<p>The college my daughter will be attending has coed dorms (boys and girls together on the same floor) for all freshman. Initially she thought an all-girl floor would be better but she is growing more comfortable with the idea. </p>
<p>While I assume that the boys on the floor are respectful of the girls privacy and there is some degree of modesty in the hallways, I have mixed feelings about how coed dorms affect the freshman experience. I remember my freshman floor of awesome girls and the strong bonds we formed. We were so supportive of each other in a way that I can't imagine if boys were in the mix. </p>
<p>I know that coed dorms are pretty much the norm and I am sure that colleges and universities would not continue to house students this way if they did not work but any reassuring words to an old-fashioned mom about your experience in a coed dorm would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>I live in on a coed floor. The boys occupied one side of the hall, the girls on the opposite side of the hall. I rarely see any boys in the girls' side or vice versa. There's no floor sex orgies...or if there are, I haven't been invited.
It's a fairly respectful atmosphere. Most people are too wrapped up in their own lives to care that it's a coed floor.
Then again, I'm in an upperclass dorm. I've heard freshmen dorms are a bit more on the rowdy side.</p>
<p>When we were touring one school, we were walking down the hall of the coed dorm when a young man emerged from the shower clad only in a towel. I suppose at least he was clad in <em>something</em>, but I think all the parents were a little surprised. </p>
<p>I don't have a problem with coed dorms, but I agree with you OP that there is a wonderful bonding process that goes on with a hall of girls, and it just couldn't happen the same way in a coed hall.
Unless coed is something she has her heart set on, and it doesn't sound like it is, I would encourage her to choose an all-girls dorm. It's not at all limiting in terms of meeting boys, in case she's worried about that. It's not a good idea to date someone who lives in such close proximity anyway.</p>
<p>Lumine - My daughter would prefer an all-girls dorm or floor but unfortunately that is not an option at the college she will be attending. </p>
<p>The main reason for this post is that I am trying to understand the positives of a coed floor. I have to believe there must be some reason why colleges have been getting increasingly more coed. We actually visited some colleges with coed bathrooms which was the deal breaker for us.</p>
<p>aside from the inevitable towel slip (it will happen; its merely a question of when), a lack of modesty and respect thereof likely wont be a problem. guys typically lose concern over said slip in september and as such will be seen heading to and from showers almost universally in towels. some girls opt for towels at some point, too, though many wear robes all year. </p>
<p>because its just not an issue.</p>
<p>the cliche is that hallmates of the opposite sex ultimately see each other more like brothers and sisters than, well, people of the opposite sex. and while that isnt entirely true, there does develop some fundamental degree of respect as a result of cohabitation that eliminates the 'lust' factor, for the lack of a better term. cousins might serve as a better analogy.</p>
<p>in terms of everyday life, though, i strongly feel that coed floors are the way to go. they just provide a sense of balance i didnt see on my friends single-sex floors at other schools. the great friendships formed on freshman halls include people of both sexes. the distribution of majors and interests typically becomes more diverse. there are guys on the floor to keep the girls from donning claws and, more importantly, girls on the floor to keep the guys from living in filth and getting in fights every friday night. </p>
<p>People tend to hate all-girls halls--the people I know who live in them hate them. I live in a co-ed dorm, my next door neighbors are girls. I live across from a co-ed bathroom. It's just part of life, and after the first week, was no big deal.</p>
<p>i kind of wish that our floors were coed for freshman. it blew my mind that at other schools my friends were opposite sexes every other room. most of the time, i have an easier time to connecting with guys and hanging out more comfortably when we first meet so i wouldve loved it. and then there is the inevitable floorcest that will happen.</p>
<p>otherwise it doesnt really matter. its not weird or anything when a guy walks down my hall (they live in the basement and 1st floor of my building girls on 2nd and 3rd) and im standing in a towel. not awkward when i walk down the first floor and se guys shirtless. i dont even think i would mind coed bathrooms as long as they were clean and i could get my towel on to change in my room.</p>
<p>too many girls together is never a good thing in my opinion. just because most are catty at one point or another and judge. not saying guys dont judge, but at least they arent fake while pretending to be your friend. oh well, only another month and ive made good friends anyway</p>
<p>The latest trend is co-ed dorms by room. That is, mixed gender rooms. That really took me by surprise until I began to read more about it. It is less for boyfriend/girlfriend combinations than it is a non-discriminatory policy for transgender students. Gender neutral housing is becoming pretty common, as are gender-neutral bathrooms. It is totally voluntary, and I know at Brown it is not an option for first-year students.
Here's a recent article: USATODAY.com</a> - Gender-neutral comes to campus</p>
<p>is there not any bonding between the sexes? or just sex?
would you be able to choose whether you wanted a co-ed or all girls dorm? does it matter per school?</p>
<p>Here, all dorms are coed, most by room, but some by floor ... I'm pretty sure all freshman dorms are coed by room. And there's tons of bonding between members of both genders... honestly it's not that big a deal and I think the single-sex floors feel kind of awkward.</p>
<p>coed by hall is the same as coed by floor... the only members of the opposite sex that will be on the hall are ones who are visiting someone who lives there.</p>
<p>Guys do not randomly sit in the hallway watching the door to the girls bathroom, and even if they did, they could still do that in an all girls dorm.</p>
<p>Oh okay I'm sorry, I misread the initial post. She'll get used to it, I'm sure. And coed seems to equalize things more among the sexes, and people tend to mature faster in that environment.</p>
<p>Thanks for your very mature views on coed dorms. You made some very good points that I believe are probably why coed dorms have become the norm at most colleges. I attended Bucknell 20+ years ago and I was in the only coed dorm my Junior year. Girls and boys resided on separate wings of the dorm but we hung out together in the adjoining lounge and it was a nice change from the all-girl dorms. However, I still treasure the friendships and bonds I made freshman year on an all-girl floor.</p>
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When we were touring one school, we were walking down the hall of the coed dorm when a young man emerged from the shower clad only in a towel. I suppose at least he was clad in <em>something</em>, but I think all the parents were a little surprised.
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<p>I've been that guy like 5 times this year. It seems like every time there's a tour through my dorm, I'm getting out of the shower. It's fun.</p>
<p>The way that room selection goes on, you could be a dude and live right next to a girl. Its not just coed, its totally integrated. Cept for dudes livin with girls.</p>