Just over 4,000 students live on the UNF campus across eight different University-owned and operated residence halls. While not all dorms, apartments or rooms are available to every student, UNF students still have a plethora of options to choose from. 

With many choices, upcoming first-year students may find themselves overwhelmed when choosing a place to live. Adding to the fact that many of these students are living on their own for the first time, choosing a college dorm can be a stressful task. 

To reduce stress for upcoming residents, five current UNF students gave their pros and cons on all housing locations they are currently living in or have resided in the past. 

Osprey Landing

Even though Landing is undergoing renovations this academic year, students will still have the opportunity to stay here in 2026. One former Landing resident, sophomore Alyssa Seaman, claimed that when she first arrived at her dorm, there were some cleanliness issues. 

Seaman alleged that her room smelled like mildew, but she was able to clear the smell with a dehumidifier. Seaman also said her room allegedly flooded after maintenance workers changed a filter. 

“I guess maybe they hit something, and it kind of just flooded the whole room,” Seaman said. “It was resolved quickly.”

Spinnaker reached out to Housing and Residence Life to learn more about how students can handle any potential dorm maintenance issues. Housing director Robert Boyle recommended students call the department at 904-620-4663 in the case of an emergency. 

Flooding is categorized as an emergency, per Boyle’s email, including a total power outage, dead lock battery, air conditioner not working, broken window, broken railing, clogged or overflowing toilet and other safety concerns. 

For calls outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., students are encouraged to call the welcome desk associated with their residence hall. Seaman said all of her housing issues were always taken care of by maintenance. 

On the positive side, Seaman enjoyed how close Landing is to the Osprey Cafe and clubhouse. She also said she liked the view whenever she left her room. 

According to Boyle, Landing is undergoing renovations because of the building’s age. Therefore, Boyle wrote in an email that it’s necessary to replace some mechanical systems. Renovation plans are also in the works for Osprey Cove, according to the recently finalized UNF campus master plan.

“This is not work that can be completed over a summer break or while the buildings are occupied,” Boyle wrote. “With the addition of Osprey Ridge, it is a good moment to invest in this work on Osprey Landing.”

Osprey Fountains

Currently, Seaman lives in Osprey Fountains for the summer semester. When comparing the two dorms she’s lived in, Seaman said Fountains is an upgrade compared to Landing because she has her own room and space. 

Besides an occasional down elevator, Seaman likes the “luxury” feel of Fountains and the different themed study spaces. Despite her parents’ place being a half-hour drive from UNF, Seaman believes living on campus is worth it. 

“I have really enjoyed spending my time here over the summer and just getting a feel for where I’m going to be living for my next semesters in the future,” she said. 

Overall, Seaman has enjoyed her on-campus experience. 

Osprey Crossings

First-year student Vincent Bona can’t wait to return to campus this fall. He lived in Osprey Crossings in the Spring 2025 semester and plans to return there for the upcoming semester. 

Though he likes studying and hanging out with friends in the classroom-themed space, Bona particularly enjoys Crossing’s pizza vending machine. 

“I wanted to know how the machine gives you the pizza that you order,” Bona said. “That’s also pretty interesting. I’d love to go behind the machine and just watch how that works. 

When it comes to furniture, Bona likes having a desk to sit for homework and studying, which is included in all UNF dorms. However, he wishes the rooms were a little bigger. According to Bona, he lived in a triple-occupancy room with two other roommates and found the space quite small. He said he wishes the rooms in Crossing were like Fountains, with many private rooms and a good bathroom-to-person ratio. 

“Bigger in the sense that there would be enough room for three [people]? to have one room for each of the three beds,” Bona said. “Something like Fountains.”

Outside the room, Bona said the communal kitchen “smelled weird.”

In the future, Bona said he hopes to move to Osprey Fountains. 

Osprey Village

Rising junior Dakota Williams lived in Osprey Village for his sophomore year. After he moved into the complex, Williams noticed its unique design. 

According to the UNF campus master plan, Osprey Village will be demolished to make room for a new residential building. 

Most of all, Williams said he loved Village’s apartment-style layout, especially the kitchen. 

“I appreciated being able to make my own food,” Williams said.

Williams lived in Crossings for his first year, but found Villages better because of its living space and appliances. 

“I like cooking, so having access to the kitchen nearby is helpful,” Williams said. 

Being a jazz studies major, Williams appreciated Village’s proximity to the UNF Fine Arts Center. 

“I was very close to all my classes, and it was also pretty close to the Osprey Cafe,” Williams said. “Everything was within reach.”

Now, Williams lives off campus, but when reflecting on his on-campus living experience, he said it “could have been a lot worse.”

Beyond not having many maintenance issues, Williams liked the different roommates he had each year. 

“It made me hopeful about the state of the world, because all of those roommates were good people,” Williams said.

Osprey Cove

Upcoming Junior CherRae Bradshaw lived in Osprey Cove during her freshman year. Over two semesters, Bradshaw found her experience to be neutral, appreciating the personal shower and large closet, but said sharing a room with two others had its challenges.

“There’s three people to a room, so that feels a little stuffy sometimes,” Bradshaw said. “Me and my roommates would get sick. So if one person felt sick, then everybody else eventually got sick.”

More specifically, Bradshaw said it felt like her and her roommates were “on top of one another.” Outside the room, Bradshaw compared the dorm to a motel. 

“The exterior wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing,” Bradshaw said. “It looked a little run-down, especially on the stairs.”

To improve the living experience, Bradshaw suggests putting two people in a room. As for advice, Bradshaw recommends bringing a blanket. 

Osprey Hall

Another rising junior, Azlin Thompson, thought Osprey Hall brought her the college experience. 

“Every time I think of college, I think of having a roommate and dealing with community bathrooms,” Thompson said. “So it was good living that college dream.”

Despite the hardships, whether it be sharing a room with someone or the bathrooms being full, Thompson liked the close-knit community in Hall. 

“Everyone just checking up on each other, seeing how everyone is doing,” Thompson said. “People are sharing clutches, sharing food, so I would say overall it was decent.”

At times, Thompson said she struggled to find privacy. 

“You’re never truly alone or just like having your own space because someone’s always there,” Thompson said. “I wish there was more privacy.”

When traveling around campus, Thompson noticed Hall’s proximity to most buildings. According to the UNF campus map, Osprey Hall is the closest dorm to the academic and food buildings. 

Being a journalism major, Thompson was a short walk from the Robinson School of Communications. 

According to the UNF Housing, move-in for students begins as early as August 13. Housing released instructions for move-in locations, dates and times to students on July 28. 

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