AARoads Forum

Is this still allowed? I'm sure small community colleges still allow it (since most don't have dorms), but what about big universities?

When I attended NKU in the 1990s, you were definitely allowed to live off campus, and it didn't matter what your living arrangements were. I think the only way it mattered was in regard to whether you'd pay in-state tuition. Being allowed to live off campus was useful because I already lived only about a mile from the university, so what would be the point in relocating? Since I already lived near the school, why would I want to move onto campus? The University of Cincinnati allowed you to live off campus too.

I don't know if these universities still allow it. Nowadays, it seems like even universities that are much smaller and not even very prestigious or well-known require students to live on campus, especially freshmen.

Of course. There's not enough capacity at dorms to handle the influx of students.

Otherwise there wouldn't be so much student housing popping up off-campus in Seattle, for example.

Where I went to college, had to stay in dorms then dorms were optional.  They gave a long sheet on why and was all nonsense.

When I went to Missouri State, the rule was that freshmen were required to stay in the dorms, but sophomores and up were allowed to live off-campus. I think you were able to get a waiver if your parents lived close enough and you wanted to remain living with them, however. They did have a bunch of BS reasons for it, claiming that students did better academically living in the dorms than off-campus.

I ended up not getting enough credit hours my freshman year to not be still considered a freshman my second year, so I was going to have to stay in the dorms for a second year. That was part of my reason for choosing not to return to Missouri State after that first year. (And then I ended up just not going back to college at all, unfortunately.)

Quote from: Big John on January 30, 2023, 09:55:50 PM
Where I went to college, had to stay in dorms then dorms were optional.  They gave a long sheet on why and was all nonsense.

Probably the biggest reason is to keep kids who lived with their parents entire life from getting way out of control. But saying "we don't trust you" to a 18 year old is the best way to start a revolt.
Once the feeling of getting out of parents place wears out and a harsh reality of test and exams is understood - welcome to the next step...

The worst: BYU campuses requiring that students only live in "approved" housing, thus creating a small, very overpriced oligarchy.

Quote from: kalvado on January 30, 2023, 10:06:05 PM

Quote from: Big John on January 30, 2023, 09:55:50 PM
Where I went to college, had to stay in dorms then dorms were optional.  They gave a long sheet on why and was all nonsense.

Probably the biggest reason is to keep kids who lived with their parents entire life from getting way out of control. But saying "we don't trust you" to a 18 year old is the best way to start a revolt.
Once the feeling of getting out of parents place wears out and a harsh reality of test and exams is understood - welcome to the next step...

I mean, it's not like people can't be out of control in the dorms. Or make friends with someone else that lives off campus (like someone who doesn't go to school) and party with them. Or, once they turn 21, go to a bar and party there.

The only good argument I could see would be that incurring off-campus living expenses increases the likelihood that someone will have to take on a part-time job that interferes with studying.

Quote from: Scott5114 on January 30, 2023, 10:12:27 PM

Quote from: kalvado on January 30, 2023, 10:06:05 PM

Quote from: Big John on January 30, 2023, 09:55:50 PM
Where I went to college, had to stay in dorms then dorms were optional.  They gave a long sheet on why and was all nonsense.

Probably the biggest reason is to keep kids who lived with their parents entire life from getting way out of control. But saying "we don't trust you" to a 18 year old is the best way to start a revolt.
Once the feeling of getting out of parents place wears out and a harsh reality of test and exams is understood - welcome to the next step...

I mean, it's not like people can't be out of control in the dorms. Or make friends with someone else that lives off campus (like someone who doesn't go to school) and party with them. Or, once they turn 21, go to a bar and party there.

The only good argument I could see would be that incurring off-campus living expenses increases the likelihood that someone will have to take on a part-time job that interferes with studying.

At least local state university has dorms priced well above rentals. No parking passes for freshman limited job opportunities
And it is not about total control, after all most students are legally adults at 18+.

I don't see why local students who live within a reasonable commuting distance would be required to live in a dorm, especially when students are always encouraged to save money.  Dorms are expensive to reside even per semester.  I was never required to live in a dorm, but then again my university never had one, and I lived 18 miles away from there.

Another thing universities do now is require students to buy a meal plan. I never had to do this. If I got hungry at school, I'd just go to the cafeteria when I needed it.

Universities have also begun forcing students to buy some sort of insurance. This wasn't required in my day.

Michigan State only allowed my sister to live at home with my Mon or in a dorm she freshman year.  I was doing things the poor man's way in the Maricopa Community Colleges, no dorms there. 

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 12:13:38 AM
Another thing universities do now is require students to buy a meal plan. I never had to do this. If I got hungry at school, I'd just go to the cafeteria when I needed it.

Universities have also begun forcing students to buy some sort of insurance. This wasn't required in my day.

Where exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AMWhere exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

I have read it on regular news sites in recent years, or I know people who have kids starting college who have told me about it.

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 02:08:29 AM

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AMWhere exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

I have read it on regular news sites in recent years, or I know people who have kids starting college who have told me about it.

It's possible some schools require it, but I don't think anything like required on-campus living, meal plans, or insurance is any way the norm.

By the way, what kind of insurance are you referring to?

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:13:22 AM

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 02:08:29 AM

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AMWhere exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

I have read it on regular news sites in recent years, or I know people who have kids starting college who have told me about it.

It's possible some schools require it, but I don't think anything like required on-campus living, meal plans, or insurance is any way the norm.

By the way, what kind of insurance are you referring to?

I think it was some sort of injury insurance.

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AM

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 12:13:38 AM
Another thing universities do now is require students to buy a meal plan. I never had to do this. If I got hungry at school, I'd just go to the cafeteria when I needed it.

Universities have also begun forcing students to buy some sort of insurance. This wasn't required in my day.

Where exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

I mentioned the dorm requirement I was subject to at Missouri State upthread. A meal plan was also mandatory.

I don't remember anything about insurance, but it was 2007, so insurance was a lot different back then.

In some cities, off-campus housing for students, especially undergrads, is controversial enough that universities are under pressure to build more dorms.

Quote from: Scott5114 on January 30, 2023, 10:05:12 PM
When I went to Missouri State, the rule was that freshmen were required to stay in the dorms, but sophomores and up were allowed to live off-campus. I think you were able to get a waiver if your parents lived close enough and you wanted to remain living with them, however. They did have a bunch of BS reasons for it, claiming that students did better academically living in the dorms than off-campus.

Virginia Tech was basically the same way.  After freshman year, living on campus was all but impossible unless you got to be a RA.  I am not familiar with the Honors Colleges stuff to make a statement on that.

Like everything else, these sorts of things all vary from school to school. UVA, for example, requires first-year undergrads (except anyone local to Charlottesville) to live on-Grounds and to buy a meal plan (because the first-year dorms lack kitchens), but after that year a majority of students live off-Grounds.

Duke requires students either to prove that they have medical insurance or else to buy it from the university. (That requirement didn't exist in my day.) I don't remember what their rules for housing are, but over 90 percent of undergrads live in university housing all four years.

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AM

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 12:13:38 AM
Another thing universities do now is require students to buy a meal plan. I never had to do this. If I got hungry at school, I'd just go to the cafeteria when I needed it.

Universities have also begun forcing students to buy some sort of insurance. This wasn't required in my day.

Where exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

Well, your singular experience must be representative. :D

My kids have moved from campus to campus over their undergraduate years.  At both colleges my daughter has been to so far, there was an on-campus requirement...or you'd be a fool not to (at her current college, on-campus room is included in tuition).  Meal plans were also required.

Not so for my son, who was able to live off-campus at his first college and not have a meal plan.

Neither were required to purchase college health insurance as long as they could prove they were on mine.

But, when I went to college 30 years ago, prior to Obamacare, kids got kicked off their parents' insurance early on (18, I think).  Fun times and one of the many ways Gen X got screwed.

I went to UMass Lowell. There ws no on campus requirement, and in fact, the university encourages using the city buses so that those who live within 10 miles can commute there.

