<p>I was just wondering if Cornell makes all freshmen students dorm on campus or is it possible for me to get an apartment off campus and just commute to school?</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses.</p>
<p>It can be done, but it is discouraged for freshmen. I think you would need to petition Campus Life, but I'm not 100% certain.</p>
<p>I imagine it would be very difficult to meet a lot of people if you didn't live on campus freshman year. Many of my friends met their closest friends freshman year in the dorms.</p>
<p>Plus....living on campus for at least 1 year gives you the college experience and can help you adjust much better then by living in an apartment by yourself</p>
<p>I guess you really don't want to make any friends at Cornell. Is it so bad to make friends with such non-prestigious students?</p>
<p>Tun, it has nothing to do with that. Again, I apologize for my previous statements which seemed brash and childish.</p>
<p>It is just that dorming seems like a lot of changes and I don't know I can handle that. I am an only child and have been living at home for like my whole life, only a few times have I gone to camp.</p>
<p>So I don't even know that I could handle all the changes. Especially the sharing of rooms with complete strangers as well as the sharing of bathrooms with strangers.</p>
<p>(Are the bathromms private or are they like one big bathroom with stalls?)</p>
<p>Dealing with change is a part of college, as well as growing up. Don't be afraid of all these new lifestyle changes. You're not the only one that's going to be going through them.</p>
<p>I understand that you have some concerns about living with other people, but you should still live on North--it's such a great experience. I'm an only child too, so I was a little worried about having a roommate (even though we were both friends before coming to Cornell). It can sometimes be a little inconvenient to share your space with someone else, but overall, I had a good time in a double. If you really don't want to live in a double, choose a single when making housing selections. You'll most likely get one. A single allows you to have your own space, but you still get to hang out with the other people in your hallway.</p>
<p>North Campus is the perfect environment for freshman. Everybody is experiencing their first year, so people are very open to meeting each other, especially during Orientation. Like dewdrop said, most people meet their best friends in their dorms. You can make friends in your classes as well, but living in a dorm is very conducive to socializing. I loved being able to hang out with my friends every day. I can't count how many times I stayed up until 2 or 3 just talking to my friends. If you live in an apartment off-campus, you're going to have a much harder time getting to know people, especially since everybody else in off-campus housing will be upperclassmen; they'll already have their group of friends.</p>
<p>If making friends is not a big priority for you, then I guess off-campus housing is still a viable option. However, keep in mind that studio (1-bedroom) apartments tend to be really expensive--much more costly than having a single in a dorm. If you want a quieter environment, maybe a townhouse would be a good option for you. Townhouses are shared by about 6 people, and they have their own living area and kitchen. You'll share a bathroom with all of them, but you'll have a lot of privacy.</p>
<p>As for the bathroom situation in general though, you really don't need to worry. For the larger, older dorms, there are multiple stalls for toilets and showers. You'll still have privacy--no one's going to randomly barge into your stall as your using it. Trust me, no one wants to see that. And the smaller dorms tend to have suite-style bathrooms shared by only about 6 people, which also give you a lot of privacy. Everybody shares a bathroom, so everybody treats the space with respect. No one wants to use a dirty bathroom.</p>
<p>College is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and testing your boundaries. You'll meet amazing people in your dorms. You're not alone--think about it. Those who grow up as only children still live in dorms and love it. Of course, you'll experience a period of adjustment (everyone will), but as long as you are open to meeting new people, you should be fine.</p>
<p>splinter- speaking from the experiences of being a mom,- former RA, and former camp counselor</p>
<p>trust me- there is going to be more of an adjustment getting your own apartment. Are you ready for the responsibility of cooking, shopping, and cleaning, and all the other good things that comes with the responsibility of an apartment?? and to have your own apartment off campus as a freshman, sounds like a pretty lonely environment to me.</p>
<p>Being an only child, and having to share "space" with others for the first time can be a bit unnerving. But learning to live with others is an integral part of the maturing process and will give you the ability of learning how to live and play well with others.<br>
You need to know that, if you want to thrive in this society. </p>
<p>going away to college can be a bit scary- especially for those who have never been away from home. But just remember there are alot of kids going through the same thing as you.</p>
<p>just chill- and try not to have your insecurities come off as arrogance.
