<p>I was wondering if any seniors still live in dorm?</p>
<p>I’m wondering the same as well. Son, starting junior year in a few weeks, was originally going to move into a campus apartment this fall, but after further mulling, he’s moving back into the dorms (a double in a plaza so that’s nice). He didn’t want to deal with the stress of shopping/preparing his own meals. I was a bit concerned too, but was willing to support whatever he wanted to do, as he is the shy type and I thought that living in the dorms would be better for him socially.</p>
<p>Seniors do live in the dorms. Most I know had become Resident Assistants, but some just prefer to stay there.</p>
<p>@phospholipase, do you know what specifically is involved in being a RA? Son would consider doing it for senior year but doesn’t know if he would have enough time …</p>
<p>Becoming an RA requires an application with a minimum GPA. They do group interviews around December, and it’s a process. It helps if you’re active in the residential life community and take roles in floor or building government. The Resident Directors (RDs) are bosses of the Resident Assistants (RAs), so it helps if you’re close/friendly with them, which is easier if you participate in floor/building government. It is rare to become an RA as a second-year, but it’s possible.</p>
<p>Being an RA means you counsel residents on your floor/building, do evening building/hall checks, organize social events for your floor, attend residential life meetings that can take up a whole day/night of a week. Being an RA is considered a job. If you son loves the residential life community, then being an RA would be great. RAs are on duty a few times during the week, and that means they do the security rounds and keep their radio on throughout the night in case something requires their attention. For the time they’re on duty, it’s kind of a rule that they can’t leave their room/building and must be available throughout the whole night, which is of course expected. However, some RAs bend the rules. It’s not all doom, however. You have your own room, and you can have friends get food for you while you’re working. It’s cool and comes with a lot of benefits.</p>
<p>It’s not typical, but yes, it is done. There are older students in dorms as well – mostly transfer students. However, most who want to remain in UCLA owned housing would try and get into the University Apartments, which go from single, studio units, to two bedrooms, double occupancy, similar to the dorms.</p>
<p>You then have the choice of getting a meal plan (eating on campus, etc.) or buying/cooking your own food.</p>
<p>Some students look for rooms in homes off campus.</p>
<p>My son (who just graduated from Berkeley) was another shy kid that just felt more comfortable transitioning from dorm to university apartments – first year went for the partial meal plan, and then no plan, cooked all of his meals, or bought food on campus. It worked really well for him, but he wasn’t the most independent of sorts.</p>
<p>So, consider all of your student’s personal traits, but most importantly, allow them to make the decision.</p>
<p>Yeah, there are some seniors who do live in dorms. The thing you have to consider is that UCLA housing is based on a lottery system. You’re guaranteed housing until junior year. If you’re a senior who still wants to dorm, you have to wait longer than everyone else and basically are offered what’s left of the rooms. There is a chance there won’t be any of your first choice options open. </p>