MIT requires being on campus for freshmen only. At UMass Lowell, I never was a freshman because of my AP credits, but I don't know how it would have worked at MIT if I had gotten in.

QuoteBut, when I went to college 30 years ago, prior to Obamacare, kids got kicked off their parents' insurance early on (18, I think).  Fun times and one of the many ways Gen X got screwed.

I think that was the one part of Obamacare that no one considered controversial.

At Salem State, where I currently go to school, there is no requirement for students to live on campus. In fact, some people who live in Lynn actually take the bus into Salem to get here.

Quote from: 1 on January 31, 2023, 07:20:41 AM
I went to UMass Lowell. There ws no on campus requirement, and in fact, the university encourages using the city buses so that those who live within 10 miles can commute there.

MIT requires being on campus for freshmen only. At UMass Lowell, I never was a freshman because of my AP credits, but I don't know how it would have worked at MIT if I had gotten in.

Huh.  Wonder if that's a "new" requirement.  When my brother went to MIT, freshmen could start right off in a "frat" (MIT frats aren't real frats :D).

Quote from: Rothman on January 30, 2023, 10:08:01 PM
The worst: BYU campuses requiring that students only live in "approved" housing, thus creating a small, very overpriced oligarchy.

Provo at least has loosened that.  After a full year in the dorms or approved housing, you can live anywhere now.

College wanting students to have health insurance - and giving them an option of getting something through the college if nothing is available otherwise, especially for dorm population - makes some sense. Maybe not perfect sense, but dealing with seriously sick kid in a dorm is a challenge
food plan.. I can also see some logic here. At least I heard more than once about K-12 kids coming to school only because they can get a free meal. Partying through all the money... I can also see that happening.  And dorms are likely not happy with kids cooking their own stuff as well, for fire prevention reasons if nothing else.
So entire package of dorm (dry one for freshmen over here) + meal plan + health insurance to me is just a way to maximize the chance of students surviving their first year. Not sure if that is too much of a nanny state college, but IMHO that is the spirit.
Income from dorms is also a part of the deal... 

I did not have a meal plan. I still lived at home. I used what were called RiverHawk Bucks, which I could spend $300 cash and get $400 worth for on-campus dining – much cheaper than $2000 for a meal plan, since I was only having one meal per day, typically lunch, on campus. (I had to get off campus by 5:30 PM or else I would have to take an Uber home, which is $25.) In addition, some restaurants in downtown Lowell give students a 10% discount.

Quote from: elsmere241 on January 31, 2023, 10:03:50 AM

Quote from: Rothman on January 30, 2023, 10:08:01 PM
The worst: BYU campuses requiring that students only live in "approved" housing, thus creating a small, very overpriced oligarchy.

Provo at least has loosened that.  After a full year in the dorms or approved housing, you can live anywhere now.

Interesting. I am sure landlords in Provo that had approved housing screamed bloody murder when that change occurred.

The worst, most criminal landlords I've ever had were in Rexburg, ID when I went to Ricks.  Made me think of Mormons that got to Missouri first and then charged those that came later twice the price...

My alma mater had a policy where freshman and sophomores were required to live on campus, but it was possible to request an exception to that policy (although I don't know what that entailed).

Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

Didn't have to live in the dorms at KU nor have a meal plan. I did live in the dorms freshman year and cancelled my meal plan halfway through the year as I wasn't there enough to use it between classes and working.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on January 31, 2023, 12:07:05 PM
Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

I could not have said it better myself. :-D

Quote from: Scott5114 on January 30, 2023, 10:05:12 PM
When I went to Missouri State, the rule was that freshmen were required to stay in the dorms, but sophomores and up were allowed to live off-campus. I think you were able to get a waiver if your parents lived close enough and you wanted to remain living with them, however. They did have a bunch of BS reasons for it, claiming that students did better academically living in the dorms than off-campus.

When Missouri State called me about my application, I asked about this policy. They said to me that if I live within 45 minutes away from campus I'm allowed to live at home.

After looking at some of the dorms at MSU, I can say I am better off at home. I can get more studying and homework done when I don't have to take the time to walk down and wait to use the communal kitchen or restroom/showers that everyone on a floor has to share.

Quote from: ozarkman417 on January 31, 2023, 12:30:54 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on January 30, 2023, 10:05:12 PM
When I went to Missouri State, the rule was that freshmen were required to stay in the dorms, but sophomores and up were allowed to live off-campus. I think you were able to get a waiver if your parents lived close enough and you wanted to remain living with them, however. They did have a bunch of BS reasons for it, claiming that students did better academically living in the dorms than off-campus.

When Missouri State called me about my application, I asked about this policy. They said to me that if I live within 45 minutes away from campus I'm allowed to live at home.

After looking at some of the dorms at MSU, I can say I am better off at home. I can get more studying and homework done when I don't have to take the time to walk down and wait to use the communal kitchen or restroom/showers that everyone on a floor has to share.

I was unwilling to have communal bathrooms, which is one of the reasons I went to KU. We had a quad dorm room with two two-person bedrooms on either side of a communal living space with kitchenette and bathroom. Sharing one bathroom with three guys was way better than the whole floor, that's for sure.

Quote from: kalvado on January 31, 2023, 10:18:32 AMAt least I heard more than once about K-12 kids coming to school only because they can get a free meal.

When I went to NKU, meals weren't free. It was more like a food court or fast food restaurant.

All these things depend enormously on the university in question.  Some don't require students to live on campus at all, some do for the first year or two...

Some require students who don't already have medical insurance to buy it - this is especially useful for international students very few of whom have insurance from their home countries that would cover treatment in the U.S.  But other universities don't require it.

Checking each university's web site that you're interested in might be the best way to find out.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on January 31, 2023, 12:07:05 PM
Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

Jesus, if that's your attitude, then why in the hell are you living in a college town?

A lot of schools require freshman and some sophomore students to live on campus. They may say its better for the college experience or for academics, but one of the reasons for that and the meal plans is that the schools make quite a bit of money off of both of those.  I had three sons that went to college, one went to a part commuter school (obviously no requirement) and then the other a community school (no dorms).  The second went to Murray State where he lived in a dorm for two years and then moved to an apartment for his remaining four years (yes-six years for BS Degree), the third went to a local private university where he commuted for four years due to an exception since we lived within 7 or 8 miles of the campus.  I do know for a fact that one of the schools built a student union building with the extra funds available through housing/meals.

Quote from: Life in Paradise on January 31, 2023, 12:59:35 PM
A lot of schools require freshman and some sophomore students to live on campus. They may say its better for the college experience or for academics, but one of the reasons for that and the meal plans is that the schools make quite a bit of money off of both of those.  I had three sons that went to college, one went to a part commuter school (obviously no requirement) and then the other a community school (no dorms).  The second went to Murray State where he lived in a dorm for two years and then moved to an apartment for his remaining four years (yes-six years for BS Degree), the third went to a local private university where he commuted for four years due to an exception since we lived within 7 or 8 miles of the campus.  I do know for a fact that one of the schools built a student union building with the extra funds available through housing/meals.

When I started college, we were told we could expect to take 5 years to complete a 4-year degree. That should have been a red flag.

Many 18 or 19 year olds feel lost the first year of college.  Many of them leave all or most of their friends as well as their families behind, and teachers take more of an "ask for help if you need it" attitude rather than coming to the student asking why they didn't turn in their assignment.  Student housing gives at least some degree of support socially in activities and parties on the floor, forced socializing with a roommate, and even some support in the university system by having an RA who's a peer to ask about problems rather than a grown up.

Quote from: kkt on January 31, 2023, 01:06:10 PM
Many 18 or 19 year olds feel lost the first year of college.  Many of them leave all or most of their friends as well as their families behind, and teachers take more of an "ask for help if you need it" attitude rather than coming to the student asking why they didn't turn in their assignment.  Student housing gives at least some degree of support socially in activities and parties on the floor, forced socializing with a roommate, and even some support in the university system by having an RA who's a peer to ask about problems rather than a grown up.

