Deciding On Whether to Live On-Campus or Off-Campus
Introduction
This is the most important question for all the students when they enter the college, should they live on the campus or not. These are the first main steps in their life, and they need to make a decision which will not just give them a feeling of convenience and joy but also some benefit and ability for successful studying. Without any doubt, all the students from the beginning feel a kind of freedom and excitement which can influence their decision. However, it is very important to consider all the variants and after that decide. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of both living on-campus and off-campus and to consider numerous questions, like prices, comfort, distance, and so on. It is important to admit that studentship is a very important and memorable period of life, so it is very important to make a right choice.
When students start attending their four-year schools, this is their first time when they live without their families, and they need to make decisions by themselves. This is the time when students need to choose where to stay because there are many schools which allow their students to live outside of the campus. The decision of where to stay may be very hard. Yet, living in the campus is a very popular choice for the first-year students who just start their life at the university. Of course living in the campus has its disadvantages like noise and parties which do not let you concentrate on studying or sleeping, or there are students that need their own space and privacy, and they do not want to share their room with anybody else. In addition, you will always need to wait for empty bathroom or toilet and sometimes it will be really hard to find your place to quietly have rest.
Hypothesis
After the preliminary research based on previous survey I hypothesized that there are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of both living on-campus and off-campus based on the consideration of numerous questions, like prices, comfort, distance, and so on.
Methods
The study utilized a review of previous research surveys and asking of question to some respondents. However, responses were conducted to few students based on the time frame. Based on the survey 70 percent of the students felt that it was more comfortable and beneficial to live inside the campus based on the convenience. 30 percent however, stated that the scarcity of resources makes it hard to opt to live on campus thus opting to enjoy the comfort ability of their homes.
Discussion
I know the example when one of my friends, who was studying at university and living on the campus, and every morning she was supposed to get up one hour earlier than she should wake up. The reason is that there was just one shower on her floor and in order to avoid the queues she was getting up earlier. Furthermore, need to think about prices for living in the residence. The prices may vary and depend on which university you want to enter. At times living off-campus can be regarded as a costly venture for parents. For instance, the provision of a room with a compulsory meal schedule and other facilities will add up to more than 12, 000 dollars annually. However, this differs with securing a room inside the university which may cost about 9,710 dollars for all seasons and this comprises of meals and other facilities (Dhopade, 2015). Yet, there are much more advantages than disadvantages for living on the campus. For example, if you choose life in the campus you will definitely be in the center of the student's life and will always know all the news. Another thing is that life in the campus guarantees you all sorts of amenities and facilities, everything you need will be easily accessible. What is more, we all know that it is very hard to get up in the morning, so life in the campus gives you a chance to get up a bit later and go to the classes on time avoiding all traffic jams and problems with parking. Also, we need to include here meals: being an inhabitant of the campus, you are able to have dining services. In addition, students always have free access to the Internet/Wi-Fi.
Without any doubt, campus gives an opportunity to save the money while living there because living outside of the campus can make you spend much more money. You will need to pay for rent, electricity, cable/the internet and so on. The very important thing is that life in the campus trains your responsibility. Being a student that lives far from his family makes you learn a lot of things, like taking care of your stuff, money, etc. You are no more a child that needs the parent's assistance. You learn how to do everything on time, what to buy or not to buy, even how to make your bed very fast in the morning. One more advantage of living on the campus is that you are never alone. You have a lot of friends and classmates beside that in a difficult situation will help you. Numerous fellow undergraduates can give you a piece of advice anytime. Student’s life in the campus is a great way to find new people and start a friendship. There will always be somebody with whom you can eat your lunch or discuss the last events. Moreover, friendship with other classes can help you sometimes to do homework better because they can give a piece of advice on your subject which can definitely save you some time spent in the library.
Review of Past Research
Here, I want to represent the statistics of benefits of on-campus living by measuring it quantitatively. The statistics was taken from the Kent State University. For instance, the incoming first year average GPA for the first three semesters statistics has shown that in 2012 the number of freshmen that were living on campus for the first semester was 2.94 and the number of the off-campus students was 2.70. For the second semester, the number of on-campus students was 2.91 and for off campus students were 2.68. As for the third semester, the number of students who were living on campus was 2.91 again and the number of students who were living off campus was 2.71. In 2013, the number of freshmen’s that were living on campus for the first semester was 3.01 and the number of the off campus students was 2.84. For the second semester, the number of on-campus students was 2.89 and for off campus students it was 2.67. As for the third semester, the number of students who were living on campus was 2.95 again and the number of students who were living off campus was 2.80. In 2014, the number of freshmen’s that were living on campus for the first semester was 2.99 and the number of the off campus students was 2.77 (Kent State University, 2017). The statistics on the incoming first year persistence to the next three semesters has shown that in 2012, the percentage of freshmen’s that were living on campus for the first semester was 93% and freshmen’s that were living off campus was 90%. For the second semester, the percentage of on campus students was 78% and off campus students - 74%. For the third semester, the percentage of on campus students was 76%, off campus students - 69%. In 2013, the percentage of on campus students for the first semester was 94%, percentage of the off campus students - 92%. For the second semester, the percentage of on campus students was 82%, the percentage of the off campus students was 80%. As for the third semester, the percentage of on campus students was 79%, off campus students - 75%. In 2014, the percentage of the first semester on-campus students was 95%, off campus students - 92% (Kent State University, 2017).
