Timothy Dwight College, established in 1935 and the tenth residential college of Yale, is the place I call home during my time at Yale. Although its Federal-Style architecture and location give it a bad reputation among undergraduates, from my wholly unbiased perspective, Timothy Dwight College is the best residential college at Yale.
1. The dining hall in TD has the best vibes. Although TD’s dining hall is not as grand as Pierson’s and doesn’t have a pizza oven like Berkeley’s, the TD dining hall exudes a homey ambiance. Since few students from the other residential colleges eat in the TD dining hall, I am greeted by familiar faces whenever I enter the TD dining hall.
2. Besides this, the TD dining hall staff are also amazing. During students’ birthdays, the TD dining hall erupts in an off-tune rendition of Happy Birthday as the dining hall team presents the lucky student with an ice cream sundae. While it may not be the grandest gesture, it is nice to be celebrated on your birthday.
3. TD has the best and liveliest courtyard. Once again, the TD courtyard is not the largest nor does TD have the most courtyards. However, we Lions make the most of our courtyard whether it be rain or shine. During the warmer months, students can be seen studying, playing volleyball, or lounging with friends in the courtyard. Lastly, in the wintertime, the TD courtyard provides students the perfect place to host a snowball fight or make elaborate snow sculptures.
4. We Lions are also very proud of our large Ginkgo tree situated in the middle of the courtyard. During the summer, the Ginkgo tree provides students shade from the relentless sun. As the weather becomes cooler, the leaves on the Gingko tree turn a vibrant shade of yellow, making it a perfect backdrop for pictures.
The beautiful TD Ginkgo tree
5. Since the TD buttery is only one of two residential colleges with a deep fryer, an essential when making late-night cravings, TD has the best buttery among the residential colleges. Besides this, the TD buttery also has the best staff and food as the student workers are always eager to concoct your cravings.
6. In terms of places to study, the TD library is one of my favorite places. The TD library has the best ambiance with its three floors (the most out of any residential college) and dim lighting. It is very convenient for students whenever they need to study for exams and is the perfect place to work on PSETS.
7. Last but not least, the best thing about TD is our community. Students in TD are one of the most interesting and helpful people I have met. Whenever you walk around the campus, it is almost certain that you’ll see several students donning an iconic red and white TD-merch. Besides this, TD also has the most Tyng Cup Championships for intramural sports.
Although not everyone may not be placed in TD, I think it is important to come to love your residential college. Many students might have a few residential colleges that they would like to be placed into due to their history, appearance, or others’ opinions of the colleges. However, I can assure you that once you meet other students in your residential college and live there, it is hard not to show immense pride in your home away from home.
