No Dorms, No Problem: The Journey Through ASU Apartments, the GLV, and an Airbnb [Laurie]

In this episode of The Best Four Podcast, Laura chats with Laurie, a senior business student at Arizona State University and a Scottsdale native. Laurie shares why she skipped the dorms freshman year, how she found her stride at ASU socially and academically, and what she learned from living everywhere from an off-campus apartment to the Greek Leadership Village and even an Airbnb.

Originally admitted as a nursing major, Laurie opens up about switching to business, rushing Alpha Phi, and working her way up to VP of Recruitment. She also breaks down her full housing journey at ASU, from her first year in the District at Apache to the pros and cons of living in Apollo, GLV, and a senior-year Airbnb house. Along the way, she gives candid advice on making friends, navigating recruitment, and choosing the right housing timeline.

In this episode, we cover:

• The dorm setup at ASU and why she decided to skip them
• Her freshman year at District at Apache: the good, the bad, and the reality vs. online photos
• How to find roommates as a freshman using ASU Snapchat/Instagram groups—and what to say in that first DM
• Making friends freshman year and her take on dorms vs. apartments
• What it’s like going through ASU sorority recruitment and her advice as Alpha Phi’s VP of Recruitment
• The pros and cons of new-build apartments, why you need to sign early, and her biggest regret about housing
• Her sophomore year at Apollo and why it didn’t live up to expectations
• Why the GLV was her favorite housing experience, how she got her own room, and what it’s like living with 30 sorority sisters
• Her Airbnb hack for finding a house senior year, and the trade-offs between apartments and houses
• Her biggest piece of advice for freshmen starting at ASU