This discussion was created from comments split from: Roommate Mystery.
Any thoughts on single vs. double (for incoming Junior who likes his privacy/independence)?
@sunnyschool I think a lot of people come into boarding school and a new living situation knowing that they need privacy and that is a concern for most people. I was concerned about the issue of needing privacy and alone time as well. I would strongly reccomend a double though. You get he opportunity to meet new people and you will begin to make connections from day 1. You can always get a single your senior year, but I and most people at my school I have talked to said they are glad they went with a double because they already had a friend on their first day! As for the issue of privacy/independence, you can still find that. Truthfully, whether you are in a double or single, you won’t get as much privacy as you do at home. Whether you have a double or single won’t change the amount of privacy that you have necessarily. There is always time that you can find though to be by yourself. This may mean not going to a social event or staying in but there are for sure opportunities if you make the most of your time. Go with a double for this year and if you don’t like it you can always have a single juniors year…you will regret a missed opportunity:) pm me if you have ang questions… good luck!!
If you feel strongly about having a single, I would recommend you try to select a dorm with a good dorm culture and large percent of single rooms. These will give you plenty of social opportunities.
I don’t think having a roommate is as important as honoring your personal preferences. None of my kids have stayed close friends with roommates over the years and most went on to move to singles as soon as possible.
Thanks! Appreciate the perspective!
Deerfield, I think has mostly single living. I think they are on to something. Being able to close the door and decompress is valuable. Also, studying when you want to and shutting off the light and getting a good night’s rest when its called for. Having a single worked out well for one of my BS students. She had double, single, triple and double in that order. I think she would say the single year was her best.
Yes I think so…Susan Cain would support it (author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking”).
DD enjoyed being in a double for freshman year but looks forward to the rest of her time at Deerfield in a single. Two years ago, Deerfield created a freshman village and students are in doubles for their first year.
Except for two trimesters senior year, ChoatieKid had a single and preferred it that way for all the reasons @preppedparent lists. I think that preference was also partly due to only-child syndrome. (The Army has knocked that out of him.)
He filled out a roommate survey the summer prior to freshman year and was assigned to a single, but he did not know until the day he showed up what the room/mate situation would be.
I agree with all the reasons above as well! My daughter had a double this past year as a freshman and it was the worst! She is an only child as wel and we did fill out a roommate survey, but her roommate situation was less than ideal! She wanted a single badly for Sophomore year for all the above reasons and SO many more and luckily she got one! It’s a third floor room with no air conditioning…but she was ecstatic!
Thanks for the helpful responses. We got the survey last week and he filled it out and also expressed interest in a single. The information said that new students do not find out until they arrive for orientation.
I think the housing situation is a very underlooked element to success and happiness. My son had a double this year. Great room mate but crowded and no privacy. Lottery system. So in a new double next year with unknown room mate. He is very unhappy and stressed about it. There seems to be a severe shortage of singles at PEA.