Webb Tower vs Birnkrant: A Review of Apartment vs Dorm Living

By: Kristen Adams ‘25 and Kelsey Cheng ‘25

Choosing where to live while at USC can be a difficult feat, especially for freshmen. With four traditional freshman dorms, two freshman suites options, and four freshman apartments to choose from, the process of finding your best housing fit can be tiring and stressful. In this article, Kelsey and Kristen will be diving into their freshmen living experiences so that you can learn more about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the dorm experience versus the apartment experience at USC!

WEBB TOWER

Kristen currently resides at Webb Tower (15th floor, shoutout to the penthouse!), one of the apartment options at USC. Here is her take on living in an apartment so far this year.

Going into my housing application in the summer before my freshman year, I initially wanted to live in a residential dorm to get the full freshman experience. In fact, Birnkrant and Pardee Tower were my top two choices because I generally heard good reviews online. However, I met two friends through social media who I wanted to room with, so we were on the lookout for places that had triples or suites, which Pardee lacked. We ultimately decided on Birnkrant as our first choice, and Webb Tower as our second choice. Once we got our housing decision, I was initially bummed that we did not end up getting Birnkrant, but I soon realized that Webb could not have been any more perfect for me. Here is why:

 1. The Bathroom Situation

One aspect of dorm-living that I thankfully did not get to experience is communal bathrooms. At Webb, each apartment has its own bathroom, kitchen, and living room. With this floor plan, I never had to experience walking out of my dorm room in my shower shoes and rolling my shower caddy out to the end of the hall, only to find a long line to use the showers. Instead, I could use the bathroom anytime I pleased, like at home. Also, using the bathroom at night was always easy, since it was literally a foot away from my room. While I shared this bathroom with my three roommates, our schedules often varied, and I rarely found myself waiting to use the bathroom. Bathrooms at Webb also have plenty of storage space, with cabinets under the sink and shelves above the toilet. Overall, I am beyond grateful that I never had to experience communal bathrooms. The only drawback of having my own bathroom in my apartment is having to clean it myself, but this did not end up being a problem since my roommates and I are all fairly clean people who always make an effort to clean up after ourselves.

2. The Kitchen

Like a typical apartment, our apartments at Webb also have kitchens! This is a unique amenity that neither dorms nor suites at USC have. While all freshmen are required to have a meal plan, having a kitchen was extremely useful in case I got sick and couldn’t make it to a dining hall, or I got tired of dining hall food and wanted to practice my cooking skills. While I am not the best cook and often resorted to making soup on our stove, my other roommates are great chefs and bakers, and would often fill our apartment with the most delicious aromas. The only strange thing about our kitchens is that at Webb, we do not get microwaves. However, every kitchen comes with a refrigerator and freezer, a stove, an oven, a sink, and plenty of cabinetry and counterspace. There was more than enough room to store all of our snacks, in addition to cooking supplies like pots and pans. In my experience, the kitchen was the most useful when I was sick and needed to make warm honey water or tea, or make my favorite chicken noodle soup. While my roommates and I did not end up using the kitchen on a regular basis for meals due to our meal plan, I am grateful that we had this space when we needed it most!

3. The Location

The location of Webb Tower is both a drawback and an advantage. All of the freshmen dorms are situated in one corner of campus, near a Starbucks and Leavey Library. Webb Tower, on the other hand, is similar to Parkside in the sense that it is on the complete opposite corner of campus. Every time I wanted to visit a friend at Birnkrant or Marks Tower, I would have to walk about 10 minutes to get there. However, the one advantage about Webb Tower’s location is its proximity to the Lyon Center and the pool, which is great for people who like to work out. Also, for classes, it was both an advantage and a disadvantage as a Business Cinematic Arts major since I was extremely close to the School of Cinematic Arts, but extremely far from my Marshall classes. I would have to block out at least 15 minutes to account for walking time in order to get to Fertitta on time. Webb Tower is also really close to the Village, and as a result, the Village Dining Hall is usually our go-to.

Also, fun fact: Webb Tower is closer to the Parkside Dining Hall than EVK, according to Google Maps! While Webb Tower is extremely far from the rest of the freshmen dorms, it is a straight walk along McClintock Ave. to get to Parkside. Webb is also extremely close to Cardinal Gardens, which is where we pick up our packages that are mailed to us. The Village is one of my favorite places to be in, especially since it’s where Target and Trader Joe’s are. While Webb’s location has its pros and cons, I am grateful to be so close to the Village and SCA.

