Whether living on or off campus, each living style has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Erika Busse, a sophomore majoring in marketing and studio art, lives in Capstone Condominiums with one roommate. Though Busse said she misses being down the hall from friends, the benefits of having her own bedroom and bathroom are worth it.
“Not all your friends are in one place anymore,” Busse said. “Most of my friends live at the Lofts or Crimson Student Living, and I don’t have a car, so I have to find a ride there or get them to come over here. It’s just harder to hang out with people. You have to make more of an effort.”
Busse said she enjoys the freedom associated with living in an apartment.
“It’s more private, because in the dorms we’d always have four people in our room,” Busse said. “Sometimes you just want to sleep, but you don’t want to be rude. It’s nice to be able to come to a quiet place and be able to relax if you want.”
Each of the condos in Busse’s complex is individually owned. Because of the proximity to campus, Busse walks or rides her bike to class. Cable, internet and water are included in her rent, while power is on a separate bill. Her unit has both a washer and a dryer, she said.
Mary Ann Cooper, a senior majoring in secondary education language arts, works as a resident advisor at Mary Burke Residence Hall in Burke East.
During the day Cooper goes to her classes, but in the evenings she said she likes to hang out in Burke in case any of her residents need her assistance. Even though Cooper is an RA, she has her own bedroom she does not have to share. The common living area in her hall is shared with around 60 residents, and the bathroom facility she uses hosts around 30 residents.
“Living in a traditional residence hall is incredibly unique because the people living here are given the opportunity to get to know each other really well,” Cooper said. “There are always people to talk to, and I am rarely lonely. I absolutely love living in Burke Hall.”
Cable, internet, utilities and all other housing bills are included in the room and board fees. Dorm life is all-inclusive, and there are no extra bills. She said she usually has no problem gaining access to the shared washer and dryer the residents use.
Audrey Watford, a freshman majoring in journalism, lives in Presidential Village II. She said she eats breakfast each morning in her dorm before a full day of classes and after class likes to spend time at the Alpha Chi Omega house, where she eats the rest of her meals, studies and relaxes.
Watford spends most of her time outside of her dorm and carries everything she needs for the day in her backpack. When she is not at Alpha Chi Omega, Watford said she goes to her brother or her friend’s houses. When she is at her residence hall, she said she spends time either in her own room or in her roommate’s rooms.
She said she doesn’t watch much television, but Watford does have internet in her dorm. All of the other utilities are covered under the living expenses. The third floor of Presidential Village II has a washer and a dryer that costs $1.25 per load.
She said the walking distances are inconvenient because of Presidential II’s location, but she doesn’t mind the exercise.
“My favorite thing about living on campus is how close I am to everything going on,” Watford said. “My house is at least 12 miles from anywhere back home, so it is a nice change.”