I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

I went to Georgia Tech for undergrad. Probably 98% of freshmen, including me, were part of their Freshman Experience program (since renamed to First-Year Experience apparently because "freshmen" is now considered sexist). That meant you had to live in the dorms, and you had to buy the most expensive meal plan. Unless you joined a fraternity or sorority, in which case you could buy the less expensive Greek meal plan (though of course, any savings there would be quickly cancelled out by chapter dues and such).

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM

Quote from: kkt on January 31, 2023, 01:06:10 PM
Many 18 or 19 year olds feel lost the first year of college.  Many of them leave all or most of their friends as well as their families behind, and teachers take more of an "ask for help if you need it" attitude rather than coming to the student asking why they didn't turn in their assignment.  Student housing gives at least some degree of support socially in activities and parties on the floor, forced socializing with a roommate, and even some support in the university system by having an RA who's a peer to ask about problems rather than a grown up.

I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

This. I'm really glad I lived in the dorms simply for the socialization aspect, as I knew exactly zero people in Atlanta when I started college. I had two RA's and talked to them more than twice, but didn't really ever hang with them and they certainly weren't people I would think of going to with any issues/problems I had.

Of course, contributing to this was the fact that we cycled through something like four or five of them that year. One was never there and I think actually got removed after the fall semester, another went off to study abroad in spring, then the basement floor of my dorm building flooded and the RA for that floor was transferred up to ours temporarily.

Quote from: Life in Paradise on January 31, 2023, 12:59:35 PM
A lot of schools require freshman and some sophomore students to live on campus.  ..

This just came up in conversation with a friend who is on staff at Miami University (Oxford, OH).  Freshmen and sophomores are required to live in the dorms unless their parents'/guardians' home is within x miles of campus (I can't remember for sure, but I think he said x=20). 

At the time when I was looking at schools, Miami was known for having some of the best dorms. Not sure if that's still the case.

It's been a few years since I was in college, but requirements varied even back then.

At Morehead State University, freshmen were required to live in the dorms unless they lived with their parents and commuted. Meal plans were optional. I lived in dorms my entire college career because the dorm room was covered in my scholarship. I only had to pay extra the years I had a private room.

Meanwhile, 60 miles down the road at UK, there was a meal plan requirement, but I don't know if it applied to everyone, or just those who lived in the dorms. One of my friends was attending UK and her boyfriend was at Morehead. She used to get extra snack cakes (Hostess, Little Debbie, that type) on her meal plan to give to him.

I have no idea what the requirements are now.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on January 31, 2023, 12:07:05 PM
Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

The bigger problem with my alma mater UMass-Lowell is the university buying taxable land and taking it off the books, meanwhile refusing to pay anything to the city to pitch in because they pull the non-profit card when convenient then on another hand pull the state university card when convenient, whatever gets them out of paying a fair share to things like fire and EMS services. In the past 20 years I believe the city has lost something like $20M/year in property tax revenue due to it, though I imagine the city gets something in return economy-wise to offset the revenue loss.

Heh.  I lived in a college town that was so brilliant that it put a large senior assisted living complex almost right in the middle of its downtown.

Town wanted to build a new parking garage.  By the time the blue hairs were done, the Town spent an absurd amount of money for about 15 spaces (at most) in a one-level hole in the ground "garage."

In more recent years, the blue hairs have seen their power wane, from what I've heard.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 31, 2023, 12:14:27 AM
Michigan State only allowed my sister to live at home with my Mon or in a dorm she freshman year.  I was doing things the poor man's way in the Maricopa Community Colleges, no dorms there.

Same here.  When I was at MCC (graduated in 1975), it was (and still is), like most community colleges, a commuter school.  I lived with my folks in NE Phoenix, about a 15 mile drive each way.  The 1973 gas shortage made filling up difficult.

But so was ASU for the most part, and even more-so today.  Tons of apartments in Tempe that are occupied by students.  When I lived south of Baseline Rd, the complex I lived in was probably 20% ASU students, and that's about 4 miles from campus.

I have a cousin who rented an apartment in Montreal instead of of a dorm when he studied at McGill University in the late 1980s. I don't know if their policies have changed since then.

Quote from: Rothman on January 31, 2023, 07:01:56 AM

Quote from: jakeroot on January 31, 2023, 02:06:43 AM

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 12:13:38 AM
Another thing universities do now is require students to buy a meal plan. I never had to do this. If I got hungry at school, I'd just go to the cafeteria when I needed it.

Universities have also begun forcing students to buy some sort of insurance. This wasn't required in my day.

Where exactly are you getting this information? Neither the dorm requirement, meal plan, or insurance rings any bells at all. And I only graduated a year and a half ago.

Well, your singular experience must be representative. :D

I just wanted to know where he had heard of these things, because (a) I had never heard of them, and (b) they don't make sense to me because, indeed, my experience doesn't jive with any of what he's talking about.

You mean you don't remember people with heads shaped like Speak N' Spells emitting bunker blasts?

Quote from: Rothman on January 31, 2023, 05:55:53 PM
Heh.  I lived in a college town that was so brilliant that it put a large senior assisted living complex almost right in the middle of its downtown.

Town wanted to build a new parking garage.  By the time the blue hairs were done, the Town spent an absurd amount of money for about 15 spaces (at most) in a one-level hole in the ground "garage."

In more recent years, the blue hairs have seen their power wane, from what I've heard.

It's funny that mocking the elderly here with the same term multiple times is A-OK...

When I was an undergraduate in the mid-1970s, freshmen (still called that back then) were generally required to live on-campus. Upper-classmen generally were required to live off-campus one year out of three, because there wasn't enough room in the dorms for everybody who wanted a dorm room. There was a lottery system for eligibility for on-campus housing, and by luck of the draw I had to live off-campus my junior year.

Members of fraternities (no sororities allowed back then) didn't have to go through the lottery. But most or all of the frats didn't have room for all members available on campus, so they had to set up off-campus annexes to house some of their members.

At my school, freshmen have to live on-campus and buy meal plans, but upperclassmen can move off and deal with food on their own. As far as I know, this is a more-or-less normal system for a college nowadays.

At the school I work for, first-year students can live either on or off campus, but the university reserves the right to require them to live on campus.

Also, not that anyone asked, tomorrow is a snow day. The first I've had here.

Quote from: SectorZ on January 31, 2023, 07:18:10 PM

Quote from: Rothman on January 31, 2023, 05:55:53 PM
Heh.  I lived in a college town that was so brilliant that it put a large senior assisted living complex almost right in the middle of its downtown.

Town wanted to build a new parking garage.  By the time the blue hairs were done, the Town spent an absurd amount of money for about 15 spaces (at most) in a one-level hole in the ground "garage."

In more recent years, the blue hairs have seen their power wane, from what I've heard.

It's funny that mocking the elderly here with the same term multiple times is A-OK...

Found the blue hair.

UW-Platteville requires students to live on campus for their freshman and sophomore years. Having a meal plan was required those two years. You could get an exception if you lived within a certain radius of the school, and given Platteville's remote location, that radius was pretty generous. It might've been 20 miles, IIRC.

Given Platteville's size (around 10,000 population), this policy is probably a necessity. Doesn't mean I like it though. Old style dorms are just awful. If you get stuck with a bad roommate, you're screwed. If people in your wing are pigs, you're screwed. I think some sort of "quad" setup, which Platteville had a couple different arrangements of in newer dorm buildings, is much better. You just have to be willing to clean your own bathroom, which many college kids aren't. But hey, that's their problem.

WARNING: COVID-related opinions. The worst part during my one-year dorm stay was that coronavirus restrictions were in effect. So you had to wear a mask just to walk down to the bathroom or in any common areas. And most of the RAs were ruthless about enforcement. They could be downright cruel and get very power-hungry about it. At least we never had a full two-week quarantine period like Madison had. That was disgraceful. I don't care what you thought/think about coronavirus, but it's inhumane to force college kids to stay in their one-room dorms for two weeks.

Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 31, 2023, 09:46:49 PMWARNING: COVID-related opinions. The worst part during my one-year dorm stay was that coronavirus restrictions were in effect. So you had to wear a mask just to walk down to the bathroom or in any common areas. And most of the RAs were ruthless about enforcement. They could be downright cruel and get very power-hungry about it. At least we never had a full two-week quarantine period like Madison had. That was disgraceful. I don't care what you thought/think about coronavirus, but it's inhumane to force college kids to stay in their one-room dorms for two weeks.

I'm actually very surprised there haven't been major lawsuits about all this.

Here at ORU, freshman have to live on campus, I'm pretty sure, but upperclassmen can live off-campus if they please.

In other news, snow days aren't really a thing anymore. The past 2 days have had online class via Zoom instead of canceling class altogether due to the thundersleet in the Tulsa area this week. I'm personally glad since I'm getting over food poisoning this week, so I can stay in the dorm all day if I want.

Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 31, 2023, 09:46:49 PM
UW-Platteville requires students to live on campus for their freshman and sophomore years. Having a meal plan was required those two years. You could get an exception if you lived within a certain radius of the school, and given Platteville's remote location, that radius was pretty generous. It might've been 20 miles, IIRC.

Given Platteville's size (around 10,000 population), this policy is probably a necessity. Doesn't mean I like it though. Old style dorms are just awful. If you get stuck with a bad roommate, you're screwed. If people in your wing are pigs, you're screwed. I think some sort of "quad" setup, which Platteville had a couple different arrangements of in newer dorm buildings, is much better. You just have to be willing to clean your own bathroom, which many college kids aren't. But hey, that's their problem.

WARNING: COVID-related opinions. The worst part during my one-year dorm stay was that coronavirus restrictions were in effect. So you had to wear a mask just to walk down to the bathroom or in any common areas. And most of the RAs were ruthless about enforcement. They could be downright cruel and get very power-hungry about it. At least we never had a full two-week quarantine period like Madison had. That was disgraceful. I don't care what you thought/think about coronavirus, but it's inhumane to force college kids to stay in their one-room dorms for two weeks.

I went to UW-Platteville, graduated in 2001. I was wondering of it was still the case that freshmen and sophomores had to stay in the dorms.

Back in my day....

All there were for the dorms were the old style, with one bathroom and shower room for one floor/wing, depending on the building. At least we knew those were getting cleaned every day. We all dreamed of the day when the newer suite style dorms would exist. Those weren't even beginning to be planned yet when I graduated. I will say though, you get to know your roommate pretty well when you're stuck in a 10X15 room together.

I think all of the freshman housing where I went was conventional dorm style. I had 40 or so other guys on my floor. We all shared a bathroom with 5 stalls (no urinals, because our building used to be a girls' dorm) and 6 showers. Except it effectively only had two showers, because three of them had unusably low water pressure, and one of them had a knob that would stop turning before it could get to the hot water. And even if you could get to that point, that was the shower that someone would always shave their pubes in ... on Friday night, so that they wouldn't be cleaned until Monday of the next week.

Another dorm had what we called "honeycomb showers" where they had 6 showers and two entrances to the showers...on the long ends. So if you showered in one of the middle two, you would have to walk through someone else's shower. It was clear that at some point in the past there weren't any curtains at all. I think they've renovated this configuration away since then, but this is what that looked like:

(https://i.imgur.com/fcvLJRO.jpg)

Put it this way. I'm really glad I got to have the experience of dorm life. But I can't imagine doing it again.

stressed or drunk or god knows what students pulling the fire alarm in the middle of the night when there was no fire.

showers that didn't drain right, so walking into the shower there was 3/4 inch of yucky dirty standing water (mixed with shampoo and god knows what else) that you'd have to wade through.

living on the 11th floor, served by elevators that broke a couple of times a month.

come to think of it, they were broken during checkin too.  everyone had to haul all their posessions up 11 flights of stairs.

there were indeed some good things about dorm life.  but, Never Again.

Quote from: bandit957 on January 30, 2023, 09:47:37 PM
Is this still allowed? I'm sure small community colleges still allow it (since most don't have dorms), but what about big universities?

When I attended NKU in the 1990s, you were definitely allowed to live off campus, and it didn't matter what your living arrangements were. I think the only way it mattered was in regard to whether you'd pay in-state tuition. Being allowed to live off campus was useful because I already lived only about a mile from the university, so what would be the point in relocating? Since I already lived near the school, why would I want to move onto campus? The University of Cincinnati allowed you to live off campus too.

I don't know if these universities still allow it. Nowadays, it seems like even universities that are much smaller and not even very prestigious or well-known require students to live on campus, especially freshmen.

I went to a CSU 1978-83+Grad and NEVER lived on campus. My Stepkids also went or are going to a CSU and only lived in dorms their first years. My wife says it was required to live on campus first year unless they had permanent residence nearby.

At the university I currently attend (Queen's University), university residence is optional. In fact, the school does not have enough capacity to house 100% of incoming first-year students. Usually, 7% of first-year students do not get residence even if they wanted to, and I happened to be one of them.

It is pretty much expected that upper-year students live off-campus.

Regarding the theory that on-campus residences are meant to control students... I would beg to differ. In fact, students in university residences at my school are typically way rowdier than those living off-campus, since they do not really treat the place as "theirs". They party like crazy and treat residence facilities like it's nothing.


Another comment: I'm pretty sure that a large number of Canadian universities have more commuter students than living-on-campus students simply because a lot of them are located in large population centres. There's only a handful of "college town" universities (one of which I attend).

Quote from: US 89 on February 01, 2023, 12:37:16 AM
Put it this way. I'm really glad I got to have the experience of dorm life. But I can't imagine doing it again.

Quote from: kkt on February 01, 2023, 12:46:33 AM.
there were indeed some good things about dorm life.  but, Never Again.

Same here

Quote from: bandit957 on January 31, 2023, 10:16:29 PM

Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 31, 2023, 09:46:49 PMWARNING: COVID-related opinions. The worst part during my one-year dorm stay was that coronavirus restrictions were in effect. So you had to wear a mask just to walk down to the bathroom or in any common areas. And most of the RAs were ruthless about enforcement. They could be downright cruel and get very power-hungry about it. At least we never had a full two-week quarantine period like Madison had. That was disgraceful. I don't care what you thought/think about coronavirus, but it's inhumane to force college kids to stay in their one-room dorms for two weeks.

I'm actually very surprised there haven't been major lawsuits about all this.

Not sure why there would be given the trouble colleges had during the pandemic with COVID spreading through their student populations due to lack of diligence.

Both my son and daughter had to deal with restrictions of one sort or another -- most of my son's classes ended up being virtual.  Both had close calls with COVID -- my son had a foolish roommate, while my daughter had friends that headed off to a neighboring college to party, bringing the virus back with them (same college just had an issue with hand-foot-mouth this past year...I guess "lack of hygiene" was a requirement to be admitted to it).  Daughter in particular had to deal with quarantines and was stuck in her dorm due to exposures.

Anyway, lawsuits would be baseless given the measures were put in place to prevent outbreaks, of which there is ample evidence that when protocols weren't followed, occurred frequently.  Probably explains the lack of lawsuits altogether.

Quote from: tchafe1978 on January 31, 2023, 11:56:26 PM

Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 31, 2023, 09:46:49 PM
...

I went to UW-Platteville, graduated in 2001. I was wondering of it was still the case that freshmen and sophomores had to stay in the dorms.

Back in my day....

All there were for the dorms were the old style, with one bathroom and shower room for one floor/wing, depending on the building. At least we knew those were getting cleaned every day. We all dreamed of the day when the newer suite style dorms would exist. Those weren't even beginning to be planned yet when I graduated. I will say though, you get to know your roommate pretty well when you're stuck in a 10X15 room together.

There are now 3 dorms with newer layouts. One is like a 4-person apartment, that one I think was built just a few years after you graduated. The other two are closer to traditional dorms, where two people share a room, but each quad has its own bathroom and shower.

If you still remember the names, I got to stay in one of the "circle" dorms (Brockert Hall) for one year.

