Why I Chose Heleman Halls- BYU

Why I Chose Heleman Halls- BYU

When I first discovered that I was accepted to Brigham Young University about a year ago, I was super excited...... and really nervous. High school was a part of my life where I knew exactly what to expect and exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to take certain classes, be involved in certain groups and everything I had planned my freshman year happened. I had no idea how easy I had it until I got to college. In this post, I would like to address one of the first issues incoming college freshmen have to face... THE DORMS

Choosing Where to Live
At BYU, freshman have four choices when deciding where they want to live:

1. Heleman Halls- On Campus
2. Heritage Halls- On Campus
3. One of the BYU approved apartment complexes- Off Campus
4. To live at home (If you're close enough)- Off Campus

Considering I was coming to Utah from Ohio, living at home was not an option. Not having a car was the reason why I didn't even consider off campus housing. (There are shuttle services, but I've been told having your own car is still crucial to get to the store, church on Sundays, and anywhere after the hours of 9 pm) It came down to two options for me: Heritage vs. Heleman.

I got on BYU's housing page Click Here and read about the two different options. I didn't get taken in any of the dorms while I was taking a tour of campus one summer, so I actually had no idea what I was getting into. I knew NO ONE at BYU to help me make a choice, it was all up to me. 

Let Me Break it Down
So here is the break down of living in Heritage vs. Heleman:

Heritage

Heritage halls is an apartment style suite with three shared bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a kitchen and a living area. Let me be the first to say, these dorms are SUPER NICE! They are all 4 years old or younger which means they are clean, up to date, and just plain fancy. You'll hardly see anything quite this nice in any other place on or off campus your first year at school. What's nice about Heritage is that there are elevators in each building, and you have your own apartment. What people don't like about Heritage is YOU HAVE YOUR OWN APARTMENT. You are living with 5 other people who you may or may not get along with, you are all using the same bathroom and kitchen, and you all can be in your apartment whenever you please. This also means you all have to decide how you clean your apartment. 

*IMPORTANT* No matter where you live, YOU WILL HAVE CLEANING CHECKS about once a month. 

This being said, if you are like me and enjoy your living spaces to be clean, you know it will be spotless at least once a month! For those of you who are not so tidy, get ready for some long time spent cleaning each month. Heritage is a lot bigger of a cleaning responsibility than Heleman. You also aren't provided as many cleaning resources as Heleman either. The main difference between Heleman and Heritage is the fact that in Heritage, you don't need to get a meal plan! The Creamery on 9th is right there by the buildings and has just about anything you need to prepare any meal you should desire. But you have to cook or eat out. That's all you've got. You have to provide cooking utensils and you have to clean them as well. While eager freshmen are excited and motivated to cook in the first few weeks, all of my friends in Heritage get tired of cooking and cleaning real quick. 

It's also important to point out that you will probably not know your neighbors. With everything you need within your own little apartment unless you actively go out and seek more friends, you're most likely only going to be close with the 5 other people in your apartment. The atmosphere in Heritage is not super social and it makes it a lot harder to meet people. Heritage is a great option for people who want to feel independent and fend for themselves and be super acquainted with just a small number of people. 

Heleman

So, I guess considering the fact that I am currently living in Heleman, I might sound a little biased when I say that this is the best place for freshmen at BYU to live. But I totally mean it. One great thing about Heleman is location. I can get to the other side of campus from my room in about 20 minutes without too much traffic. I can also get to the football stadium in about 20 minutes only crossing 1 street, 10 minutes to the basketball stadium (where devotionals are held), plenty of shops and restaurants within 20 minutes of walking (Wendy's, CVS, Ritas, Papa John's, Noodles & Company, Panda Express and the DI to name a few) and the Dining hall is right outside my door. Along with the Cannon Center, (where you eat food, have dances and activities and pick up your mail) there is a smaller version of the Creamery which sells your basic groceries, snacks, toiletries, and yes, ICE CREAM! The food there is great and reasonably priced. You are forced to buy a meal plan there which is nice because you can use the meal plans anywhere on campus! You can buy food at any creamery, any of the restaurants in the student center, most of the cafes in the different academic buildings, and yes, the Dining Hall. The Cannon center has a pretty good selection. You can always find something to eat at any time of the day. It can get old and repetitive after a while, but you're not cooking it, you're not cleaning it, and you're not paying for it out of pocket. 

