“Where should I live?” is at one point or another a question on every student’s mind, especially after freshman year. Typically, freshmen populate the dorms, and after that most students live off-campus, either in a house or in the Greek system. Every choice has its pros and cons, and all are unique to the type of person you are.
Dorm life
The most obvious choice for freshmen is to live in the residence halls. There are seven main dorms around campus: Walton Complex, the Living Learning Center, Bean Complex, Earl Complex, Hamilton Complex and Riley and Barnhart Halls.
Living in the dorms means students have relatively convenient access to everything the University campus has to offer, including, food, clubs, social events and more. They offer food, living space, leadership opportunities and a place to build a community.
“(Living in the dorms) is a good way to meet people,” University freshman Deborah Silbowitz said. “You get to grow as a community.”
However, as with any living situation, there are some pitfalls.
“The rooms are small,” said Sydney Bouchat, a University freshman who lives in Walton.
Room size issues at the University are known on a national scale — the University has been featured in the Princeton Review’s top-10 list of worst dorms in America. Also, it’s the luck of the draw when it comes to roommates. Jeremy Bliesner, a sophomore who lives at Chi Psi fraternity, moved out of Bean after his fall term freshman year because of
roommate problems.
Limited food choices are also an issue for some students.
“It’s hard to be healthy, unless you want to eat a salad every day,” University freshman Lindsey Tsai said.
Living off-campus
Students may opt to live off-campus in an apartment or house, either on their own or with roommates.
“There’s a sense of freedom,” said Edmon Jeiranian, a sophomore who lives at Duck’s Village. “I don’t feel babied all the time.”
Perks of living off-campus include having more space than a dorm room, eating or drinking what you want and not having to worry about quiet hours or hovering RAs. There is a multitude of apartments near campus, and most companies cater to students by lowering rent and offering amenities.
Of course, it isn’t all fun and games. Living off-campus means no one is going to clean your bathrooms or wash your dishes. Transportation becomes an issue if your apartment isn’t close to any bus routes or if you live far away from campus. Some students, like University sophomore Brian Adesman, live with roommates. Adesman lives with eight other people, which can get hectic. The problems involved with living off-campus are varied and unique to each person’s situation.
Living in a fraternity or sorority
A third option for students is to live in a fraternity or sorority. According to the Greek Life Web site, amenities include singles or shared rooms, furnished house, Internet, TV and food. Students get a variety of leadership and community service opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have, and they get lifetime membership within the fraternity
or sorority.
Bliesner’s fraternity, Chi Psi, even has a cook. He feels as if he’s closer to his fraternity brothers than any of his friends outside of the fraternity, but “if you want to be alone, it’s hard ’cause you live with 20 other guys.”
Living with 20 to 30 close friends may sound like a blast, but if you have a need for privacy, it may not be your best option. And there is an academic standard: Every student within a fraternity or sorority has to meet the required GPA or face a penalty.
The Greek houses are also substance-free, which some students, especially those over 21, may not agree with.
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