The University’s dorms are like “dungeons,” its students do not study, class discussions are rare, and it has a good student newspaper — at least according to The Princeton Review.The University made it to the 2009 edition of “The Best 368 Colleges” list but was ranked 16th for having “dorms like dungeons,” 8th for having students who study the least, 8th for rare class discussions and 11th for the best college newspaper.The rankings were developed by 120,000 voluntary student surveys of 80 questions.  About 325 students were surveyed per campus, and 95 percent were surveyed online. “Best Southeastern Colleges” and a “College with a Conscience,” both named LSU on their lists of schools.Steve Waller, Residential Life director, said he doesn’t think the rankings are accurate because the Princeton Review doesn’t know if the surveyed students stayed in campus housing. Student ratings, he said, may have been the result of rumors.”It’s a perception,” Waller said. “Half of the beds in our inventory are less than 10 years old.”Residential Life has been working to reverse students’ negative perceptions by spending $140 million on new facilities and renovations since his arrival at LSU in 1997, Waller said.”We still hear it from people who lived here in the ‘90s,” Waller said about the Pentagon dorms.He said 10 years ago, the Pentagon didn’t have air conditioning and had original 1930s windows. Now, Residential Life replaced the windows, doors, stairs, locks, furniture, lights and wiring, and installed air conditioning.When students visit new and renovated dorms on tours, Waller said they say the facilities are nicer than their homes.”Perceptions die hard … but the word is getting out,” said Jay High, Residential Life communications manager.Jeffrey LeBlanc, spanish education sophomore, lived in East Laville Hall this past year and helped students move into Evangeline Hall Thursday.”I’ve heard quite some stories,” LeBlanc said about some of the dorms. “The quality of the rooms isn’t that great … they do look kind of dank.”LeBlanc said he visited friends who lived in East Campus Apartments this past year, so he had a “constant comparison” between the amenities in the apartments and his dorm room.Living on campus, he said, is a “necessary evil despite the dungeon effect” because facilities are near class buildings. But LeBlanc said if he had known about the rankings before he moved into East Laville, he would have thought twice about his decision to live on campus. “It’s small, but it’s not bad dorms,” said Lacie Downs, undecided freshman. “It’s better than McNeese’s dorms.”Jim McCoy, vice provost of Enrollment Management, Planning and Policy, said he doesn’t think the rankings have any legitimacy.”I think it’s an opinion survey based on a very narrow group of people,” McCoy said.He said some students taking the survey might be “brilliant,” have an easy major and they might not have to study. He said freshmen and sophomores generally take large classes where there is little possibility for class discussion.”It all depends on who you talk to,” McCoy said.But he was happy to see that the University of Florida replaced LSU as the No. 1 party school.Also featured on the 368 “best” list, Loyola University New Orleans ranked 20th for students who study the least, Tulane University ranked 10th for the happiest students, University of New Orleans was No. 15 for least beautiful campus, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette was No. 1 for dorms like dungeons.—-Contact Sarah Lawson [email protected]