If it’s an “actual triple vs. a double with three,” it’s not a “forced triple.” It’s just a triple. Nothing remotely wrong with that.
@happy1 : Do we think that colleges provide more RA and security coverage when they are jamming more kids into the same number of rooms? Cleaning the bathrooms more often? I don’t.
Of course, you are right about the bed, dresser, and desk. And the dorms probably depreciate faster when they are chock full. The college may have to renovate them every 50 years, instead of waiting 75 or 80.
A forced triple, particularly those with students placed randomly (no room mate matching), was a huge factor in college selection and no go for us. It’s not all about being spoiled or entitled, I think room mates and environment (noise, disruption, sleep quality, another person’s germs in a small space etc.) can have a huge influence on how the year goes for the student, which in turn affects my tuition dollars.
My college dorm room in 1970 was built as a triple…but it was exactly the same size as a double room. The difference…it has a triple bunk bed (like the three stooges), and three desks. There were three sets of built in drawers but only two closets.
Lucky for us…our third roommate never showed up.
But that triple bunk…yikes…
There were a bunch of triples in our dorms…largest baby boom classes!
My niece was put in a forced triple with 2 girls who knew each other and turned out to be major mean girls. They made her life such a nightmare she transferred to another university for her 2nd semester. (I tried to convince her just to change rooms but she was so miserable at that point, she just wanted out.)
CADREAMIN and Proud Mary - thank you for not dismissing my concerns here. My oldest daughter attended a large public university in the South and had what I consider a “normal” college dorm experience for a freshman who is adjusting to a new environment - a double (one roommate). It provided for a stable foundation in that critical first year. I am just looking for that same experience for our youngest. Spartan conditions are fine - give me cinder block walls, a linoleum floor, and basic furniture. No complaints there.
Yes, one of the colleges we looked at had “forced” triples (rooms intended as a double being used as a triple) that looked much too small for three people, and it made a negative impression on all of us. Forced triples make a college seem crowded and cheap, and they indicate poor planning. The college stayed on his list because it has many other good qualities, but that factor might have played a strong role in his final decision where to matriculate, if it had come to that.
At the opposite extreme, our kid ended up in a single freshman year, in a dorm where everyone else is a freshman with a single. It is pretty perfect, because everyone goes to the common room when they want to hang out, and everyone has a quiet place to which to retreat when they want to be alone to study, to call their parents, or just to unwind.
I see your point for one year, but if forced triples are an on-going problem, as at the college I described, then I think it is poor planning of either how to manage yield or how to expand the college properly if its goal is to admit more students.
This year at Colgate there are a decent amount of forced triples for freshman (2 on my floor). I’m guessing this was due to the unexpected increase in yield (however that is a good thing lol). They are currently building two new freshman residence halls to help combat the increase amount of students coming to the schools. Thankfully those will be done for next year.
UCLA addressed it by making all (or at least most) dorms triples. They didn’t tear down the old dorms that were designed for two, but maybe they purchased furniture that takes up less room. It just becomes routine after a while. I know a girl who was raised a real princess, would have considered it torture if she had been asked to share a room with her sister growing up, and she went off to UCLA without blinking about the triple. It was the school she wanted, and it was typical at UCLA to have a triple. In her case, I think it helped as she doesn’t get along with everyone, and this way she had two roommates to share the good times and the bad.
If you have the luxury of choosing between a school that has triples and another that doesn’t, and it is important to you, pick the school that has doubles or singles. I think Harvard could set up dorms like army barracks with 20 bunks in a row and people would still line up to get in.
However, the dorm charge typically utilities, common area maintenance/services, and meal plan. If it were broken out into components, then the reduction as listed above would apply just to the part that is for the share of the room and invariant parts of utilities.
Yes! I think this is one of the latest ways to make money. Just like charging a fortune for parking or all the other excessive fees. What bothers me is that the colleges are saying, “its temporary” or that it’s only due to over enrollment when in reality, this is the plan for the freshman year!
With that being said, my son is in a forced triple this year. I never wanted this but had accepted that this would probably be the case when he got his housing assignment. The good news for him is that he got two great roommates. The three boys are all respectful, kind, and get along well. He has made two new friends who I dare say he will always be friends with. However the space is tiny! It has forced my son to spend a lot of time in the lounges which is probably good because he has met a lot of people. All three boys tried not to bring a lot of stuff and all three are neat and organized. This is a must in a tiny space.
My only other complaint about the forced triple is the discount the college gives us is only $1400 for the entire year. I don’t think that’s enough for substandard housing.
Oh, and my son’s forced triple had 2 (small) closets for 3 people! I think it’s especially hard on the girls! My son didn’t get the bunk so he brought just 4 hanger items to leave the closets for the other guys.
I never thought my son could live in a forced triple. He has a queen at home and shares a bathroom with just his brother. As much as I don’t like the forced triple and I think it’s wrong on the part of the school, I think it’s been good for him to live like this. I imagine he has learned to be more flexible and endure. The hardest part was how hot it was this fall. No A/C either.
I do wonder how many triple rooms are actually “forced”, meaning designed for 2 and housing 3. DS lived in a remarkably small room – triple – one closet his first year. It seemed dreadful to his parents. However, a relative who lived in the same dorm 40 years ago said those rooms had always been triples. The kids then, and the kids now, took it in stride. (Parents then took it in stride. Parents today, not so much!)
But when I was growing up, it was far more common for kids to share a room growing up than it seems to be now. Do you think it’s possible that the expectations have changed in terms of living conditions? Certainly the cost has!
But this discussion is a perennial one here on CC…
Mine ended up in a quad freshman year. She requested a triple. Not sure it was forced as I think that room was a quad in years prior. It was crowded. But each girl had a closet cupboard, desk, and bureau. There were two bunkbeds. My daughter was definitely shoehorned in the room. But she had a great freshman year. There were some roommate issues, but they all survived it. I don’t think it colored her experience at her school. However, she won’t consider grad school in NYC because she doesn’t want to have to live with more than one roommate if at all possible. So there is learning from the experience.
My S ended up in a forced triple. We knew that was a possibility but I was hoping that it would not happen. I was very disappointed and couldn’t imagine how all of his stuff would fit. The 3 boys share two “closets” but they are actually just an open hanging space and 2 of the dressers have to fit under the rods!! Not sure how that would work for girls with dresses - the pants just clear the top of the dressers. But…S has no problem with it and says he has enough room for his clothes. He is not bothered at all.
Don’t rely on an Honors Program with dedicated housing as a certain solution. My D is in exactly that situation and the dedicated Honors housing is all forced triples and doubles. Those schools over-enrolling aren’t immune from over-enrolling Honors students.
@NorthernMom61 FWIW my D’s grad school dorm in NYC is a two person apartment style suite (with a full kitchen and bathroom) and they both have private bedrooms so she may want to look at the exact rooming situation before deciding against NYC for grad school.