Oak was a very quiet, typical dorm. It is an older building, so the rooms tend to be a little drafty, there is a heater in the room, and there is no AC. However, if you can get along fine for the few months in the summer when it is the hottest, you'll be ok. The floor I stayed on was very quiet- one downside of this was that I didn't make many friends on my floor. For the most part everything is pretty clean, although there were often troubles with plumbing in the bathrooms since the pipes were old. I think this is a great starter dorm and with a good location on campus, it will work for most people.