The dorms at Heleman are your typical dorms. Two people per room, 20 rooms on a hall and an RA to keep you all in line. The bathrooms are communal which kinda stinks, but is also awesome. There are 3 toilets, 4 showers, and 1 handicap stall with a shower, toilet and sink in my building. (Hinckley Hall). Really, the bathrooms aren't bad. Yes, the showers are small and don't have the best water pressure, but there's plenty of hot water and as long as it isn't Sunday morning when everyone else is also getting ready for church, you'll most likely never be left waiting for a shower. There are also irons and ironing boards available in the bathrooms. The irons aren't the best quality, so if you like your clothes extremely iron free, I would suggest investing in your own iron. There is also a water fountain right by the bathroom which tastes fine and is moderately cold. 

The best thing about the communal parts of the dorm is that THEY ARE CLEANED FOR YOU! That's right! No scrubbing toilets, picking hair from shower walls, NOTHING! They are cleaned every day but Sunday which has been so nice not to worry about. The only thing you have to worry about cleaning each month is your own room. This includes dusting the window sill, defrosting the mini fridge, wiping down your desk, cleaning your sink area, all of the mirrors and vacuuming. What they don't tell you on the BYU page is that window cleaner, vinegar, trash bags, freshly cleaned rags and vacuums are provided in a communal cleaning closet right by the bathroom. This is really all you need in order to pass cleaning checks, but I suggest having your own paper towels, duster, clorox wipes and trash bags (if you don't like the cheap stuff).

The best part about the dorms is that it is such a social place to live. You get to know plenty of people in your hall, in your ward and just in Heleman in general. You all eat together, share amenities and the lobby is open to guys and girls from 8 am-midnight most nights. People are always hanging out in the lobby because it is huge, has plenty of seating, and the vending machines are located down there. I have a group of about 15 girls just from my floor that I hang out with on a daily basis. We all get food together, go to the activities put on by Heleman Halls, and explore all of the things there are to do on campus. It really is an amazing place to meet people and make good friends. 

There is a basement in each building which has laundry (6 washers and 6 dryers), two practice rooms with pianos, storage for luggage and other items you don't need in your room, tables and couches, but also a small kitchen area and communal fridge. The kitchen is small. Like one person can cook at a time small. You can check out a whole array of cooking supplies from the office on the first floor for free. You just need to wash them and return them within 48 hours. The fridge/freezer is large, but trust me, it fills up quick. The rule is that any food that has a name on it is off limits, but any unmarked food is up for anyone so MARK YOUR FOOD! It only gets cleaned out at the end of each semester, so it can get gross by the end of the term. This kitchen has been nice when the Cannon gets old or you are just craving some home-cooked meals. My friends and I usually take turns buying ingredients and cooking dinner on Sundays for whoever wants to join. I spend maybe $20 of my meal  plan a month to cook a meal for my friends and I. IT IS SO WORTH IT!!!

In Conclusion...
I ended up being forced to live in Heleman Halls because Heritage filled up so quickly. I originally wanted to live there, but I am so grateful that I didn't because the Heleman life is amazing! It's the best transition into college and allows you to get to know so many people! If you're an incoming freshman getting ready to come to BYU, CONGRATS! You are going to have so much fun no matter where you live. If you're nervous about the transition, don't be! BYU is a great school, and living on campus is an amazing experience I wouldn't change for the world!

Please leave a comment if you have any questions regarding life on campus! I'd be more than happy to help!

Thanks for reading, and happy dorm living!
-Brittany