About East Campus

Ten minutes to class — an eternity. You stumble through the hallway and past the lounge where your friend sits in his boxers with a bowl of cereal and the Economist. Then down the stairs and into the courtyard, happily breathing in the crisp autumn air. Turning your head, you see the picturesque Boston skyline glistening through the golden New England foliage, and for a moment you forget everything else around you. Then, slowly turning away, you trod on, through the fallen leaves and past the volleyball court, towards the picnic table where you settle yourself to watch some poi spinners practicing a few feet away. Someone is carrying a pile of two-by-fours into the opposite stairwell. A loud bass is echoing from Talbot Lounge...

Welcome to East Campus. We are MIT's second-oldest dormitory, and with over 350 students, one of the largest. Spread across two buildings and ten floors on the far eastern side of campus, we are composed of many tight-knit communities with a strong sense of tradition and culture. Our residents are a diverse group of learners and thinkers who are heavily involved in all manner of clubs, sports, hobbies, and projects. Some of us love to build and some love to code and some to read or act or write. Many of us love music, and you can often hear all sorts of genres playing at all times of the day and night. Many of our residents are involved in government (MIT's and our own). Whether your idea of fun is building a roller-coaster and rocking out to loud music, or sitting in a lounge and hanging out with friends, EC has a place for you.

Culture

EC offers a rich and exciting living experience. The dormitory consists of ten separate halls, each of which has its own unique culture and personality. While we strive to maintain close friendships and connections throughout the entire dorm, one's hall often becomes an extended family. Every hall is different, with its own history, persona, and traditions — but all still very much a part of East Campus. Each hall gets some funding to host a few parties each semester for the dorm's residents and friends, and there are many projects, feeds, and smaller events that are organized between different halls.

We come together as a whole dormitory a few times a year: in the fall and spring, we welcome new students for REX and CPW, during IAP, we host the Bad Ideas competition, and every September, we host a concert for the entire MIT community. Besides these large events, we also often host various meetings, parties, and feeds for each other and our friends.

East Campus culture has a very strong sense of respect for individualism and privacy. Our residents tend to be down-to-earth, passionate, and enthusiastic students from all walks of life. Whatever type of person you happen to be, we're guessing you'll find a niche here.

Housing and Facilities

Each of EC's ten floors has a fully-furnished kitchen, common-area lounges, and large single- and double-occupancy rooms, each of which has a personal sink. Residents are welcome to paint their rooms and the hallway walls; you should come by sometime and look at some of our beautiful murals. If you're into carpentry, you can also build a loft to replace your bed and add some space to your room.

Residents all have access to a large number of social, athletic, and hobbyist facilities, including a volleyball court, tennis court, barbecue pit, exercise room, music room, machine shop, dark room, and Talbot lounge. EC Desk processes and sorts mail, makes change for the coin-operated laundry machines in the basement, rents out DVDs, sells soda, and keeps backup room keys in case you get locked out.

We are lucky enough to be located on Ames Street, just east of MIT's main academic buildings, so a five-minute walk will bring you to just about any classroom, while a two-minute walk will bring you to Kendall Square, which has a food court, shops, and a T station.