The primary responsibilities of the residence hall staff is to provide students with the valuable information, promote security and safety, create a positive community through the educational programs, provide high quality living, and support students whenever they have questions or require assistance. On top of all, most universities provide its students that live in the residence halls with transportation, including the campus bus routes and transportation of students with disabilities. Also, each campus offers its residents a variety of leadership opportunities within the campus. The employment opportunities for students can include desk receptionist position, security aide, or resident assistant. Moreover, all students have the opportunity to gain the leadership skills. As we can see, there are numerous opportunities for all the students if they choose to live on campus life. My personal opinion also is that students living on campus and having all the opportunities and benefits of student’s life are happier and more successful in the future. In fact, from the beginning a lot of students are afraid of changings, of their future, and they do not know anybody at university. Some students comment while laughing that at first, they need to get used to take shower in the flip-flops and share your own private space with somebody. Yet the situation changes later. Most of the students claim that they are more comfortable and happy living on campus. Here are some examples. For the question what is your favorite thing living in the dorms, students answer that: “The people. A four-year housing system is definitely nice, as that way you have upperclassmen to ask advice, to help you on those tough problems or just to socialize with”.
—Dominik, college sophomore
“I can safely say that dorm life is by far the most rewarding part of college outside the classroom. … Living under the same roof with so many different types of people truly allows an individual to see the world with a whole new perspective”.
—Justin, college freshman (Big Future, 2017).
Results
It is proved also by statistics that individuals living inside campus hold more improved grades than those who live off campus. There are numbers of courses at the university, for example, which require group meetings and group projects. Being on campus gives an individual the opportunity to meet with the classmates any time and even late at night and no need to worry about scheduling meetings on weekends. Sometimes there are also such benefits of living on campus as private fitness centers, lounges with TV’s and pool tables, private laundry facilities, private computer labs with wireless connections and others. While living on campus you can be sure about your privacy and security. There are trained security officers who watch the residence halls for twenty-four hours per day. This is a really great advantage because you do not need to worry about your safety. In general, Residence Services are always aimed at providing the best living environment for students. They offer support and assistance for the students in order they have better educational opportunities. The goal of each Residence Service is to offer residential programs, facilities, and services that would enhance students’ learning and support their success. It goes without saying that living in the campus can bring a lot of benefits not just in the educational area but in the personal as well. While living on campus, students have an opportunity to meet different people and learn about other lifestyles and cultures. They create long-lasting memories and lifelong friendships. Young people learn the concepts of self-respect and how to respect other people. They learn what are tolerance and diversity, personal growth and ethical behavior. There are numerous social programs which stimulate students for self-development. What is more, the students always have an opportunity to interact with the faculties of the university outside their classrooms. They can participate in a variety of residence hall and campus-wide programs.
Conclusion
When you need to decide where to live there are always the existing options s to live within or off campus and each choose has its benefits and disadvantages. Each variant has its own minuses and pluses. In fact, everything finally comes down to the personal preferences and needs. Sometimes, it is better to write down your own list of pluses and minuses. Nevertheless, my opinion is that it is better to live on the campus because it gives a lot of opportunities and an unforgettable experience. I would definitely choose to live on campus. It is necessary to mention also that student’s life is that time in the life which you cannot avoid or waist just for twenty-four hours studying. It is very important to use all the opportunities while studying at university and meet as much new friends as possible. Student’s life is a great memory which will be forever in your mind. In any way, if you choose wrong, you will be able to change your place of living, and it is important to remember that despite the place you are living in, it is necessary to stay positive and friendly. Just being friendly and respectful you can live anywhere happily.
References
Big Future. (2017). Students Speak: What Life in the Dorms Is Really Like. Retrieved from https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/campus-life/students-speak-what-life-in-the-dorms-is-really-like
Dhopade, P. (2015). On-Campus Vs. Off-Campus Housing. Meal plans are mandatory when living on residence. Retrieved from www.moneysense.com
Kent State University. (2017). Benefits Of Living On Campus. Retrieved from http://www.kent.edu/housing/benefits-living-campus
