<p>hi, im an incoming freshman at BU and though i know that housing has to be on campus for first year (unless you’re living with a spouse or parent), is there any way not to live in the dorm???</p>
<p>my sister is an incoming junior at BU and she has an apartment right behind the COM building. so i was wondering if that’s where i could stay instead of a dorm since it’ll be so much cheaper for my dad.</p>
<p>any comments/advice?</p>
<p>Your sister wants you to live with her??? Ouch. Stay in a dorm--you'd be missing out on the freshman experience.</p>
<p>You'd have to request an exemption to the rule that freshmen live on campus because your sister is not a parent or spouse.</p>
<p>I'm of mixed opinion. Is your sister social, meaning does she have a lot of friends? Do you guys get along? Is the money difference worth it? </p>
<p>A real issue is eating. It's one thing to live in a dorm room, an experience that many wish they could skip at any school, but you meet and eat with people in the dining halls. If you need to buy a dining plan to feel part of school, you should look at those rates - roughly $4k for the year - and include that in your calculation.</p>
<p>loslobos, it's my dad who wants me to stay with my sister. i bet that if i did live with her, she'd make me cook and clean like cinderella. hahaha!</p>
<p>lergnom, does the request ever get granted??</p>
<p>the request does get granted based on your reasoning.. i was a freshmen this year and i know a few kids who requested to live offcampus due to certain reasons and they were allowed too..</p>
<p>but honestly..if you could.. i wouldnt miss out on living in the dorms your 1st year..i think its a big part of ur freshman experience</p>
<p>thanks r1d! and everyone who replied on this thread! i decided to live on campus and just move in with my sister during sophomore year. :)</p>