<p>Sorry if this has already been asked, but what is the difference between residential colleges and other residence halls/suites? Is there something different between living in a residential college and just a regular housing opportunity?</p>
<p>Depends on your school. At mine residential colleges were kind of like dorms with extra programs and classes and such.</p>
<p>The term can be used rather loosely by some colleges, but the general definition is a community of students within a larger university. Meals, classes, residences, etc are often shared. Many models of this in the US are based on the residential college models used at Oxford and Cambridge in the UK.</p>
<p>I cannot answer for all of the colleges, of course, but UCSC makes use of the residential college system so as to create a small college feel while still being a part of a large research university. Considering the massive land size of the campus, I have found this to be incredibly useful.</p>
<p>I am in an RC and it’s like a small LAC within a large research university. It’s a really tight knit community. I would really ask people at your future college though because it does vary wildly from school to school and RC to RC.</p>
<p>Depends on the Universitiy. At Rice, all “dorms” are residential college. Each unique. They each have their own “system”, government, budget, traditions, etc. (the list goes on…). You are randomly places into one of these residential colleges and are part of the college all four years (whether you decide to move off campus any of the years). So in essence it’s like an inclusive frat (think Harry Potter houses).</p>
<p>Oh thanks that clears up some things!</p>