One of the constant struggles each year for college students is the big question: Where am I going to live next year? There are so many different options to choose from, each having their own positives and negatives.
Here are some examples of the thoughts that go through our head:
1. Dorms? Which one? The high rises – but what if I get the one that isn’t renovated yet? Moore-Strong or Ragsdale-Mendenhall – what if I get put on the second floor and there’s no elevator?
2. The Quad – Do I want a single room with a shared bathroom or can I find someone I actually want to live with in a tiny space?
3. On-campus apartment-style – Jefferson Suites? They have a communal kitchen and what if I want to cook a big meal and have friends over? Spring Garden Apartments – do I really have the money to afford that? Tower Village…?
4. Spartan Village – Do I really want to rely on the bus system to get me to class on time? Would I be willing to walk all the way across campus each day just to get to class?
5. And then, of course, there’s the option of living off-campus, but that brings up a whole other set of questions: House or apartment? How would I get to campus if I don’t have a car? Is a parking pass really worth it? Do I want to have to keep up with rent and utilities each month?
All of these are logical questions you have to ask yourself before making that final decision about where you’re going to be living each year. Lucky for you, I have some advice and pointers to give you, seeing that I’ve lived in each style of housing these past 3 years of college!
Starting with traditional dorm-style room: My freshman year I lived in North Spencer; I had mixed feelings about the experience..
As freshman, living in this style with a single roommate on a hall full of other freshman is a great way to make new friends! (Just make sure you actually get out of your dorm room and take initiative meeting people – it’s not gonna happen magically on its own!) In addition, most of the traditional-style dorms are in the middle of campus, with academic buildings not too far away (some of them even have a classroom in the dorm itself so you can just walk right downstairs and be ready for class!)
I believe everyone needs to experience what it’s like to share a communal bathroom with 50 other girls at least once in their lifetime (and probably once is enough – it can get pretty gross in there since they only clean them once a week, but you definitely learn a lot about shared spaces). Just like communal bathrooms, there’s only one communal kitchen per floor, which means whenever you want to cook an actual meal (because we all know that that Caf food will be getting old real quick) you have to lug all your kitchenware down the hall and hope that no one else is already there. Then you have to clean everything up immediately and bring it all back into your room (if you don’t want anyone stealing your stuff).
Another downside of these more traditional-style dorms is that there isn’t a whole lot of room to actually live in. Once you have everything stuffed under your bed, into the closet, or hoisted up on a shelf, there’s barely enough room to do anything more than lie in bed or do homework at your desk. However, there are common rooms typically on the first floor of each dorm; so take advantage of a group hangout down there!
Something that goes along with not a lot of space in your dorm room, is the fact that there’s basically zero privacy either. Sometimes there will be a closets that you can try to stuff yourself into if you’re not comfortable with changing in front of people, but other times all that comes with a room is a wardrobe. You’re going to have to adjust quickly if you’ve never shared a room with someone before.
And finally, there’s always the risk of getting a random roommate. I highly suggest rooming with someone you already know and know you get along well with because traditional-style dorm rooms can be awkward and tight so there’s an abundance of things that could go wrong. If you have to get a random roommate, something that helped me a whole lot, is the simple fact of meeting up with your future roommate before actually moving in with them. Find a time to hang out and get some coffee during the summer before school starts! It will help tremendously if you’re not meeting each other for the first time on move-in day.
Even though that may sound like a lot, traditional-style dorms aren’t as bad as they seem. It’s quite fun learning to live with another person, getting to explore campus together, finding friends to go explore the city with, and – my personal favorite – having a space to call home that’s not my parents house!
But traditional-style dorms aren’t the only housing option there is at college. Make sure to check back next week for part two on apartment-style dorms!