s no secret that the Quads have underground tunnels connecting the houses; it’s actually a well-known fact. But it’s still a very impressive attribute of the Quads. These tunnels bring everyone together from all the houses. Not only does it offer a great way to connect even more and form an even bigger community of friends and acquaintances, but the underground tunnels lead to the most amazing main lounge. A total of 10 house lounges and a main lounge. We have 11 lounges. The main lounge offers a variety of activities, including the foosball table and the pool table. Of course, someone from your Quad is guaranteed to be a semi professional pianist, covering the entertainment for everyone in the main lounge with the sizable piano. If that’s not enough, the main lounge does have a wide-screen television, with plenty of couches and chairs set up directly in front of it, movie-theater style. You’re probably wondering about the most important part of any fun-filled night – the food. Not to worry; the lounge offers a full kitchen too. Bring on the brownie mix and cake pans, and you’re set! The air-conditioned lounge is perfect for a group movie night, study sessions or even a place to stay when you need some alone time.

Saving money on the essentials

Everyone knows that a college student’s diet is almost exclusively composed of ramen noodles and coffee. Why spend money on those items when the Quads have a free coffee house available to all students? The coffee house runs late at night, even into the hours of 6 a.m., perfect for when you spend all night cramming for that midterm you just found out about, or writing that 8-page essay you haven’t started yet. Aside from the hot chocolate, cup noodles and Kool-Aid, the coffee house aims to provide healthy alternatives too. Drink all the Earl Grey or iced tea you want, because everything here is completely complimentary and limitless. Soon enough, the same friends that pitied your housing assignment will be using you for the Quad’s coffee house.

The rivalry

The best thing about living at the Quads is the ongoing rivalry with the Towers. The Towers have more floors, which make them prone to getting uncomfortably warm in the early weeks of school; not to mention they’re smaller in size. Even if you don’t have a corner room in the Quads, the rooms are more spacious. Additionally, the cool, tiled floors of the rooms in the Quads are definitely better than the matted carpets of the Towers, especially in the warmer months. The Quads also have priority fitness, as we are placed closer to the Livingston Recreation Center than the Towers are. When living at the Quads, it’s a given that you will get into an argument in your first few weeks regarding the superiority of the Quads over the Towers.

The simple way in which the Quads force everyone together, from the shyest to the most outgoing, there truly is no other way to start off the best four years of your life than living in the Quads. The rivalry with ‘Litton’ Towers, the daily struggle with the REXL bus and the infamously frequent fire drills in the dead of night are all experiences to fondly look back at. No one that lives in The Quads complains about the weekly bonding sessions that take place in the secret underground tunnels, unique only to us, or the late-night talks paired with free hot chocolate, courtesy of the complimentary coffee houses, in the dead of winter. Although it may be difficult to recognize at first glance, The Quads are the best thing about campus; they are your first chance at new opportunities, intimacy and adventure. They are your first home.