Our second series during Orientation is called "Bi-Partisan Dorm Reviews." The series seeks to show both the pros and cons of living in whatever residence hall that you (hopefully) chose. For non-freshman housing, we did reviews of many upperclassmen buildings during the Housing Lottery, which you can see here. First up is John Jay. As always, feel free to add your own pros and cons in the comments.

John Jay is one of the two all-freshmen dorms, with just over 400 rooms. 90% of those are single rooms (of 110-120 sq. ft.), a stat that stands in stark contrast to freshman housing at most other schools. It's this heavily-single setup that determines most of both the upsides and downsides of life in John Jay.

PROS:

• The single gives you privacy that few other college freshmen have. You'll come to appreciate that privacy.
• No need to ask your (randomly assigned) roomate to let you study.
  
• The presence of the main dining hall and JJ's within the building lets you walk to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night meals in flip flops. Even in January.
• The prevalence of singles facilitates hall interaction, which many John Jay residents maintain makes floor friendships easier.
• The proximity to Hamilton (where almost all the Core classes are) allows quick trips to class. Bwog's done it in three minutes.
  
• The roof of John Jay gives a fantastic view, though it has no railing whatsoever.
• You might get a floor lounge with a relatively new TV and a foosball table.
• The security desk has a very high wall, making it easy to bring anything in.
  
• The John Jay lounge is a great quiet place to study (and gets wifi).

CONS

• It's tough to cram a big party into a 110 square ft. single. If you can do it, you've probably broken something valuable.
• If your room faces 114th, staring at the dorms across the street quickly becomes nothing but awkward. Unless you have much bigger problems.
  
• Unlike some other dorms, there's not an assumption that Thursday - Saturday nights will be loud. Some actually think they can study, and nobody likes that "please keep it down" interruption.
  
• The ease in traveling to the dining hall and JJ's makes the "freshmen 15" easier. Chicken fingers every night for 8 months does not keep waist size down.
  
• You might also get a lounge with a 13" TV sitting on the floor and one chair.
• Access to that roof often means crawling out through a window, and hoping you don't slip. Vertigo isn't fun.
• The trash chute does not sit inside a closet, and can quickly smell like a turd covered in burnt hair.