Living on the beach as a senior in college is like living the dream. Waves crashing, kegs flowing, bathing suites, and sunshine…what more could you ask for? However, most people don’t realize the cons of living at the beach and pros of living on campus.
First and foremost, many people forget that we live in Fairfield, Connecticut, not Florida. The weather here is warm enough for the beach for probably a total of two months while school is in session. The other six months are cold, rainy, windy, and snowy. And the cold is always more intense the closer you are to the water. So although fun in the sun might be the most appealing, keep in mind that it is short-lived.
Fairfield is home to very intense winters with heavy snow. When it snows, the Fairfield seniors who live at the beach are forced to dig out their cars when classes aren’t cancelled or delayed.
Senior beach resident Courtney Todd knows this routine all too well. “Snow instantly turns the whole beach area into a complete disaster,” she said, “they don’t always plow right away and when they do, if your car is parked on the street your car will get buried by the snow blows.”
Another senior beach resident Brian Hendrie agrees that with all the snow this year, “it’s been kind of dangerous for us [to get to class] at some points.”
Good news: If you live on campus, all this havoc can be avoided. Senior Gabrielle Rodman, who lives in McInnes, says that on snow days she wakes up just fives minutes before class and throws on snow boots and a jacket. “Walking in the snow is annoying,” she says, “but I would rather walk to class then have to dig my car out and drive two miles to campus.”
Another benefit to living on campus is saving money. Not only will you save money on gas, but you’ll also save money on cable, heat, air conditioning, and telephone bills. Once you graduate, you’ll have to worry about bills for the rest of your life, so why not push that off for one more year?
Living on campus also gives you the option to utilize the dining hall, which could also help save money on eating out and grocery shopping. All students are welcome to have a meal plan, but living on campus makes the dining hall more accessible for three meals a day.
Being a senior and living on campus myself, I don’t regret my decision at all. I have enough friends that live at the beach to have my fair share of fun in the sun, yet still have the benefits of living on campus. If you’re a member of the Class of 2015 and feeling blue about not getting let off-campus to the beach, do not fear! There are plenty of paybacks to living on campus that will sometimes make you feel better than your fellow classmates at the beach.
Photo Courtesy: Fairfield University Facebook