So much stupidity in this thread.
The dorm improvements were LONG overdue. Outside of University Village (at the perimeter of campus), the NEWEST dorms on the central campus were built in the early 1970s.
The pictures of dorm rooms...what a joke. A room is a room is a room. They all have 2 beds, 2 dressers, and a closet. The real issues involve first-floor amenities, computer rooms/study areas/lounges, the overall AC/cable/WiFi setup, elevators, etc. Sure, each dorm can have a few extra things (rooftop tanning?), but I'll tell you something very simple, UF and F$U do not cluster their dorms around the stunning views of Lake Osceola. I lived in Eaton for 3 years, and every day I would pull up my blinds and look out at a beautiful lake, impressive trees, and very attractive female classmates walking to the Student Union.
Retail and dining pays for itself. End of story.
As for the "using my stipend to live off campus", that poster has no idea how expensive it has become to live in Gables/Grove/South Miami, nor the cost and time of commuting from West Kendall. Even if it is slightly less expensive to live on campus, it is worthwhile just to avoid traffic and parking and hauling textbooks in 90 degree weather from the commuter lots or garages.
The concept that students, generally, or football recruits, specifically, don't take dorms into account is just insane. They do. It may not be Criterion #1, but it is very important. Recruits will look at the athletic facilities, the dorms, the food sports, and the classrooms, and probably in that particular order. That's where they will be spending years of their lives.
This is why a recruit can visit, say, UCF, and come to the misguided conclusion that there is "not that much difference" between UM and UCF. Because UCF has spent so much RECENT money on the dorms and classrooms, then it is easier to overlook UM's 40-year history of putting players in the NFL.
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