Gooch-Dillard Dorm Reviews at UVA

Gooch-Dillard was great for it's suite size, closeness to Runk dining hall, bathrooms, and sense of community. The downsides are that it's so far from the rest of grounds, you lose that hall dorm experience because you are in 3-room suites, and it's right by the regular road with non-college students all around. The upper level bathrooms are gorgeous, and the floor-level bathrooms are handicap-friendly. My favorite thing about living there was being so close to the stadium that I could hear the games, and the worst thing about living there is that I was bug bombed by maintenance at 8am and got very, very sick! It's nice, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to be super involved on grounds or anyone who wants the hall-dorm experience.

Overall, living in Gooch-Dillard was a great experience. It was nice not having to use a communal bathroom, especially during the pandemic. The rooms are a reasonable size, and the common room in your suite is an added plus. It is near Runk (the best dining hall). The main cons are that it's pretty far from central grounds, which feels isolating at times. Additionally, it is not as social as the hall style dorms. However, the bus system can help you get to central grounds and there are plenty of opportunities to make friends at uva.

I lived in Gooch-Dillard during the 2020-2021 school year which was still dominated by COVID. Because all of my classes were online, Gooch-Dillard's location wasn't too much of a problem, but because it is so far away from everything else, it was still annoying at times. Having your own bathroom in your suite is definitely a plus, though, and the maintenance staff does a great job. The walls are a bit thin, so if your neighbors are being too loud you will probably hear, but it wasn't too much of a problem on a regular basis.

My dorm is clean, comfortable and secure. I have no major issues. I am in close proximity to my computer science building and labs. I am also across from the Scott stadium. Residents in my building could safely travel from dormitory to special events being held at that location. Due to Covid-19, the rooms are not 100% full, but adequate campus resources are still provided, and maintenance is at a high level.

Overall, living at Gooch-Dillard is comfortable. I feel much more like I'm living in my own apartment. I enjoy coming home to my suite-mates and feeling like we're a mini-family. Our private bathroom is really convenient, and our common room is really nice for hanging out with friends. The location of the building itself, though, is really far from the rest of campus. It feels really separated from the rest of the first-years. Living at Gooch-Dillard also means that we're missing out on the classic hall-style living experience. Despite this, I've really enjoyed my experience at Gooch-Dillard.

Living in a suite is so much fun! I share a suite with 5 other people. Coming to college it was great to instantly have five friends. Meeting people is a little harder because it is really far away from everything else and you aren't in a hall. There are definitely ups and downs but overall it is a good experience.