<p>From CNN.com: "You know it's good when your parents walk in the room and say 'Can I live here?"' </p>
<p>Maybe if my kids had experienced dorms anywhere near this, they wouldn't have hated dorm life so much. As it was all of mine were in cinderblock approx. 10x12 shared rooms with bunk beds. (and that averaged $400-$500/mo.)</p>
<p>On the other hand, small, sterile rooms encourage a lot of interaction in the hallways and common areas. My first dorm years were in a cinderblock/long hallway/common bathroom setup, and our floor was a real community. When I moved to a two-room suite for two with a private or shared bath, it was a lot easier to hang out in your room. Sure, you interacted with your dorm-mates at times, but it was a different environment. And the suites my kids lived in in their later college years made mine look primitive.</p>
<p>As they note in the article, though, "The cat's out of the bag... Nobody's going to build a new building with community bathrooms. It just won't happen."</p>
<p>Actually, I was at Amherst College a few weeks ago and had a chance to see the James and Stearns freshman dorms, completed in 2005. They have beautiful hardwood floors, furnishings and great community areas; most students are housed in two room doubles, so each student has his/her own sleeping and study area. The bathrooms are beautifully tiled and appointed, but.....they are community bathrooms!</p>
<p>Meh, I like my dorm just fine. It's not super nice, but I share a room built for three girls with only one other girl. My school's trying to convert this dorm into a female Honors dorm, so the whole first floor only has two girls per room.</p>
<p>Anyway, we have tons of space to live and store things...and we got to paint...and there aren't any of those weird dorm smells. I'm easy to please, though, since I know how much worse it could be. Summer camps at various other campuses opened my eyes to how nasty dorms can be early on.</p>
<p>Oh, and I actually like having a community bathroom (before I got here I thought it would be a pain, but it's really a nice set-up). I think there are only around 20 girls on my floor, so there's rarely more than one person showering or using the bathroom at the same time...and I don't have to clean it. That's got to be the best part.</p>
<p>i'm just a senior, but i know dorms make a difference to me
like at bryn mawr, where 70% of the dorms are singles, i really loved the rooms with stained glass!<br>
but even if it can be kind of sketchy (like the astroturf in my brother's dorm at university of alabama), it's all part of the experience, whether plush or just basic</p>
<p>I don't mind my dorm very much. I'd like more space, but it's got great organization, and every single dorm on campus is a 4-5 person suite: two bedrooms and one bathroom. In my dorm, the rooms are divided, so everyone gets their own privacy, though less space.
The dorms in that article sound ridiculous. That's not what college is about!</p>
<p>i have a townhouse at Cornell and I'm a freshman. It's literally a full apartment, two bedrooms, dining room, living room, bathroom and kitchen all for 4 people. It's real nice and a lot of space. But like the article said it does make it harder to socialize with other students around you when you have so much space.</p>
<p>Unbelievable. The article says the fancy dorms at DePaul are in line with students' views of what it is to be a grown up. Too bad they are not paying for it themselves, as they would have to do if truly grown up (oh, but then they might actually have to WAIT until they can actually afford it --- if ever). I sure hope these pampered princes & princesses get 6-figure jobs right out of college & have no big loans to pay off --- otherwise, they are in for a very rude awakening. Of course, they may just join the legions of people who live lives they cannot afford, maxing out credit cards. Or ... Mom & Dad will just continue to open their wallets & give, give, give.</p>
<p>I am SO glad I raised my kids to understand that being a grown up involves earning your way in the world, not living for free in a room with a view. Pardon me while I get off my soapbox & ride off into the sunset on my dinosaur (high mileage, but paid for).</p>
<p>I'm a freshman at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles and I rather like my dorm. It was built in 1953 so the building itself was old, but it has been renovated moderately so we can have an internet jack and cable tv and a phone line if we wish. My room is small but we have a sink, two beds, two desks, two wardrobes, a fridge, two mini fans, two bookshelves, two dressers, a medicine cabinet with a mirror, and some other random storage units. One of my entire walls is basically a window and I have a beautiful view of the grassy quad area, and the sunrise and sunset if I wish. It's modest yet comfortable and modern. We have a community bathroom but we only have about 20 girls in this hallway (each floor branches into three hallways) and most of the time I'm taking showers alone. I've never seen more than three people in a bathroom at one time.