Quote from: kkt on February 01, 2023, 12:46:33 AM
stressed or drunk or god knows what students pulling the fire alarm in the middle of the night when there was no fire.

showers that didn't drain right, so walking into the shower there was 3/4 inch of yucky dirty standing water (mixed with shampoo and god knows what else) that you'd have to wade through.

living on the 11th floor, served by elevators that broke a couple of times a month.

come to think of it, they were broken during checkin too.  everyone had to haul all their posessions up 11 flights of stairs.

there were indeed some good things about dorm life.  but, Never Again.

Well, I'll add one more thing to your list of bad things: When someone would projectile-vomit all over a stall on Friday night and it would stay that way until Monday morning, when the cleaners came.

I lived in the dorms for two years and change, but I also lived in a dorm Hall of Residence during my semester abroad.  Every room was a single room, and there was one single-occupant toilet with a bathtub or toilet per ten or so residents.  The day after the spring formal dance, there wasn't a toilet to be found that hadn't been "christened."

Quote from: CoreySamson on January 31, 2023, 11:16:01 PM
In other news, snow days aren't really a thing anymore. The past 2 days have had online class via Zoom instead of canceling class altogether due to the thundersleet in the Tulsa area this week.

That's part of why I thought it worth mentioning. For me, classes were not pushed online or anything like that but directly canceled:

(https://i.imgur.com/TWwFiqT.png)

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 01, 2023, 11:49:20 AM

Quote from: CoreySamson on January 31, 2023, 11:16:01 PM
In other news, snow days aren't really a thing anymore. The past 2 days have had online class via Zoom instead of canceling class altogether due to the thundersleet in the Tulsa area this week.

That's part of why I thought it worth mentioning. For me, classes were not pushed online or anything like that but directly canceled:

(https://i.imgur.com/TWwFiqT.png)

Honestly speaking, for lots of classes setting up one-off virtual one on short term notice is a pain.
Lecture is relatively easy, labs are a pain. And  then there is a patchwork of what is online, and what is not worth it.

When I was at California State University-Sacramento I was not required to live at a dorm. I commuted to school. But then again I was a transfer student from a community college at that time.  I was not required to live on campus.  If you went to a University as a freshman as an out of state student that could be likely. Since I was an in state student I was not required to live on Campus but have to verify that I lived in the state for some time.

Quote from: abefroman329 on January 31, 2023, 12:58:44 PM

Quote from: triplemultiplex on January 31, 2023, 12:07:05 PM
Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

Jesus, if that's your attitude, then why in the hell are you living in a college town?

It's fun hanging out with the hep-cats.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 01, 2023, 05:26:10 PM

Quote from: abefroman329 on January 31, 2023, 12:58:44 PM

Quote from: triplemultiplex on January 31, 2023, 12:07:05 PM
Student housing is always a low-key civil war between campus interests and townie interests.  The students want affordable options close to school; the townies don't like the 'kids' getting all rowdy on the weekends and are always, ALWAYS complaining about goddamn parking.  I swear you can't get anything done in a college down without a bunch of blue-hairs whining about stupid parking.  They don't like street parking; they don't like parking lots; parking garages are too expensive; it never ends with the townies and their precious parking.  All because one time they couldn't park directly in front of the place they were going.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read/heard the phrase, "Local residents are raising concerns about the parking situation related to the proposed....." I could take a really nice vacation.

Jesus, if that's your attitude, then why in the hell are you living in a college town?

It's fun hanging out with the hep-cats.

Sure, but the hep-cats gotta hep-cat.

Quote from: ozarkman417 on January 31, 2023, 12:30:54 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on January 30, 2023, 10:05:12 PM
When I went to Missouri State, the rule was that freshmen were required to stay in the dorms, but sophomores and up were allowed to live off-campus. I think you were able to get a waiver if your parents lived close enough and you wanted to remain living with them, however. They did have a bunch of BS reasons for it, claiming that students did better academically living in the dorms than off-campus.

When Missouri State called me about my application, I asked about this policy. They said to me that if I live within 45 minutes away from campus I'm allowed to live at home.

After looking at some of the dorms at MSU, I can say I am better off at home. I can get more studying and homework done when I don't have to take the time to walk down and wait to use the communal kitchen or restroom/showers that everyone on a floor has to share.

I was in Blair-Shannon, which meant that shared a room with another guy. Three such rooms shared a common living room and bathroom, which meant that there were basically 6 guys living together. I lucked out in that everyone in my suite was generally pretty chill (and one ended up not returning for the spring semester), but boy howdy I could see how that could go super badly if you ended up with the wrong set of people.

Freudenberger had a few dorms that were one-person room with a shared bathroom for the floor. At the time I thought that would have been the closest to an ideal setup, but I was a little freaked out about the thought of having to share a shower with dozens of people. Now I probably wouldn't care.

Regarding snow days: I don't remember having any while I was there, but there was one professor who had just had brain surgery and was under strict orders from his doctor not to risk anything that could result in him taking an impact to his head. He was worried enough about falling and hitting his head that any time we had any weather at all, even just drizzle, he'd cancel class.

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM
I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

That's crazy to me. I talk to my RA nearly every single day (it helps that my room is right across the hall from his, but whatever). I do agree that the dorms are great for friends. In my case, though, I'm finding some of my best friends are those in my major who I'm taking classes with.

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 01, 2023, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM
I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

That's crazy to me. I talk to my RA nearly every single day (it helps that my room is right across the hall from his, but whatever). I do agree that the dorms are great for friends. In my case, though, I'm finding some of my best friends are those in my major who I'm taking classes with.

That's good, but it's common in some schools for lots of freshman not to know what they want to major in.

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 01, 2023, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM
I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

That's crazy to me. I talk to my RA nearly every single day.

Why?

I go to Coastal Carolina, and here's the policy: "Therefore, all degree-seeking, full-time, first and second-year students who graduated from high school within two calendar years prior to enrolling in Coastal Carolina University are required to live in residential communities operated by University Housing and to purchase a meal plan."

One common exemption is living within 50 miles of campus with a guardian.

The full policy can be read here: https://www.coastal.edu/uploads/policies/pdf/stud-336-february2021.pdf

Quote from: Rothman on February 02, 2023, 07:05:49 AM

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 01, 2023, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM
I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

That's crazy to me. I talk to my RA nearly every single day.

Why?

Maybe the RA is actually a decently nice guy and not just a power-hungry enforcer. One of my friends from college is still an RA (he's a couple years behind me).

Quote from: JoePCool14 on February 02, 2023, 09:09:43 AM

Quote from: Rothman on February 02, 2023, 07:05:49 AM

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 01, 2023, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 31, 2023, 01:09:27 PM
I think I talked to my RA twice the entire time I lived in the dorm. I do agree the dorms help with making friends.

That's crazy to me. I talk to my RA nearly every single day.

Why?

Maybe the RA is actually a decently nice guy and not just a power-hungry enforcer. One of my friends from college is still an RA (he's a couple years behind me).

Yep, exactly.

Quote from: chrisdiaz on February 02, 2023, 08:10:21 AM
I go to Coastal Carolina, and here's the policy: "Therefore, all degree-seeking, full-time, first and second-year students who graduated from high school within two calendar years prior to enrolling in Coastal Carolina University are required to live in residential communities operated by University Housing and to purchase a meal plan."

I've noticed that "therefore" is never a good word when it comes from bureaucrats, because it usually precedes something bad.

I had an RA ambush me with his proselytizing for some religious bullcrap.  "Hey can I talk to you for a little bit?"  Next thing I know, I'm trapped in a conversation I don't want to be a part of.  20 minutes of my life I'll never get back since I wasn't a confident enough person to be like, "Let me stop you right there; I'm good where I'm at so move along with this bible shit, bro."

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2023, 11:30:59 AM
I had an RA ambush me with his proselytizing for some religious bullcrap.  "Hey can I talk to you for a little bit?"  Next thing I know, I'm trapped in a conversation I don't want to be a part of.  20 minutes of my life I'll never get back since I wasn't a confident enough person to be like, "Let me stop you right there; I'm good where I'm at so move along with this bible shit, bro."

