<p>The fact is that if you are spending $50,000 on tuition, room and board you should be entitled to have a decent housing situation. If it is a triple, it should be a suite-like situation. If a double, it should be large enough to fit two of everything, with a bit of room to spare. The colleges that are overcrowding students into these dorm situations know exactly what they are doing and are getting away with it. If your child does not live in cramped quarters at home, why should they live like this at college? All this for the low, low price of $50,000! There really is no excuse.</p>
<p>Only portion of that 50K is for the space in the room. </p>
<p>I don't see temporary triples as a problem. Ya, I bet it can be lousy at times, but it can be a valuable rite of passage. My S's school was very clear and upfront that they always have some of what residential life calls "extended housing" each fall, assigned randomly, but they manage to break it down mostly within a couple weeks, with few lasting a semester at most and those kids get a boost on the next housing selection. A school that routinely enrolls enough on campus students to require year long triples for entire floors should somehow compensate financially or restrict their enrollment until they get it right... Then again, I wouldn't want my kid denied enrollment due to a restriction on a temporary triples.</p>
<p>Out of my d's 10 closest friends, 9 are tripled--including my d. This seems to be a problem everywhere this year, public or private. Many colleges have a higher yield this year simply due to a high number of children born in 1990.</p>
<p>I told my d to take the initiative, as she is tripled with 2 girls who requested to be together, so she is the 3rd wheel, so to speak. She actually took my advice and offered to take the top bunk--the girls reciprocated with allowing her to take one of the closets without having to share. She went to a craft store and make beautiful name signs for their door to give as a gift on move-in day which I'm sure they will love. These girls said they like to retire early, so d said she will accommodate by studying in the lounge. I am proud of her :)</p>
<p>My only hope is that tripling won't "follow them" all the way to senior year--which is a real possibility unless hordes of kids drop out or move off campus.</p>
<p>I just heard a (disturbing) story from a woman whose nephew was put in an apt w/seniors because there was insufficient housing (several years ago). Apparently he mimicked the actions of the seniors (partied a lot) and ultimately flunked out (although he was quite bright).</p>
<p>Kind of a worst-case-scenario, but illustrates the possible risks of inappropriate housing. Want to make sure that doesn't happen w/son next year..!</p>
<p>Lotsa worst case scenarios even with ideal rooms. You never really know if the same would not have occurred regardless of the rooming circumstances. However, there are such kids that the tipping point could be an adverse rooming situation. There is just more of a chance of issues when there are more roommates, crowding, distance rooming, apartment type housing.</p>
<p>I thought that I was the only person whose roommate rearranged the furniture to her advantage, without consulting the other person. I came back to my room to an arrangement that left me two inches of space to get out of bed. At that point I just blew up and insisted on a room change (this after random guys in the room at any and all hours and being thrown out on weekends.) It worked for her; she ended up with a single.</p>
<p>I think that if it really is a very bad match/situation the student or the parents should get on top of it early and often and keep calling housing etc.
Things do open up, people don't take the room for one reason or another, some people don't return as planned etc. My parents never got involved in my college issues, but I had a friend whose mom wrangled her a single for sophomore year even when she had been closed out due to the housing lottery. Things don't open up immediately, but they eventually do (even the next semester.)</p>
<p>BTW re post above, I trudged to the library in deeeep snow and way below zero temps for years. I hate cold weather, but this was much better than trying to study in a noisy dorm. A good jacket and boots, plus long underwear were essential.</p>
<p>D is living in an off campus house owned by the college. The college divided the house into three apartments. Each apartment has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, dining room, and a kitchen. This space is occupied by four students in each apartment at over $3000.00 a semester each. Let's see, that's $24,000.+ per apartment per year, $72,000.00+ per house in housing fees. And it gets better, the average price of a home in this city, is $108,000. Seriously, my d and her apartment mates could have rented a very nice house in town for that kind of money!</p>
<p>On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sonoma State University SSU</a> Residential Life - Villages
All students should live so well :)</p>
<p>Freshmen might do better if they approached roommates as business partners rather than prospective best friends. Hope for someone who will show fairness, politeness and consideration, not for a social friend. If you socialize with the roommate, and the relationship goes bad, you don't have any way to "get away from" the sour relationship. Both persons should work to keep cooperative personal habits because they are in a small shared space, but better to remain rather cool and polite. Get your best friends elsewhere.</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>
<p>A word of hope for those who were tripled....S2's friend who got assigned to an off campus apt. due to lack of dorm space has, after only 10 days there, gotten into a dorm room because the kid originally assigmed to that room never showed up. There is hope! At S2's University, no room changes can be made for the first ten days.</p>
<p>After 3 nights in her forced triple, soph daughter wants out. But no rooms changes allowed for 2 weeks. Last year she was in a triple but the dorm was small and quiet. This year's dorm is much bigger and her floor seems to be party central. Daughter is hoping she can find a room change.</p>
<p>Ugh, so sophomores are getting tripled too? And here I thought it was a frosh issue.</p>
<p>At my school Freshmen are not tripled. We are lucky in that the university owns a hotel across the street and uses it for housing. We've used as many as 7 floors, but usually only use 3. </p>
<p>Sometimes temporary housing is used, but mostly for Transfers who really get the short end of the stick.</p>
<p>As for building new housing, that takes time. You need to find money, and unfortunately, people don't tend to want to donate the big bucks for housing. Then you have to plan, get permits, demolish and build. When you are just dealing with a temporary increase in demand, then you triple. It's not ideal, but better than no housing at all.</p>
<p>There are tripled apartments, but those are for undergrads only, and priced at a discount.</p>
<p>9.5 miles from campus with a shuttle only during the day and for big weekend events? For me that would be an immediate deal breaker despite the luxurious rooms. Part of the college experience means easy access to campus for all the intangible benefits socially and academically.</p>
<p>^^^^ Wow, it looks really nice but it's not even in the same STATE as the school! S. Nashua is in New Hampshire.</p>