Presby Hall, champaign-il

This isn't the *worst* place to live, but you could do better for the price. To start, the hot water heater hasn't been working recently. Like at all. I've been waiting over 10 minutes to take a shower that isn't ice cold. The thermostat also picks and chooses when it wants to work - good luck getting it to hold a consistent temperature! There's poorly concealed water damage on the ceiling in multiple rooms of my suite. And my roommates and I have put in multiple maintenance requests for different appliances. Take our washing machine, for example, which was overfilling with water and stopping the cycle less than halfway through, leaving our clothes drenched and likely still unclean. Maintenance came, turned it on, waited for thirty seconds, and walked out - and the unit still wasn't working properly. Certain settings on our dryer also don't work, and the ones that do work have a tendency to leave holes in your clothes. I've lost some of my favorite shirts to this dryer. Our sink has had issues with the sprayer getting stuck, getting everything nearby soaking wet. And if you've been told that cleaning staff visits each suite weekly, you've been lied to; it's more like every other week at most and they will skip your suite on occasion. You will have at least a few false fire alarms per semester, sometimes at odd hours. There are always machines out of service at the gym. The elevators have also had many problems while I've lived here. And the entire second floor has smelled like sewage for weeks, which sucks because that's where the dining hall is. Speaking of the dining hall, like others have said, the food is generally bad and the menu is highly repetitive. I can't tell you how many times they've served pasta or butter chicken these past two semesters, which would be fine if they weren't both gross here. They also no longer keep weekly menus. Their hours are pretty limited compared to other dining halls on campus, too, since they're seemingly understaffed.

Don't live here. The dryer has ripped holes in all of my clothes, the food is not good, and there are usually only one or two options with no other choices regularly offered (like other dining halls offering pizza or sandwiches), so you're stuck, either starving or forced to eat gross food. Also, I've had a nightmarish time trying to get a working garage door opener, which is ridiculous considering the price of a parking spot here. You're better off living in an apartment if possible. Staff do not care about your experience, and it's just awful. If you can afford to live here, you can afford to live somewhere much nicer.

worst experience for ever I am a resident of Presby Hall, and unfortunately my experience this semester has been deeply disappointing, particularly regarding dining services and housekeeping. Recently, I was warned by dining hall staff for taking away two waffles, three strips of bacon, and one bottle of milk using my own container. I was told I had taken “too much food” and that my container was “too large.” This was surprising and unreasonable, especially considering that each meal on the mandatory meal plan costs nearly $14, and residents are required to purchase at least 10 meals per week. I followed all posted rules, including placing food on dining hall plates before transferring it to my container. Despite this, I was closely monitored while serving myself and was warned the moment I picked up a second waffle. This felt unnecessary, uncomfortable, and disrespectful. Food quality and variety are also ongoing issues. The menu is highly repetitive, ingredients are basic, and the so-called international options are extremely limited. Many residents are international students, yet the dining experience does not reflect that diversity. In addition, housekeeping services have not met expectations. Weekly housekeeping was promised at move-in, but actual cleaning visits have been rare. On one occasion, staff arrived late in the week, sat on the sofa using their phones for over an hour, and told me they would return the following week without cleaning. This raised serious concerns about professionalism. Given the high cost of living at Presby Hall, both dining and housing services fall well below reasonable expectations. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and improves accountability and service quality for residents.

Worst student living ever. If you get stuck with bad roommates you will have a terrible year because the RA’s do not do their job and try to mediate at all. VERY understaffed, There are like 5 staff members total other than kitchen staff. The “maintenance” are two guys who work in the kitchen also, they will gossip in your kitchen. The cleaning ladies are invasive and rude, will unlock your bedroom door to ask you questions, sometimes they will skip your unit. Management is unresponsive and must be repeatedly contacted to get any help or solutions to issues. Do not by any circumstances live here, they just scam international students into accepting unacceptable living conditions. Edit- The fire alarms are also constantly going off, good luck relaxing here.

Not the nicest place to stay. Consider other PCH or regular housing. The food here was terrible.