The student body at my school was predominantly turbo-Christians, which meant nearly all of the RAs were as well, so I was pretty much constantly (and politely) turning down invitations to Bible study/church services/what have you.

We had this one RA who was a Tim Tebow-type (his name was also Tim and everything!) who would write you up, clearly enjoying every minute of it, and then act like he was your best friend.  One time, I was hanging out in the dorm room of a friend of mine, and after this RA walked past his open door and went "Hey, guys!" with a big smile on his face, my friend mumbled "I'd like to kick his ass just once..." [bonus points to anyone who knows which movie that's from].

Did dorm life freshman/sophomore years, then had an apartment for 3 years a few blocks from campus.

I actually became friends with most of my RAs. In my freshman dorm, the RA was a graduate student and I didn't really interact with him very much, but the other times, the RAs were undergrad students. My junior year, the RA had a full-sized floor model color television in his room. We all watched the "Dream Game" NCAA basketball tournament game -- UK vs. Louisville in Knoxville, the first meeting between the teams since Louisville became a national power -- in his room.

All the men's dorms were double occupancy with communal bathrooms. I think the freshman girls' dorms were the same. The upperclass girls' dorms were four-person suites. You had a sitting area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Co-ed dorms weren't a thing back then.

Man, it sounds like everyone else's college experiences are really bad compared to mine. I haven't found anyone (professor, student, peer, anyone) on campus that I don't get along with.

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 02, 2023, 04:16:36 PM
Man, it sounds like everyone else's college experiences are really bad compared to mine. I haven't found anyone (professor, student, peer, anyone) on campus that I don't get along with.

Given that you write "class of '26 "... Add one word to your reply
... yet.

Quote from: ET21 on February 02, 2023, 12:30:44 PM
Did dorm life freshman/sophomore years, then had an apartment for 3 years a few blocks from campus.

I lived off campus the whole time I was in college.  Of course, I got married between my sophomore and junior years as well.

First year, I lived in a large apartment with five other guys.  Second year, another decent-sized apartment with three other guys.

Lived way off campus with my wife for junior and senior years.

Quote from: CoreySamson on February 02, 2023, 04:16:36 PM
Man, it sounds like everyone else's college experiences are really bad compared to mine. I haven't found anyone (professor, student, peer, anyone) on campus that I don't get along with.

You're probably too early to have experienced much of anything. But hey, there's nothing wrong with trying to avoid beef with people for no reason. You're never gonna like everyone, everyone's not gonna like you. But when you do meet someone you don't like, hopefully you can just avoid them.

My college didn't have dorms at the time I attended.

I lived off-campus for one year, my fourth full year (returned to the dorm for my one additional final semester); I lived with a previous dorm mate who I have subsequently fallen out with over various transgressions I chose to no longer ignore, along with his sister who attended a different college in the area.

I think in retrospect I appreciated the convenience of being on campus and having a meal plan, even if it carried the cons of dorm life BS. Obviously some people will see it totally differently and preferred to GTFO at first chance, and that's fine, I get that.

Meal plans were always way overpriced at my colleges.

Quote from: Rothman on February 03, 2023, 07:16:49 AM
Meal plans were always way overpriced at my colleges.

At UMass Lowell, this was true for the unlimited meal plans, but the cash prices of restaurants that weren't chains (so not Starbucks) were slightly cheaper than where you would find something similar at an off-campus restaurant, and that's not even considering the "River Hawk Bucks" where you can spend $300 to get $375 (I misspoke before when I said $400).

Dorm life wasn't all bad, though.
It was enjoyable to run ethernet cables between rooms to wire several Xbox's together so like 10 people could all duke it out in Halo.  This was before there was any XBox Live or Playstation Network, so if you wanted to play against more than three other people, this is what we did for multiplayer.

Then everyone had one of those little white boards on their door for like messages or personalized art.  I recall doing my best sketch of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny for my door the week of a season premiere of South Park.

It also wasn't bad on those first really nice days in spring and there'd always be a few coeds catching some rays on the grass. The first really warm day of the year is an important event on campuses across the northern tier. ;)

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 03, 2023, 04:11:14 PM
It also wasn't bad on those first really nice days in spring and there'd always be a few coeds catching some rays on the grass. The first really warm day of the year is an important event on campuses across the northern tier. ;)

I remember experiencing something like that even in Georgia. My freshman year, it was cloudy and rained for basically three whole weeks nonstop. The sun finally came out on one Sunday afternoon and tons of people were just laying down on the grass soaking it in. Never mind that the grass was wet from the weeks of rain, or that it was only 40 degrees outside.

Quote from: US 89 on February 03, 2023, 04:45:23 PM

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 03, 2023, 04:11:14 PM
It also wasn't bad on those first really nice days in spring and there'd always be a few coeds catching some rays on the grass. The first really warm day of the year is an important event on campuses across the northern tier. ;)

I remember experiencing something like that even in Georgia. My freshman year, it was cloudy and rained for basically three whole weeks nonstop. The sun finally came out on one Sunday afternoon and tons of people were just laying down on the grass soaking it in. Never mind that the grass was wet from the weeks of rain, or that it was only 40 degrees outside.

Heh.  Nothing like New Englanders coming out on the first 50-degree day in the early spring.

When I was in college, the university had a rule "requiring" everyone under 21 to live on-campus if lot living with a guardian, but of course it was unenforceable because the age of majority is 18.

The dorms at my college had the gall to defend their food prices, by comparing them to restaurants.  Restaurants where you got table service, real metal tableware, and vastly better food.

When I attended Northern Illinois University in the 90s, freshmen had to live in the dorms unless they were married or over 21. Afterward, you could move out, but I knew plenty who lived in dorms right up til graduation,  including my first freshman roommate. (Actually, he was second, but the actual first was gone before the first week was over, so I mostly don't count him.)

Did anyone else have the experience where the dining hall food at orientation was much, much better than it was on a normal day?

Quote from: abefroman329 on February 04, 2023, 12:32:08 PM
Did anyone else have the experience where the dining hall food at orientation was much, much better than it was on a normal day?

Yes, and during parents' weekend

Quote from: abefroman329 on February 04, 2023, 12:32:08 PM
Did anyone else have the experience where the dining hall food at orientation was much, much better than it was on a normal day?

Yes x100 - whenever I'd come home and complain about the dining hall to my parents, their reaction would be "but it was so good at move-in!!!"  (My response? "Yup, that's what they want you to think." )

As for me, freshmen were required to live on-campus but could move off-campus sophomore year onward. It was well-known at my alma mater that there was not enough housing for the entire student population, but usually enough people moved off (and landlords in the surrounding streets liked to lease to students and charged reasonable rates) that it was never really an issue. I moved off for sophomore year and wound up staying in the same apartment for my last 3 years - not having to move again each year was definitely nice!

The cafeteria at NKU would occasionally serve spoiled food.

We had our infamous Green Bean and Egg Casserole. One pan was enough to serve the entire evening dinner, usually with leftovers appearing at lunch the next day.

I was never brave enough to try it.

Quote from: abefroman329 on February 04, 2023, 12:32:08 PM
Did anyone else have the experience where the dining hall food at orientation was much, much better than it was on a normal day?

Significantly yes; the running joke was the caf only had good food on the student visit days and no time else (it actually wasn't terrible but it was a conversation starter). At my school you had to apply to be let off-campus, which usually happened for most seniors (and now some juniors cause they're running out of space). The idea was to have as many people as possible live on-campus to facilitate building a culture... which I mostly avoided either running or hiding in the engineering building.

Our dining hall food generally was never great, but it wasn't really horrible either. Our biggest problem was that they tended to run out of food later in the evening.

We had two dining halls on east campus where I lived. On holidays/break weekends, they'd usually have limited hours/make less food because they assumed people would be going home or away or whatever. Which is fine, but my freshman year MLK weekend, they apparently forgot that people would be coming back to campus on that Monday night. They ran out of almost all their food long before I got there; I waited for 45 minutes for their only food, which turned out to be a salty mystery meat taco with nothing else on it. A couple friends and I decided to just give up and go find someplace off campus.

