<p>JeepMom: I didn't become aware of this rule until a short while ago. When picking a college, I assumed I would live on campus for the duration. However, I also didn't think dorm life would be like this. Every person I had talked to said that their college only required that students live on campus for the first year so I assumed that my college was the same. Just shows no one can take anything for granted.</p>
<p>ROLAND I understand - We had a similar situation - I was the one that found out about the 2 year on-campus requirement - altho kiddo would have a couple of options for the 2nd year. For some reason the kiddo didn't have a clue about this as well.</p>
<p>Sorry to say tho - that this was your responsibility to learn/know about - and now you will need to adjust in some way - or take the suggested alternate route with a doctors note. Just make sure that the off campus situation is a real option that you can live with - as sometimes it doesn't work out that way - the grass is greener type of thing. There must be other students in your situation as well - you may want to seek out one of them to dorm with - in case you are not able to make other arrangements - may fit your lifestyle a bit better.</p>
<p>Roland, do you have relatives that live in the city of your college? Some colleges have a policy that you are required to live off-campus unless you are commuting from your parents' or a relative's home. If you could get a distant relative to sign for you, you theoretically could get an off-campus place on your own and the housing office wouldn't need to know.</p>
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Many of you have suggested talking to my RA. That really doesn't help because he's the one that supplies much of the alcohol.
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<p>I just wanted to highlight that part above. ...</p>
<p>Things typically quiet down in the dorms after freshman year, even after 1st semester of freshman year after people see their grades. I would recommend that you investigate the housing for sophomores and line up a roommate that you know for sophomore year.</p>
<p>^ that's very true. Also, does your college provide singles? You might have a better chance of getting one as a sophomore.</p>
<p>Once again: post the name of the school. We have no problem posting the names of schools in other threads. As an administrator, I would really like to know who's behind this.</p>
<p>Private message me, if you must, Roland.</p>
<p>All 3 of my children attend or attended schools with the sophomore on campus rule. My firstborn S had a terrible experience, the school offered other rooms to him, but he was afraid to move as those situations might have been worse (after all those kids roommtes had moved out for a reason). Anyway, he survived fresh. year (with a 30lb. weight loss due to stress and sleep loss) and was able to live with people he liked soph. year and it worked out fine.</p>
<p>My D. was assigned a roommate who kept her up all hours, burned incense, came in drunk, picked up "druggie" guys in town, etc. My D. confronted the roomie and her RA and did get the girl moved out to another room. My D. had a really hard time, as you have, with all the noise, the sleep deprivation, and the smells of living in close quarters with all those girls. Her soph. year we presented the board a medical letter from her neurologist, along with documenting evidence from medical studies, on how the dorm environment was affecting her migraine headache frequency and subsequently the quality of her education. We received permission for her to live off campus. She was so much happier, was able to sleep at night, and was able to monitor what she ate (stayed away from migraine trigger foods)</p>
<p>Anyway, do what u need to in order to get off campus if that is what u feel is best for you.</p>
<p>If I do pursue a doctor's note, what exactly should it say? Like mkm's son, I lost 20 pounds when I came to the school. I'm sure stress and sleep loss played some part in that because when I went home for Christmas, I put much of that weight back on. Now that I'm back at school it's creeping off again. Clearly these rapid fluctuations in weight arent healthy. Also sleep loss from being woken up at 3 in the morning has left bags under my eyes on countless mornings. Will a note from a doctor stating something to that effect be enough for the board to permit me to live off campus?</p>
<p>Also, will everything be held as confidential? For example, if I apply to graduate school, they won't see the note, correct? I don't want this decision to come back and haunt me later in life.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice so far.</p>
<p>Sugaree: I'd rather not give away the school or the name of the person with whom I spoke. Like many people on these message boards, I prefer to remain anonymous. As the discussion in the following link shows, stating things that will allow others to identify you isn't always a smart move. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=143970%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=143970</a></p>
<p>ROLANDof....I don't think you would have to worry about a note like that 'following' you - it would only be utilized for one year of houseing and then you would be on your own anyway.</p>
<p>I agree that some anonymity is a good thing as well.</p>
<p><strong><em>Sounds like this school's res life program is in the dark ages</em></strong></p>
<p>Actually this is a fairly common practice at schools that have either a 1 or 2 year on-campus requirement - it is uaually a financial decision by the board to pretty much guarantee a certain amount of funds.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you look into what the soph dorms are like before you do anything like that. Freshmen drink alot more than upperclassmen. Also, many of the heavy drinkers move into the frats after freshman year. You might be perfectly happy in the soph dorms with one of your friends as a roommate.</p>
<p>RolandOfGilead, I think your situation is a perfect example of learning to create the best situation you can out of what you have instead of asking for a special exemption from the rule.</p>
<p>So if the rule is, you have to live on campus next year, your job isn't to bug the college to break the rule for you, but to be creative and proactive in finding a way to make that rule work for your needs. </p>
<p>The first step is to find out how buildings, rooms and roommates are assigned for sophomores. Start finding the students you want to be around - people whose style of living suits your needs, and working with them to create a way to live together. Look at people outside of your own religion as well - Jains tend not to be the rowdiest partiers on campus, for example. :) </p>
<p>If your college doesn't have a wellness floor in the buildings, (which typically preclude drugs, smoking, and alcohol, and attract people who are more aligned to living a healthy balanced lifestyle) why not be the catalyst for suggesting that they do? </p>
<p>The bottom line is, you will likely have more success finding creative ways within the rules, than demanding the rules be broken for you.</p>
<p>I seems nice to attend a college that offer its students to make their own housing choices after freshman year. I see the benefits of requiring frosh to live on campus but I believe that there are significant benefits in allowing students freedom of choice of what living arrangements to choose the following years.</p>
<p>Colleges that have on-campus apartment style units are very good too. While perhaps being a bit overpriced vs off campus apts, they provide the independence of apartment live with a small group of friends while providing the convenience of proximity and a reslife support staff.</p>
<p>Roland if there is this type of on campus housing, perhaps your medical issues can give you some priority if there is a lottery for these units. I have not read all the posts here, but if you have not met with the head of reslife or the Student Dean, perhaps you should do so soon. At many colleges the time for securing next year housing is looming and you may need to act fast.</p>
<p>I left Mount Union for the same reasons. Except it was worse--the RAs were a JOKE...one was a pothead, two were druinks, and one was never around because he was always out having sex with his girlfriend! And they claim it's a Christian school!</p>
<p>I found another school and became a commuter. Maybe you could apply as one?</p>