College is a different experience for everyone. Some people commute. Some live on campus. Some live off campus. Some have done all three. I have. My first two years I attended my community college and commuted. Then I transferred to Kutztown, where I lived on campus my first year. I am in my final year and live off campus. I am in my senior year, but I’m not graduating until December, due to some credits not transferring. I was lucky enough to find housing off campus that would give me a six-month lease for my last semester. I say lucky, because living off campus has been the best experience of being in college for me.
The University has instituted a new policy regarding on campus housing. It is stated as follows:
“Kutztown University has established a policy that full time undergraduate students with less than 60 earned credits, who are not veterans, married or living with parents or legal guardian with a zip code within a 30-mile radius of Kutztown shall be required to live in a university operated residence hall. Students interested in living off-campus must have earned at least 60 credits or have completed four (4) full semesters at Kutztown University (does not include summer sessions) before they can move off campus. The 60 credit on campus requirement will only be waived for students who commute from their home of record, withdraw from the university, take a leave of absence or chose to study abroad. Students who wish to seek an exception to this policy, within the guidelines listed below, are required to apply for permission to commute daily to campus.”
This new policy basically means that students MUST live on campus for their first two years of school.
I think this is unfair.
I most definitely encourage students to live on campus for at least one year, especially their first year. This encourages students to make friends. With the help of CA’s, students can develop good personal relationships with others. The downside about on campus housing is that it is expensive. Living in the dorms, students are also required to pay for a meal plan. The costs of living on campus really adds up. I feel if students want to move off campus to save money their second year of school, they should be free to do so.
Living off campus comes with so much more freedom! Depending on where students live, they learn how to budget money for groceries and bills. They are not being monitored by CA’s and desk representatives. They do not have quiet hours off campus. Plus, after living on campus for a year, students will already have experience with being away from home and dealing with roommates. With living off campus comes more responsibility; and isn’t college all about becoming young adults?
I feel if a student wants to move off campus her/his second year, she/he should be able to do so.