There was also the time my lettuce from the salad bar came with a little extra protein:

(https://i.imgur.com/wSRgxGQ.jpg)

Quote from: US 89 on February 05, 2023, 11:45:00 AM
There was also the time my lettuce from the salad bar came with a little extra protein:

As far as I understand, that is not uncommon. Not too appetizing, but neither a huge health issue. FDA has a standard for that:
https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook

Quote
Levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans.
.....
Action levels:
Broccoli, Frozen: Average of 60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams
...
Wheat Flour: Average of 75 or more insect fragments per 50 grams; Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams

Bon appetite!

The chow hall at my school in the late 1990s was pretty cheap for off-campus students. At the time it was still only $3.10 per meal with an ID card and it wasn't great, but it was a meal. You could also buy a pre-paid card at an even lower rate.

The selection has greatly improved over the ol' gagateria since then, with Which Wich, Starbucks and Slim Chickens on campus and the usual fast food joints just off campus.

Quote from: 74/171FAN on January 31, 2023, 07:26:15 AM

QuoteBut, when I went to college 30 years ago, prior to Obamacare, kids got kicked off their parents' insurance early on (18, I think).  Fun times and one of the many ways Gen X got screwed.

I think that was the one part of Obamacare that no one considered controversial.

I don't remember this being part of Obamacare though. I went to college in the mid-00s (read: pre-Obamacare) and I didn't get kicked off my parents' insurance.

Quote from: ran4sh on February 06, 2023, 02:19:39 AM

Quote from: 74/171FAN on January 31, 2023, 07:26:15 AM

QuoteBut, when I went to college 30 years ago, prior to Obamacare, kids got kicked off their parents' insurance early on (18, I think).  Fun times and one of the many ways Gen X got screwed.

I think that was the one part of Obamacare that no one considered controversial.

I don't remember this being part of Obamacare though. I went to college in the mid-00s (read: pre-Obamacare) and I didn't get kicked off my parents' insurance.

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) included restrictions prohibiting insurance companies from dropping children from their parents' health coverage until the age of 26. Before that, insurance companies were allowed to do so (but they weren't required to–I assume your parents' insurance just had a policy of not doing that, or they paid extra to keep it from happening.)

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2023, 04:50:11 AM

Quote from: ran4sh on February 06, 2023, 02:19:39 AM

Quote from: 74/171FAN on January 31, 2023, 07:26:15 AM

QuoteBut, when I went to college 30 years ago, prior to Obamacare, kids got kicked off their parents' insurance early on (18, I think).  Fun times and one of the many ways Gen X got screwed.

I think that was the one part of Obamacare that no one considered controversial.

I don't remember this being part of Obamacare though. I went to college in the mid-00s (read: pre-Obamacare) and I didn't get kicked off my parents' insurance.

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) included restrictions prohibiting insurance companies from dropping children from their parents' health coverage until the age of 26. Before that, insurance companies were allowed to do so (but they weren't required to–I assume your parents' insurance just had a policy of not doing that, or they paid extra to keep it from happening.)

Exactly, COBRA.  Or, you got health coverage through the college/university.

To this day, ACA did not provide the same protection for dental/vision, since teeth and eyes are luxuries.  Heck, I'm fighting my dental insurance provider to keep my son on the policy -- the crappy policy has a provision that your kid has to be a full-time student to be on it...but I found a clause in the certificate that they can be kept on if they're still "completing graduation requirements," which my son is.  We'll see how this goes.

'Murrica.

I've never understood why dental and vision coverage isn't part of the same damned policy that everything else is.

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2023, 07:14:19 AM
I've never understood why dental and vision coverage isn't part of the same damned policy that everything else is.

Same here, especially since tooth problems are connected to other health issues.

And vision...my word...yep, let's just let people go blind.

It's like if you had a homeowner's policy that covered the whole house, except for the second-largest bedroom.

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 07:18:56 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2023, 07:14:19 AM
I've never understood why dental and vision coverage isn't part of the same damned policy that everything else is.

Same here, especially since tooth problems are connected to other health issues.

And vision...my word...yep, let's just let people go blind.

And what exactly is covered under vision policy? Is it just vision correction - glasses, lenses, minor surgery; or bigger problems like glaucoma or retina detachment also included? Or, as scary as it sounds, malignant issue in the eye?

Quote from: kalvado on February 06, 2023, 08:25:33 AM
or bigger problems like glaucoma or retina detachment also included? Or, as scary as it sounds, malignant issue in the eye?

Many of those things are covered by medical, not vision insurance.

At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

Hockey fell off real bad this year, MBB is meh, WBB is second in the A10 behind Rhode Island and is on an 8 game win streak.

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

*facepalm*

The "West" are the Southwest dorms, notoriously poorly maintained and trashed by the dregs of society that attend UMass Amherst.  Fire extinguisher fights, elevator surfing and general debauchery reign therein.

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 06:54:11 PM

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

*facepalm*

The "West" are the Southwest dorms, notoriously poorly maintained and trashed by the dregs of society that attend UMass Amherst.  Fire extinguisher fights, elevator surfing and general debauchery reign therein.

I live in one of towers in Southwest (if you really want to know what tower I live in, message me I don't want to give away too much personal information public on the internet).

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 08:17:42 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 06:54:11 PM

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

*facepalm*

The "West" are the Southwest dorms, notoriously poorly maintained and trashed by the dregs of society that attend UMass Amherst.  Fire extinguisher fights, elevator surfing and general debauchery reign therein.

I live in one of towers in Southwest (if you really want to know what tower I live in, message me I don't want to give away too much personal information public on the internet).

You poor soul.

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 09:17:04 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 08:17:42 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 06:54:11 PM

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

*facepalm*

The "West" are the Southwest dorms, notoriously poorly maintained and trashed by the dregs of society that attend UMass Amherst.  Fire extinguisher fights, elevator surfing and general debauchery reign therein.

I live in one of towers in Southwest (if you really want to know what tower I live in, message me I don't want to give away too much personal information public on the internet).

You poor soul.

It's honestly fine. I heard that UMass has calmed down a bit lately. It's still fun though.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 11:44:00 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 09:17:04 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 08:17:42 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 06:54:11 PM

Quote from: SectorZ on February 06, 2023, 05:15:09 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 06, 2023, 05:10:47 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2023, 05:01:12 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

I'm surprised the different UMass campuses have different policies. (UMass Lowell has no such requirement.)

UMass Amherst does have an exception if you live within 40 miles to the campus already (aka a student who lives in Amherst). The other branch UMass campuses probably all have the same rules as Lowell.

The West is the Best. ZoooooooMass!

Except at sports.

*facepalm*

The "West" are the Southwest dorms, notoriously poorly maintained and trashed by the dregs of society that attend UMass Amherst.  Fire extinguisher fights, elevator surfing and general debauchery reign therein.

I live in one of towers in Southwest (if you really want to know what tower I live in, message me I don't want to give away too much personal information public on the internet).

You poor soul.

It's honestly fine. I heard that UMass has calmed down a bit lately. It's still fun though.

Nope.  Not that UMass is or ever was the biggest party school (not by a long shot), but drunk stupidity still abounds...as well as a hand foot mouth disease bonus this year.

https://www.gazettenet.com/College-students-celebrate-St-Patrick-s-Day-in-Amherst-45396326

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 06, 2023, 04:57:53 PM
At UMass, students are required to live on campus freshman year only. Most stay on campus sophomore year, and many move off Junior year.

As a UMass student in the 90s, all freshmen, er "First Year Students"  were required to live on campus unless you lived within 40 miles of campus as others have mentioned (I did not). Almost all sophomores lived on campus as well, with many making a beeline to Puffton Village at the end of their second year. I think if you had a certain number of credits, you could live off campus regardless of your class.

Quote from: Rothman on February 07, 2023, 07:12:36 AM
Nope.  Not that UMass is or ever was the biggest party school (not by a long shot), but drunk stupidity still abounds...as well as a hand foot mouth disease bonus this year.

https://www.gazettenet.com/College-students-celebrate-St-Patrick-s-Day-in-Amherst-45396326

Makes me glad to be at a school that has almost no parties (I say almost because I heard the basketball team and baseball team sometimes have them on their floors, or so I'm told). We still have tons of fun, but it's cool not having to deal with crap like that.

