<p>For those parents whose students have the option for a single in a dorm: what do you think about it? Is it worth the extra (approx. 25% more) cost?</p>
<p>It seems that there would be huge advantages: security, privacy, extra room...</p>
<p>Is anyone here taking advantage of this option? Pros? Are there any Cons (besides cost)?</p>
<ul>
<li>Bob (digi)</li>
</ul>
<p>I think it depends on the school. I know at Pomona it is a positive and none of the students in a single feel isolated. In fact their rooms are often filled, but they can always close their door and have privacy. I believe 1/3 of the freshman have singles and the price is the same I believe. I would check with the individual school.</p>
<p>it's nice to have your own room. plus, youre still living in the dorm so you'll still meet other people. in my apartment we have 1 double and 3 singles (4 bedrooms total) and the girls love having their own rooms.</p>
<p>Bob, The only potential con might be that you don't have a ready made person (room mate) to go to meals with during the first few weeks of school. But, if you're not shy about knocking on doors --- or keep yours open --- I don't think that would be a lasting problem.</p>
<p>I sometimes wonder why more schools don't offer more singles - seems to make sense to me it would certainly eliminate alot of on campus conflict.</p>
<p>space. a single isn't "half the size" of a double. they can fit in more people if they use a double, which means they don't need as many residence halls, and they make more money with less buildings.. at least that's what i was told.</p>
<p>That Makes sense. When I was in college, a dorm I lived in had a typical double that was divided down the middle by the closets - each person therefore had their own private "half" Worked very, very well, especially for studying late at night.</p>
<p>I don't think there is a universal answer. So much depends on the school.</p>
<p>I will say that I think the number one mistake a freshman can make is to isolate himself and not become part of a larger social group from day one. Making friends with a diverse group of people is probably the number one learning experience during the first year in college. There are some social benefits to having a good roommate.</p>
<p>My daughter has a single and likes it very much. The room is small, but she feels it's cozy. She leaves the door open when she wants people to drop in, but closes it when she wants privacy or needs to study. At her school, UChicago, quite a few freshmen have singles. In my daughter's case, her dorm is separated into houses, and each house has a resident advisor and resident master (at least I think that is what they are called) who live in the dorm and organize activities. Her resident master and his wife live in an apartment in the dorm with their pets. I know they have movie nights, go to hockey games, take trips downtown and even went apple picking. </p>
<p>At UChicago, all rooms cost the same each year whether they are singles or doubles. Sophomore year and after, I think a single is about $1,000 more per year. However, I anticipate some savings on my daughter's meal plan next year. Freshman are required to take the most expensive plan, but my daughter says it's really too much and there is no way she'll use all her meal points. What I save in board costs next year I will use to offset the increased cost of her room.</p>
<p>I think my school is finally breaking that trend though. for example, the apartment buildings actually on campus are 2 bedrooms 3 people per bedroom! i then, they built this complex a few blocks off campus and they were 2 bedrooms 2 people per bedroom - which was much nicer.. not nearly as crowded.. and then they built the apartment building that I currently live in, and they are absolutely HUGE. if they would of made our apartments the same size as the others, i bet they could of fit twice as many apartments in the building. if you want to see any pictures of this, <a href="http://www.chrisnlinz.com/brockie04/index.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.chrisnlinz.com/brockie04/index.htm</a> those are of my apartment. 4 bedrooms/1bathroom</p>
<p>at my daughters school the two bedroom apts are for two people. She was signed up to live in one owned by the school but technically off campus this year.
For her previous three years she has had a single, they also have divided doubles ( two singles but one hallway door) and a few divided triples.
Divided doubles are nice cause you can opt to have two seperate rooms or to have one living space and one sleeping space.
The dorm rooms cost the same, but some dorms are nicer than others</p>
<p>if you have a single room do you have your own bathroom?</p>
<p>English 05,</p>
<p>probably not. Most bathrooms are on the hall, or shared between multiple rooms in a suite style doorm.</p>
<p>At my S's school, the singles also cost the same as doubles for freshmen. The downside is that the doubles are mostly parts of suites with their own bathrooms, while the singles are on long halls with shared bathrooms. Other than that, he's incredibly happy with his single. It may be small to some, but it's much larger than his room at home (which is tiny). He has made a wonderful group of friends on his floor; they do everything together. A bunch of them spent Wed. thru Sat. back at the dorm for NYs Eve. But when he needs quiet, he can retreat to his room. I did worry about the isolating factor, and we talked about it, but in his case, it has worked out just great! To be honest, though, if a single had cost more, I doubt we would have paid for it.</p>
<p>Neither of my children were/are interested in singles. They both have always had there own rooms at home, and a good size room at that. My daughter feels that she would be isolated in a single even if her door was left opened. She told me she would rather be in a cramped quad that a tiny single. My son had the chance to live in a single, but turned it down. He wanted to be in the middle of the "action". He didn't love his roomate, but was able to deal. I think living with a roomate teaches these kids many lessons.</p>
<p>I on the other hand would have chosen a single while in school of it had been offered!</p>
<p>My S is making noises that he'd prefer a single next year when he goes to school, but his reasoning is that he wants to take his audio equipment and is concerned that his assigned roommate won't like his music. This leads me to believe that a single for him would encourage too much isolation, and I'm likely to veto the possibility if it comes up. Besides, learning to compromise in living so closely with someone else is a decent life skill and I'd rather he figure it out early with a freshman year roommate than later in life with a partner.</p>
<p>im thinking about having a single in a suite...thats a common option offered at the school i will be at next year...does that seem like a good option to most people? I figure this way its private but i have people in the same "room" to hang out with initially. any opinions on the more "social" buildings versus the more "luxurious" buildings?</p>
<p>in short... no.</p>
<p>In my opinion, it is a good option. There is always the chance that a roommate does not work out. The only issue with a single is if the student is introverted and it is a real possiblilty that he would hide himself in his room and not participate in student life. Also for kids with mental and emotional issues a roommate can serve as a form of an early warning system. Again in a single, kids can hide their problems a bit more. But for most kids, unless the single is in an isolated tower somewhere, it can provide needed privacy and sanctuary, and takes care of a major source of problem in college--the roommate from hell.</p>
<p>I think the decision should hinge on how many singles the college offers. If the dorms have a relatively high number of singles, I think a single is fine for a kid who wants one. Many others will be in the same situation, and kids who choose to live alone will not automatically be seen as unfriendly. But if a dorm has only a handful ofsingles, I think the problems associated with isolation outweigh the advantages of living alone. And the problem is compounded for the kid who wants to live alone because he or she is introverted/shy/reserved.</p>
<p>In my son's case, isolation would not be a problem. He is definitely adept at finding and making a large number of friends. In HS, he's got close male and female friends, jocks and nerds, and the entire political spectrum. He also is not at all hesitant about asking girls out for dates. I'm glad he didn't inherit my shyness-when-it-comes-to-girls gene.</p>
<p>My main reason for asking about a single is for his "stuff," which probably won't be needed for his freshman year, but will be important for later projects: computers, film/video equipment (he built his own mic boom and camera crane, plus there are lights and stands, tripods, sound equipment, ...) and his guitar/amp.</p>
<p>So freshman year, either a single or a double would be OK, but later years a single might make more sense.</p>