Let’s face it: the removal of cable TV in UVM dorms sucks. There’s nothing better than watching the latest episode of Breaking Bad after a long weekend, or cozying up with your roommate to watch a daytime Lifetime movie. Without cable, however, it’s a lot harder to watch shows live. Many sophomores are angry about the decision, “especially since we had cable last year” noted one (who seemed particularly angry). Most sophomores agree, especially because of the amount they are already paying to live in the dorms .
ResLife released an email last year explaining their reasoning. They wrote, “In a survey conducted last February, only 55% of our students reported having a TV in their room, and the average time spent watching cable TV was only 30 minutes a day. On the other hand, 86% of our students reported watching online TV or video content for an average of 90 minutes each day”.
Joseph Oteng,President of IRA, commented, “This year we’ve heard some feedback from students and rumors of a petition being written but we’ve yet to see it. The great majority of first year students did not bring televisions on move-in day, and (as expected) people have made do with watching their programs online. Currently, we’re working with ResLife to look into other options like possible group online streaming service packages, and antennas for common space TVs. …We’re actively listening to students and looking for feedback…”
So while cable is no longer an option, there are still ways to survive without it:
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Watch shows live in your lounge. Most lounges in the dorms have TVs with cable. Although you can’t reserve lounges, you can put up posters ahead of time announcing viewings that are welcome to anyone, and you should be able to snag that TV to watch your show live.
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Find an off campus friend with cable. This seems pretty basic, but you might just find that an upperclassman in your class also loves Pretty Little Liars, and he/she probably has a TV with cable. Make a date for weekly viewings. Plus, it’s also a bonus to be able to watch shows on a couch instead of those tiny dorm beds.
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Watch it online the next day. Networks usually post the show online the next day, which is super convenient because you’re not locked into watching it at a certain time—think of it as a great study break! There are also websites like Hulu and projectfreetv.com that will post shows the following day.
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Discover a new series on Netflix. There are great shows like Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Portlandia, and more that have complete seasons on Netflix. Get ready to binge watch—all the episodes are right there! Best part? No commercials.
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Focus on homework. With cable, it is so easy to get distracted watching mindless reality shows on MTV. Now that the temptation isn’t there, it’s a lot easier to study in your room if need be. There’s no more cable with a click of a button, but now homework can be more of a priority.