I’m not sure singles are really an option for my S17. (Not officially ASD) One of his top choice schools (UCSC) it won’t be a choice of single or double. Most of their freshman dorms rooms are triples. One of the big downside to that school. I can’t see my introverted kid enjoying being crammed into a triple that was originally designed as a double. Although it is his least expensive option.
I believe UofO ‘might’ have singles available if you are willing to pay more $$. But we would already be paying extra for OOS and I’m not sure I want to add to the cost. In addition he refuses to sign up for housing early.
Honestly I figured he would end up in a double since I thought most schools only offered singles to uperclassmen. Put up with it for a year. And then end up off campus as a sophomore where he could get his own room.
Yes, we paid extra for a single for my son. It was a bit of a trial to get it, but he was really really happy with the ability to sleep in on weekends.
I “hope” that my S18 will be okay with whatever happens. He is pretty flexible, for someone on the spectrum, but his grades will tank without him saying anything if he is stressed.
I have no problem paying the regular single room fee (although I’ll gladly take a discount!) But I hope medical/disability accommodation students get top priority. I can’t imagine they don’t.
My ASD son is a sophomore at a state university only about 35-40 minutes from home which was about as far from home that I was comfortable with him being. During his senior year of high school the single/ double concern was probably more of a concern than what school he would end up with. After committing to the school, we met with the accessibility office to get accommodations in place. He really felt he needed a single to have a place to decompress and stim to his hearts content. Even with the diagnosis we needed to get a letter from the high school psychologist stating why she felt he would benefit from a single. He was approved for one and I think it was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Even though he is in the honors program he could not live in honors housing as there are no singles there. This kind of segregated him from the other students in honors even though he went there for all of the honors activities. He made no friends because he spent nearly all his time in his room with the door closed. At my insistence he did spend some time at the student center as well as hanging out a bit in the honors academic building on campus. For sophomore year he did choose to live in upperclassmen honors housing which is a suite with 4 single bedrooms, a living room, and full kitchen. Let me tell you, it did not make much difference. He does not talk to his suitemates. He says that only one even says hi to him, but when I ask if he says hi to the others, he does not. His anxiety keeps him from taking the first step. He expects them to. Fast forward to now and he is in midst of roommate/housing selection time for junior year. The current suitemates are having a friend of theirs replace my son, which was not a huge surprise. What was hurtful was that none of the 3 of them had the decency to tell him. Conveniently, all 3 forgot. He was home last weekend and at my urging he texted all of them to ask the plans. This is how he found out. He is staying in honors theme, and will once again be placed with random roomies. He is afraid he will be the laughing stock, as he thinks all the other juniors are rooming with friends and he will be only one going random. I am hoping another quirky, quiet person is assigned there too and a friend will be made. I have to say that through this he has persevered in his studies, and not let his loneliness and anxiety over it, get in the way of his academics, maintaining a 4.0 in the honors program. I know this is long and detailed, but this is my story of my son and his single room dilemma.
Your son has a point. The students at WPI and most engineering schools are highly focused because of the demands of their majors. For better or for worse, they do not have a reputation for partying. Celebration tends to be Friday or Saturday nights.
It was a long time ago, but I’ll never forget freshman year at WPI. I had been away from home for four years in a demanding boarding school. Living away from home had not been a new experience. Two hours after my arrival, my new roommate’s mother showed up with matching bedspreads, curtains and a lot of anxiety. It was explained to me that this was normal behavior. All the students I knew were very serious about their studies. I’ve been told this has not changed.
The new Foisie Innovation Studio & Messenger Residence Hall is currently under construction will not be ready until the fall of 2018.
Emah, sorry your son has had such difficulty. Although I do think people go into junior year with all kinds of different situations, I don’t think anyone will question him or single him out on that basis. After all, who’s to say he hadn’t roomed with a kid for 2 straight years, and then had the roommate transfer? Plenty of juniors are transerring IN to a school at this point, maybe he could ask for a transfer rooommate.
Re: the suite mates, it would have been nice if they let him know their plans. On the other hand, he didn’t feel comfortable enough with them to bring up the subject in person. Maybe none of them felt comfortable enough to bring it up either. It’s an awkward conversation, I can’t really blame them for not wanting to have it.
If they weren’t talking to each other within the suite he’s probably better off without them.