MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Thousands of college freshmen are still adjusting to their new homes away from home, but the dorm experience for some lucky University of Memphis students is a big improvement over the dorm rooms of past.

The new Living and Learning Center on the University of Memphis campus is the first dorm to be built in many years and the kind of building it is, is a very big deal.

"Recently the University of Memphis is starting to push for green technology and sustainability, so a lot of the actual building material is recycled," said Avery Body - U of M Resident Advisor. "The carpet is recycled, the showers and the faucets are all low flow and even high efficiency washers on each floor."

Even the building itself is built on recycled ground. Actually it was built on the same ground where another building stood, so no new ground was used and in today's green world that counts.

Security is also a big deal here. Everyone has a key card and it only allows each person to pass into areas were they belong and no place else. No roaming the halls, and no one from outside can just mosey in and nose around.

Here's something else that's innovative. The Living and Learning Center puts students in the band together, honor students have their floor, even students in ROTC now live together just like the sports teams.

"This is the first time at U of M that ROTC units have had their own dorm set aside so all ROTC units are together," said U of M ROTC student Cory Crowley.

A lot of people talk about going green and really changing how things are done. The University of Memphis is doing it.

"You would actually be surprised at how many people come to my office and say 'Hey, I want to do the tour.' The word is really getting around how awesome this building really is," said Brian Hall, University of Memphis Area Coordinator.