The upperclassmen housing is even better! Sophomores can live in a double dorm room, sharing a bathroom with only two other people (four people total), or they can have a two bedroom (4 person) apartment with a small kitchen and living room as well as their own bathroom. Juniors and seniors have apartments with exquisite views overlooking Marina Del Ray and the ocean, with two bedrooms, a large bathroom, a medium sized kitchen, and a living room. Housing here is reasonable because it includes internet, utilities, cable, etc. Anything off campus in LA is more expensive and you're on your own for all the rest of the bills!</p>
<p>agreed!
i want a good dorm also</p>
<p>I'm in a cinderblock room probably 14x14 or so (maybe half a foot longer one way) double with long hallways and stuff. Our closets are bigger than I thought they'd be, and bed risers really free up space under the bed to keep clutter at bay. We opted not to bunk our beds, just put both desks and dressers on one side and the beds in an L on the other--it's spacious enough to fit a decent amount of people. We use the exposed piping as towel racks, and I put up hooks on my wall for clothes. It's rather cozy. Though I wish the beds were a full twin size...my sheets are too big and keep sliding.</p>
<p>35 guys sharing 4 showers on our wing (girls have an identical setup past the elevators)--I haven't had to wait for a stall ever. I like my dorm because it's so social--no one really wants to stay in their rooms, and if they do, almost everyone keeps their doors open--the floor lounges were the hangout spot (they have a microwave and AC, which was essential because the first week was pure hell in terms of weather). So yeah, I really like my dorm. Next year I might move out of the high-rises to a nicer dorm, but I don't know.</p>
<p>the kid pictured in the article, Josh Hoffman, lives in Lafayette. It's a pretty sweet dorm</p>
<p>Our son has a new apartment with 9 foot ceilings, hardwood floors, granite countertops, large windows with a great view, and new furniture. We would enjoy those amenities in our home but we are happy that our son has a nice place to live, especially since his apartment actually costs us less than his dorm room last year. </p>
<p>In every telephone call or email, our son mentions how happy and grateful he is in his apartment. I don't expect him to do that forever but it's something I like to hear. If he ever acted as entitled as some of these kids, and I know he won't, his lifestyle would change for the worse in a hurry.</p>
<p>I wish I could say the same about Berkeley's dorms. First few days we had no hotwater. And our heater is constantly on so its always really hot.</p>
<p>in my opinion, harsh surroundings bring out the best in people :)</p>
<p>I'm glad my S insisted on having a room mate, that the college chose for him. The two of them are getting along very well. I think it helps them learn to get along with & live with someone they would probably otherwise never meet. I'm also glad they have communal bathroom for all 40 folks on the floor, as well as ONE washer & ONE dryer and two elevators (they're on the 7th floor of 8 stories). I believe it creates a LOT of opportunities for interaction & incentive to socialize.
My S's room does come with high speed internet access, phone line for each student & mini-fridge & mini-microwave for each room as well. The room is large enough that each student can have their bed without bunking or lofting & still have room for the dresser, closet & large desk. The lounges are big, with aging furniture that appears well-loved. I'm glad the school hasn't decided to increase dorm fees just to spruce up the furniture or dorms--my S & his classmates seem quite happy with their dorm & surroundings & room & board is over $10,000/year as it is!</p>
<p>some of the things sounded like a little much. taking a limo to school? I don't believe I've ever been in a limo in my entire life and I'm pretty sure if I did ride in one it would be to a wedding or the academy awards or something, not so I can go take a pop quiz in calc. </p>
<p>on the other hand, going to college isn't like entering a monastery. Maybe some people think being an ascetic is part of the freshman experience, but really, if there's something that will make your life as a student less stressful and more relaxed, and you can financially afford it, then go for it. School can be so competitive and stressful, sometimes materialistic creature comforts help.</p>
<p>finally, from the article, $1000/month for a luxury single? around here that'll cover a single bedroom (with 2-4 roomates) that's not quite what I would call "luxury" :)</p>
<p>I'd be happy even if I had hot showers in my community bathroom haha</p>
<p>I agree $1000/month in Berkeley doesnt buy much. I pay $13,000 a year at Cal for an 7 person suite in the dorms. Its pretty nice compared to the high rise units that have 40 people to a floor. Although I do think I'm missing out on the fun of being in a residential hall rather than suite style. Its nice to study in though cuz its quiet.</p>