Unit 3 Residence Halls

Lived here for two semesters freshmen year: Deutsch, third floor.
One thing to sum up my experience — it’s really what you put into it.
Unfortunately my roommate and I didn’t really interact with the rest of the people on our floor, even though they were really cool! As a result I felt like my social life was stunted my freshmen year. I was focused instead on studying hard, and I didn’t find the right balance.
(You can definitely find a life outside of your Unit though!)
So I do recommend that you say hi, leave the door open with a fork, or just meet people in the elevator — I don’t know. I would have definitely done things differently, though I do not regret my time spent here.
Other positives
+ Close to campus.
+ Across from Crossroads Café /​Peet’s Coffee.
+ Resident Hall activities.
+ Pretty fast Interwebs.
+ When you get bored you can customize all the furniture in your room and make forts.
Negatives
— Walls are thin and you can hear quite a bit. It can get loud!
— Some people will be annoying and will be hard to avoid.
— I can’t use the restroom in complete peace anymore. Also people had lots of sex in the showers (pro?)
C+ Get what you can from the dorms, they don’t come back haha

#129. I only lived here for a semester, but it was one of the best semesters I’ve ever had. Yes, it is old and looks really dilapidated, but it’s very convenient if you are looking for a place close to campus. Five minutes and you’re already at Sproul fountain.
Café 3 is in the center of the unit, which is a plus because you don’t have to walk off the premises to get food. And we all know that it’s really easy to get sick of Crossroads. Unfortunately, they’re only open M-​F now.
One downside is that you’ll have to walk to RSF to work out because there is no exercise room. The laundry room takes up a huge chunk of the underground space. Speaking of space, the dorms are pretty small. If you’re going to live in a triple, be prepared to get comfy.
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My 2¢:
— Most convenient dorm if you want to live near Sproul plaza.
— There are dorms in better conditions. Don’t expect anything luxurious.

It’s literally a block away from campus. How the heck can you complain about that? You walk downstairs and there’s Café 3 AND Bear Market.
People got to chill out about how much it costs to live in a dorm. Seriously. Do you realize that it’s a package deal? The bathrooms don’t clean themselves. The residence hall advisers and staff need to get paid. The lights don’t just come on automatically. You have a heater to keep you warm at night. And also, all these things are getting paid FOR you but BY you. Your packages are received and sorted for you. You don’t have to worry about any of that. Maybe if people who live in dorms knew how much work is put into running a dorm, then they wouldn’t complain so much. Dorm living is going to be expensive no matter where you go. So, mind as well choose the one that’s closest to the things you need– like classes and food.
However, we do have the oldest buildings and they definitely look it. Pretty much every other dorm at Cal will look nicer than Unit 3. But, I definitely feel at home here and not like I live in a hotel.
Oh, and the drunk people walking around at 1 am are really amusing… but not when I’m sleeping. The perks of living in a college town, I guess!

I stayed in these dorms during a 1 week conference earlier this summer at Berkeley.
I had an outstanding view on the 8^th floor. I faced west, so I got a spectacular view of the bay bridge and, in the distance, San Francisco. I was lucky enough to have gotten a room to myself. Fresh towels, friendly cleaning staff, a sturdy desk to study and work — this was all great.
However, I imagine this tiny room, normally divided by three students, cannot be enough. My bed was alright, comfortable, but the only thing that tipped it over into the «comfy» category was that I stole the pillows and blankets from the two other beds.
As I was waking up one morning, I blinked my eyes a few times and noticed that the bunk bed above me had some inscriptions on it.
«If you’re a girl on your back, and you’re fucking John, you should know better!»
Thanks for the advice, mysterious tagger.
I wonder how many nights «John» woke up alone in this bottom bunk, sobbing because he hadn’t finished a paper, because he shared this unfathomably small space with two other people. I wonder if like me, he opened his window and took comfort in the large red moon. I admit, even during my week here, I cried in this room more than once. To be fair, it was a writers conference so tears were bound to be shed. And sweat. And god knows what else. But this functional little space was my home, and I will remember it fondly.
Thanks for hosting, Berkeley.

Unit 3 is exactly what it claims to be– a college dorm. Bare minimum furnishings, bathrooms, lounges, etc. Walls are thin, so I invested in earplugs. However, I wasn’t expecting much, so I’m not sure if Unit 3 should get a totally negative rap.
Unit 3 is the closest Unit to campus, Telegraph, Shattuck, etc. It’s extremely convenient to be able to walk pretty much anywhere in Berkeley. Also, Café 3 and Bear Market are right in the center of the unit, making last minute groceries and meals a breeze.

$ 1450 a month for mediocre food and a shoebox-​sized living space is not economical.
Yes, the dorms are a good option for antisocial types and those who are just beginning in college — however, as close is Unit 3 is to campus, it’s run-​down, overpriced, and unreliable.
My radiator has broken down and the «maintenance» guy has been called countless times to fix it — he finally did so by just turning it off. That was three months ago. Now it’s February. Think about how cold it gets in a coastal region like Berkeley.
Very noisy, especially on the weekends, and obviously lacking in the funds department (run-​down furniture, bad mattresses that are doing nothing for my chronic back pain, a pretty gross kitchenette). You’re better off choosing a different res hall or just moving out to the more economical apartments and flats available elsewhere. I’m getting the hell out of here next semester.

This place is like a horrible shithole. Anyone sending their kid to UC Berkeley should think twice before wasting their money on this OVERPRICED dormitory hall.
First off, these buildings are not up to code: they are a fire trap waiting to happen! UC Berkeley needs to tear the 40-​year old high-​rises down and build new modern high-​rises with proper headroom clearance and better exit options.
Walking into one of the four high-​rises is like going into «Munchkin-​land» because the ceilings are low and the hallways are narrow. Rooms are cramped and small.
The elevators are always breaking down, forcing the 9^th floor residents (including my daughter) to walk up and down 9 flights of stairs (at least she didn’t have the «Freshman 15» weight gain, the exercise from stair climbing did offset the caloric intake from the crappy dorm food).