4. The Atmosphere and Social Scene

From my experience, the atmosphere at Webb Tower is similar to that of Parkside: it can be very quiet at times. Unlike the typical dorm experience, where doors are typically opened and floormates can bond throughout the day, apartments at Webb tend to stay closed, and hallways are quiet. While there are plenty of social gatherings within the apartments at Webb, nothing typically happens in the halls, which makes it fairly difficult to bond with people on your floor. In my experience, I barely knew the people who lived on the other side of my floor, only making small talk when we happened to be in the elevator together. Our lounge in the first floor lobby is also pretty lame compared to other lounges in other residence halls, so it can be hard to find opportunities to bond with other Webb residents. While I missed having the fun, social setting of a typical freshman dorm, I am grateful for the privacy that I get from living in an apartment. It’s always silent at night, which makes sleeping and studying a lot more enjoyable. When I need my alone time, I know I will get it at my apartment, whether it’s chilling in my living room, sitting at my desk, or eating a snack in our kitchen. While Webb is fairly quiet, I am grateful to have my own space and not have to worry about freshmen blasting music at 3am next door while I am trying to sleep.

5. AC and Heating

Pretty self-explanatory, but I am beyond grateful for AC and heat in our apartment. The best part is we can keep our living room toasty (which one of my roommates always prefers), while our bedrooms stay cool due to separate units. 

BIRNKRANT RES HALL

Kelsey lives in Birnkrant Residential College aka Eight Floors of Open Doors. This is a popular housing option for freshmen. Birnkrant is one of the traditional freshman residential halls, meaning that there are shared rooms that open up to a hallway (not suite style like Webb). The floors are divided by a girls’ wing and a guys’ wing, with the exception of the all-girls 2nd floor. 

1. Community Living Means Communal…Everything

Birnkrant has communal showers, no A.C., or kitchen. Being built in the 60’s, we also have itty bitty study rooms and questionable electricity at times. Despite our lack of amenities, I think a traditional res hall experience builds character and brings you closer to your floormates. 

First, the restroom situation. When I walked in the restroom for the first time, my jaw dropped after seeing only two showers for the entire girls’ wing of the floor. This is not going to work, I thought. While I shared this restroom with around 20 girls, all of our schedules rarely overlapped, so I never had to wait to take a shower. However, communal restrooms definitely have their drawbacks. Even though our bathrooms are cleaned daily, I quickly learned the necessity of shower shoes and the occasional Poo Pourri. One time, the guys on my floor couldn’t stop talking about the “Birnkrant Bomber” that ruined a stall in their restroom. I’ll admit, it’s a pain to lug my shower caddy everywhere and sacrifice some privacy––but sometimes, communal bathrooms can be fun! Your friend will see you in the morning brushing your teeth and compliment your fit. It just added to the community feel. All in all, communal restrooms have a learning curve, but they’re not a big pain at all. 

I was hesitant on choosing Birnkrant because of its lack of A.C. and kitchen. Being a Southern California native myself, I know that Los Angeles can climb up to the nineties. The majority of my floor brought multiple fans like this or this, which kept us cool. Regarding the lack of a kitchen, I’m bummed that I can’t cook meals like I did at home, but this saved me the cost of buying dishware and the chore of cleaning. Like most freshmen, I rely on the mandatory meal plan.  I can reheat or store leftovers in the provided microwave and minifridge. 

2. Social Scene

I think Birnkrant lives up to its reputation of being “Eight floors of open doors!” Because students are not in a suite-style, we’re forced to get to know our floormates. This isn’t hard to do considering that we  only have around 40 people per floor. Our RA (shoutout to Mario!) puts on fun floor events, like sports day, resume-review sessions, and movie nights. Personally, my floor is super close to one another and we hang out in our (albeit small) study room.  Everyone keeps their door open, which is not allowed at other dorms because it’s considered a fire hazard. and some of us hang whiteboards on our doors and ask questions (My current question: What are you asking Santa for this Xmas? Wrong answers only.) 

3. Location

One of the best things about Birnkrant is its location. It is right next to McCarthy Quad, Everybody’s Kitchen, Starbucks, and Leavey Library. You’re a minute walk away from tailgates, concerts, and last-minute coffee runs. It takes me fifteen minutes at most to walk to my classes. Because most freshman dorms are clustered together around McCarthy Quad, I can easily visit my friends in other freshman dorms like Pardee or New North. One downside is that Lyon Center and the Village Gym are both a ten minute walking distance away. If you are a Viterbi student, Birnkrant is on the complete opposite side of campus, so prepare for a trek!

4. Specialized Housing

The fifth floor of Birnkrant is the APIDA floor, a community dedicated to all students who have an interest in Asian Pacific American history, culture, and issues. Also, Birnkrant is the only freshman dorm where you can live in a triple. Three beds are in one room, and there’s a separate room of an equivalent size. This room acts like a living room, where you can put desks, a sofa, tv, or anything your heart desires. Triples are prime spots for movie nights and hangouts. 

One final factor is the price. Birnkrant is $5051/semester and Webb Tower’s prices range from $5040-$6460/semester. The truth is, your dorm is what you make it to be. Whether you live in an apartment or dorm, you will find your people at USC! Keep in mind there’s choices available for first-year students that aren’t listed above (take a closer look on the housing website), and each building has its own flair and community.

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