(That's a pretty important life lesson!!)</p>
<p>and my educated guess is that as a freshman you will need to dorm (exceptions may be if your family lives in the area and you can commute to class- I do not know if that is true for Cornell, but it is policy at alot of schools.)</p>
<p>colleges realize that some kids have a hard time adjusting. Dorm life and RA's really do play a role in helping student's adjust to college life.</p>
<p>Live on North Campus. You gain so much socially and it's part of the Cornell experience.</p>
<p>i'll add my two cents and say the same thing: live on North. You'll end up liking it!</p>
<p>I second what marny1 said. It'll be more of an adjustment living off campus.</p>
<p>Living on campus will probably make your life a lot simpler, since you won't have responsibilities like paying rent and cooking. You should at least get over your reluctance to share a bathroom with other people, sharing stuff like that is sort of a basic life skill. The bathrooms are pretty clean anyway. But I can sympathize your not wanting a roommate... singles are awesome. As a freshman, if you request a single you'll probably get one, maybe even in a suite, in which case you'd have to share a bathroom with only a few other people. And seriously, North campus is a great place to live first year... it's really convenient and you'll make a lot of friends.</p>
<p>I lived in a dorm and am currently living in a collegetown studio. If I wasn't so hung up on having the "senior year experience" I would live on campus. I'm paying a ridiculous price for my apartment and I have to pay for electric, cable and internet and food. I also don't have a car so it's a pain to go food shopping. Save yourself the hassle....especially for your first year of college. You don't want to deal with it...trust me.</p>
<p>Well I have done some thinking and despite the hardships I may face, I have decided that I should dorm. Even though it will be hard, emotionally for both my parents and I, I guess it is a part of life.</p>
<p>As of right now, I am torn between a single or living in a townhouse (freshmen dorming includes townhouses right? As in other Cornell freshmen will live with me?)</p>
<p>How big are the singles by the way? Like the size of an average bedroom? Do they have a kitchen? Where will my ps3 and tv go?</p>
<p>May I ask why dorming will be an emotional challenge for you and your family? Personally...I found it to be an amazing experience. I also shared a room with my sister for 4 years...so it wasn't too much of a change.</p>
<p>The size of the single depends on what hall you are assigned to. From what I've seen, the Dickson singles are tiny....but I haven't seen the singles in other dorms.</p>
<p>Well it will probably be an emotional challege in the sense that since I am an only child, my parents and I have developed a very strong bond. Unlike a lot of teenagers, I am actually free with my parents, as in I can tell them almost anything. And on top of that, since I have rarely been away from home, this will be a challene because 1.) I will have to be extremely independent and 2.) My parents, especially my mom, will miss me very much (and I shall miss them).</p>
<p>Stupid in a sense, I know, but whatever. </p>
<p>And this was another reason why I kept on asking such weird, and I suppose offensive, questions about the ILR. I figured that since I am totally altering my life, it should be a for a good reason at a good university, where I can obtain a degree that will help me in life. </p>
<p>But whatever, I will hopefully deal with these challenges successfully. I am simply glad I made it into Cornell University!</p>
<p>The first few months away are hard....but always know that you are never more than phone call away from your parents. I was on the phone with my parents everyday for the first 2 weeks of college....then cut down to once a week.</p>
<p>You'll be fine....and stop fretting about Cornell. You will get a great education and will do well in life if you are willing to put forth the effort that is required of you.</p>
<p>I'm not certain it's necessary or even desirable to have a television and a video game system as a freshman. There are plenty of opportunities for engagement and diversion as a freshman without being holed up in your dorm room. It's nice to watch movies from time to time, but for most people, watching a movie on a computer or at Cornell Cinema suffices.</p>
<p>As for getting an expensive studio in Collegetown, that's not necessary either. If you go even a few blocks away -- Stewart Ave. or below -- you can find pretty cheap one bedroom apartments, to say nothing of residential opportunities in Fall Creek, North Campus, Forest Home, or East Hill. I know many students at Cornell who spend less than $300 a month on rent living off campus. The co-ops are fantastic as well.</p>
<p>I'm an only child too and dorming has been awesome. Not dorming your first is a big mistake.</p>
<p>OP - I have 2 daughters, but my older daughter, a freshman at Cornell, is very close to me. She also tells me everything. I am usually the first one she calls for any major events in her life. </p>
<p>It was a big adjustment for me last, but she transitioned into college life easily. We speak very often on the phone, and do virtual shopping online together. She has a single at school, but her best friend is just across the hall from her.</p>
<p>I don't know how far you are away from home. We are only 4 hrs away. For one reason or another, we have seen our daughter at least once a month. It is a big adjustment to go to college. Living on campus will make it less lonely. Dorm life is so different than home, it probably will make you less homesick.</p>