<p>Sorry if I sound dumb, but what is the difference between a residential college and a dorm? What are the pros and cons for each of them?</p>
<p>bump... (10 characters)</p>
<p>A residential college is a college where students live on campus as opposed to off campus housing.
A dorm is the place they live on campus.</p>
<p>The way I've heard it, a dorm is just what kc_lady says. Its a building on campus. Sometimes students also live in on-campus suites or apartments.</p>
<p>The definition I've heard for residential college is not used in contrast to a dorm, but in contrast to a commuter college. commuter colleges are usually located in cities or suburbs. With a commuter college students live in the surrounding area and commute to campus (bus, car, subway, etc). Often commuters live at home. </p>
<p>With a residential campus students live either on or adjacent to campus. The difference from a commuter campus is that all your classmates are going to be living right around you so its easy to get together.</p>
<p>So I guess there are 2 definitions for residential -- either living on the campus, or in contrast to a commuter college.</p>
<p>Here is a net reference to the residential college system at UC Santa Cruz:</p>
<p>The undergraduate program is organized around a residential college system similar to Oxford and Cambridge. The ten collegesCowell College, Stevenson College, Crown College, Merrill College, Porter College, Kresge College, Oakes College, College Eight, College Nine, and College Tenprovide services such as housing, academic assistance, activities and a selection of college-related coursework. Each college has a distinct architectural style and student housing, along with at least one resident faculty provost. Each provides a mandatory "core course" for incoming freshmen centering on a central topic, or "theme," that is unique to each college. College sizes vary, but roughly a third of students live on campus within their college community. </p>