I will be a freshman next year, and I have been considering housing, both on campus and off campus. I am a social person who goes out and parties and stuff on weekends, however, I like being able to come home to a quiet room where I can focus when I need to and not be bothered. I have also noticed that when sharing a room with people I can have issues sleeping (mainly people snoring as I’m a pretty light sleeper). While living next door to all my friends sounds fun, I am a little concerned about whether or not dorming would be best for me, as I don’t want it to be a distraction from my studies, or make it difficult to sleep, etc.
I have a fair amount of friends attending the same school who will be dorming, who I’d most likely be hanging out with, and I have never had much trouble finding friends and things to go do on weekends.
I also feel like id be losing a lot of the freedom. My parents are very reasonable with me, and allow me to be pretty independent as long as my academics stay where they should be, and I feel like I will lose a lot of this dorming. My school doesn’t allow freshman to have cars and is in an area that I am familiar enough with to know I would like my car, and while I understand apartment buildings have rules, my understanding is that dorms have much stricter rules.
I know the general consensus is that freshman should live on campus, but if one is fairly certain they will be ok socially, and is concerned about the affect dorming will have on academics, is living off campus as a freshman a bad idea?
I’ve also heard my fair share of roommate horror stories (including one from someone who was a freshman last year at the same school I’m going to) and this is something i’d like to avoid
Many schools have requirements for freshman to live on campus the 1st year unless their parents reside within a specific mileage radius. Check into your specific school’s rules.
Your choice, then. But dorm life is a way for many students to make friends and to become active members of the college community. That’s why so many schools require freshmen live on campus that first year. You may miss out on many social activities and bonding experiences by going home in the evenings.
Ask for a single, explaining your worries, or live on a quiet floor or substance free floor.
Not living in a dorm, there’ll be tons of stuff happening you won’t be aware of, impromptu things you won’t be there to join, not to mention study sessions that’ll be a pain to go back for. Then, add planning of meals, shopping, and cooking, and you’ll see why most colleges require freshmen to live on campus unless they commute.
Do realize that you will be living around a college. Obvious, but may not be obvious what that entails. Even a single off campus apartment may be noisy. Students tend to be that way and that is probably who you’ll have as neighbors.
I think that unless all your current friends live in the same dorm as you, you probably won’t see them nearly as much as you anticipate once the year starts. Everyone will start making new friends in their hall and in their classes. Intentions may be good to hang out together but in practicality the fading away just happens due to inconvenience (that doesn’t mean they aren’t good friends - it’s just what happens).
Also remember that there will be libraries and other quiet places on campus that you can go to to have quiet time and space to study. There may even be study rooms in your dorm.
I lived off campus and had a lot easier time with the tough life transition having some of the comforts of home and not essentially being in a minimum security prison. However, everyone is different and I know people with good and bad experiences both ways.
If you have any hesitations about living in the dorms, don’t do it. The entire residential life concept is a scam that is being misused by colleges across the country to inflate their cost of attendance and therefore their revenue. Your real friends will mostly be made in clubs, sports, and other activities, not from living in the squalor that is dorm life.
It depends on the school, but many people make close friends through their dorms freshman year – it can be a nice community. Your HS friends may also meet new people through the dorms. On the other hand, you know how much you value having a car and personal freedom. A single like the other posters mentioned could be a good choice.
What rules? Where? Maybe if you’re going to Brigham Young University…
Actually, this describes perfectly my son’s noncampus housemate situation. My best friend never recovered from the shock of visiting.
Again, at what college? The only dorm rules I am aware of are the same you’d have in an apartment, such as no loud music at 2 a.m. In a dorm you’d probably get an RA at your door. Off campus, it would probably be the police.
Nearly all of the students I’ve encountered who ended up dropping out lived off campus as freshmen. It’s not great to study in your room anyway. I’d strongly suggest you live in the dorms at least one year.
@alooknac- The floorplans of the average dormroom and min security prison cell are really not all that different. Small uncomfortable twin size bed in a small uncomfortable shared room. Now, not all are like this, plenty of schools have suite-style housing, but still. From my personal experience and perspective it was nice to be somewhere that felt like an actual residential home and not an institution.
I agree with @bjkmom to try to get a single. It is the perfect cross between alone time and dorm involvement. It depends on the school but at some schools the dorms are “the way” to meet all types of people. There is plenty of time to move off campus and pay bills, maintain and clean apartments, grocery plan, shop and make meals etc. Freshman year is a time of self exploration. It is made easier by less responsibilities besides classes. Not having the camaraderie of people effortlessly all around you, doing the same things, may lead to you getting left out. Why not do dorms for a year then move off campus with those friends you think will be good roommates?
Not only will you meet people easier and feel more connected to the school by living on campus your first year, you will be adjusting to college (it IS an adjustment, different for every person, but still) and will appreciate NOT having to worry about hassling with bills, apartment chores, landlords, shopping cooking, etc. - all the adult crap that is a major time suck. You have the rest of your life to deal with that stuff.
One year on campus housing sure takes the bite out of the transition to college. Unless you have an existing set of social groups to assimilate with, it will be much harder to make those types of connections living off campus.
I think its the luck of the draw living in dorms. It can be fantastic or horrible or anywhere in between. The further away from campus the more difficult it might be to be part of things.