So, as a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh you have limited options of where to live. If you're an athlete or in the honors college you can live in Sutherland Hall on upper campus. If you're really lucky, you get to live in the newest accommodations at Pitt which is Nordenberg Hall, or if you are a girl you can pick to live in Holland Hall. However, it is said that if you truly want the Pitt freshman experience, then Litchfield Towers are the way to go. It is simple enough to remember, you have Tower A and Tower B which house pure freshmen males and females in double rooms, and then Tower C which houses some freshmen and some upperclassmen in single rooms. Tower C is not going to really be talked about much here, but I figured I should mention it anyway because it is a tower. For right now though, we will be focusing on Towers A and B.
My first year at Pitt I lived in Tower A and I signed up for a random room and a random roommate. Are you taking notes, this is the freshman experience, you need to remember all of this. Living here showed me some great things about Towers, and some pretty not great things. Some pretty amazing things about towers are that it is so close to everything! If you find yourself waking up late for a class, odds are if you live in towers you can get up and run to that class in five or ten minutes. I wouldn't suggest always doing this, but if it happens now you're set. Also the back steps to towers lead you to Forbes Ave, and along with that South Oakland and all that it has to offer. Also, if you take a left as you leave Towers Lobby from the back steps you can be to 7/11 in minutes which is open ALL THE TIME! Now, this is a blessing and a curse. It is great for when you need to get food after all those long hours of studying, but then when you start to go there over and over it becomes a habit which isn't the healthiest thing in the world. Another great thing about Towers is that Market Central is right downstairs, so when its an actual blizzard outside you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home, or your fuzzy pajamas, to go get a meal.
Now, after all of that Towers seems pretty cool, right? Well, there are also some downsides. One major one is the fact that if you don't attend your laundry 100% of the time and you leave your clothes in the dryer or washer on a busy night they might end up on the floor. Which in turn makes everyone mad and the whole place into a mess. Also, the machine seem to not be reliable, and the dryers either usual don't work or its like you're reaching into the depths of hell to get your clothes out after a cycle. Another not-so-great thing about Towers is that after a year of living there you kind of get spoiled. Everything is so close and convenient that you take what you have for granted and realize it the next year when you don't live there.
However, the absolute WORST thing about Towers is...are you ready? At the end of the year you have to pack up and leave the place you called home for your first year in college. It is sad and hard, but you will make it through it I promise. Just remember kids, no matter where you live it will have its ups and downs, just try to appreciate it while it lasts, because freshman year is over before you know it.
