Students explore housing options

At the end of the year, all freshmen are met with the same question of whether or not to stay with student housing or seek outside housing. Both options have advantages that students must take into consideration when making that decision.

“When I think of living in a dorm or at The Village, I think of having an RA again,” sophomore early childhood education major Sarah Lamkin said. “I don’t want to live under a set of rules.”

Lamkin feels that living in on-campus housing prohibits her from having the freedom that she would have in an apartment or house off-campus.

“We know that students who live on campus have higher GPAs and graduate sooner than their off-campus peers,” University Housing Marketing Coordinator Cindy McClanahan said. “This is true because students who live on campus are more likely to use the resources of the university (Learning Center, tutoring sessions, etc.) and they are immersed in an environment that is focused on learning.”

When students choose off-campus housing they choose a life outside the realm of university rules and regulations, which lends a certain sense of freedom. This freedom mostly stems from no longer having a Community Advisor.

“I like being held more accountable for my actions. It forces you to grow up a little more,” middle grades childhood education major Kelly McEachern said. McEachern also said that she prefers to live with “more space” than the dorms offers. She could have chosen to live at The Village, but said living at The Village would not give her the freedom she would get off campus.

“What’s great about University Housing is that we have staff on-hand to help students with whatever challenges they face,” McClanahan said. “Our Community Advisors and Community Directors are available 24/7 to help with anything from a roommate conflict to a true crisis.”

University Housing works hard to make sure the students are satisfied with their experience. The staff is definitely the difference maker, according to McClanahan. They provide activities within the dorm halls to get the community together. The staff helps make sure the students stay connected to the university and keep in touch with what is going on. It is the staff members’ job to make sure the students are living in an environment that is “comfortable” and helps them “excel, both academically and socially,” McClanahan said.

According to McClanahan, two-thirds of the freshmen class decide to stay with University Housing after their first year.

There are different views about the reasons students would live on campus.

“I was going to bring my dog to live with me sophomore year, and I knew I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I stayed in the dorms or at The Village,” senior psychology major Travis Crunk said.

It depends on students’ preference, whether or not they would want to live on campus or off. Living on campus offers a long list of advantages and resources to its students, but there is also a whole world of freedom in living off campus that many students want to experience.

Posted by Caroline Edmond on Dec 1 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.