Well, if you want to hear some party school stories...

The first homecoming street party at my school after COVID had around 8000 attendees

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/8-000-people-pack-the-university-district-in-kingston-ont-to-celebrate-homecoming-weekend-at-queen-s-university-1.5625959

They had cops in riot gear.

After this event, the City would import cops from all over the province for subsequent street parties. The farthest cops I've seen hailed from Peel Region (where Mississauga, Ontario is)

Image is a random one from Google Images
(https://images.thestar.com/iTHyPJ1DBHzspxeKTS6tVz1KAVY=/1200x800/smart/filters:cb(1635164247170)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2021/10/23/wilder-than-ever-why-a-pandemic-backlash-and-social-media-are-fuelling-mayhem-at-canadas-universities/_1_crowd_with_couch.jpg)

Aftermath:

(https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.5626078.1634419839!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_960/image.jpg)

^ Ezra St in Waterloo, ON is popular for the St. Patrick's Day party. It's right near Laurier, but also not too far from UWaterloo so students from both schools go. This article (https://globalnews.ca/news/5076626/ezra-avenue-st-patricks-day-street-party/) says the crowd reached 33 000 in 2019, but it seems COVID and increasing police presence have dampened the crowds since. I remember going once or twice to check it out, but not sure which years (would've been between 2014 and 2018).

As for the thread question, neither my school (Waterloo) nor my brothers' schools (Guelph and Conestoga) required first-years (or any students) to reside on campus. I'm personally happy about that because I saved thousands of dollars by living at home (and frankly it was a big reason I chose to apply to Waterloo) and I still made friends pretty quickly. It helped that my program had the same students attend all the same classes for first year, so you'd spend the whole day with the same classmates (not to mention all the after-class homework we worked on together in the computer labs). Aah, the hard-working days of engineering school. :colorful:

Pretty interesting how after street parties got mentioned, this thread went dead silent for almost a week now. Was there something wrong with discussing street parties?

Quote from: andrepoiy on February 16, 2023, 09:33:14 AM
Pretty interesting how after street parties got mentioned, this thread went dead silent for almost a week now. Was there something wrong with discussing street parties?

Perhaps because it is now illegal to burn a sofa couch on Willey Street (US-119) in Morgantown, West Virginia (or anywhere else in the Mountain State, for that matter).  Of course, that law might be ignored if WVU ever wins against a #1 ranked team.

Quote from: andrepoiy on February 16, 2023, 09:33:14 AM
Pretty interesting how after street parties got mentioned, this thread went dead silent for almost a week now. Was there something wrong with discussing street parties?

People probably just got tired of posting and discussing this thread

I've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general, I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere. I live on campus, and I like it, especially the library, where I can find a lot of useful materials. When I do homework, I need it because it can be so complicated. Pretty often, I use the help of https://essays.edubirdie.com/economics-assignments (https://essays.edubirdie.com/economics-assignments) because math tasks are always the most complicated, and even all that info can not help sometimes. And the library sources, too.

California State University don't require people to live on Campus. When I was there at their Sacramento Campus people tend to commute to school from other parts of the city.

Quote from: stanwoods on July 24, 2024, 12:08:10 PMI've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere

Many schools, almost entirely private, have requirements for students to live on campus unless their permanent home is geographically close. It's not that unheard of.

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:14:53 PM

Quote from: stanwoods on July 24, 2024, 12:08:10 PMI've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere

Many schools, almost entirely private, have requirements for students to live on campus unless their permanent home is geographically close. It's not that unheard of.

Public schools are starting to do this now too.

Quote from: bandit957 on July 24, 2024, 01:15:55 PM

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:14:53 PM

Quote from: stanwoods on July 24, 2024, 12:08:10 PMI've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere

Many schools, almost entirely private, have requirements for students to live on campus unless their permanent home is geographically close. It's not that unheard of.

Public schools are starting to do this now too.

Probably true. They are likely doing so for two reasons. First, students perform better academically when they live on campus - or at home. Second, schools need the income to pay off the debt they incurred to build the residence halls.

Students especially in their first year are more likely to make some friends and fit in if they live in the dorm.

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:18:15 PM

Quote from: bandit957 on July 24, 2024, 01:15:55 PM

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:14:53 PM

Quote from: stanwoods on July 24, 2024, 12:08:10 PMI've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere

Many schools, almost entirely private, have requirements for students to live on campus unless their permanent home is geographically close. It's not that unheard of.

Public schools are starting to do this now too.

Probably true. They are likely doing so for two reasons. First, students perform better academically when they live on campus - or at home. Second, schools need the income to pay off the debt they incurred to build the residence halls.

When I went to college, those dormitories were textbook examples of nearly fully-depreciated assets.

Quote from: formulanone on July 24, 2024, 03:46:01 PM

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:18:15 PM

Quote from: bandit957 on July 24, 2024, 01:15:55 PM

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 24, 2024, 01:14:53 PM

Quote from: stanwoods on July 24, 2024, 12:08:10 PMI've never heard that it's a must for students to live on campus. And I think now you need to be lucky to get a place there because there are more students than in the dormitory.
And in general I have no idea how it could even been possible not to have an option to live elsewhere

Many schools, almost entirely private, have requirements for students to live on campus unless their permanent home is geographically close. It's not that unheard of.

Public schools are starting to do this now too.

Probably true. They are likely doing so for two reasons. First, students perform better academically when they live on campus - or at home. Second, schools need the income to pay off the debt they incurred to build the residence halls.

When I went to college, those dormitories were textbook examples of nearly fully-depreciated assets.

Or you were likely paying for the recently remodeled or newly constructed one that you didn't get to live in.

The rule that first years must live on campus is becoming frustratingly common (having one kid who graduated from college over a year ago and one still in college).  It's a racket.

Even worse are schools that require students to live in "approved housing," thus causing a false scarcity in housing and landlords jacking up their prices (e.g., the BYU campuses).

Then at the same time, community college credits are getting harder to transfer. It's almost to the point where the only plan that makes sense these days is going to a public university from the start. Might as well just encourage kids to get into the workforce right away until they can figure this out for themselves, I'm a much better student now than I was at 18.

Transfer credits work pretty well here.  Perhaps it depends on your state.  Yes, that is something to investigate thoroughly before you decide where to  go.

A gap year is a good idea too, unless you're already absolutely sure what you want to do.  And who is, at 18?

I went to NKU and later community college. I have a feeling that if I ever want to go back to NKU (which I don't), they won't transfer my community college credits.

I'm 51, so I think it's moot now. It's just a shame they don't build college towns for 51-year-olds.

Quote from: Molandfreak on July 24, 2024, 09:32:24 PMThen at the same time, community college credits are getting harder to transfer.

I have no idea where you live, but that is actually not the case in most places, where they are generally much easier to transfer than they were a generation ago.

As a faculty member at a 4-year school, I can say that we have more articulation agreements than ever to make the transfer path as smooth as possible for those with a degree or even just with various courses from community colleges in our region.  And when we get interest from a student outside the network of agreements, I as a department chair am asked for a quick evaluation of relevant courses in my department so the student knows what they will count as should they come to our school.

Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 25, 2024, 08:48:22 AM

Quote from: Molandfreak on July 24, 2024, 09:32:24 PMThen at the same time, community college credits are getting harder to transfer.

I have no idea where you live, but that is actually not the case in most places, where they are generally much easier to transfer than they were a generation ago.

Our main university in this area (Rowan) has either taken over or partnered with many community colleges, and nearly all are now pretty much satellite campuses of the main university.

At College of Charleston even freshmen do not have stay on campus. Charleston is so crowded in the downtown area there isn't enough space for even them to stay in all the dorms on campus.

Over the last few years there have been dorms that have been renovated and they've had students stay in hotels nearby for the first semester.

I commuted in all 4 years as it was way cheaper and I lived only 10 minutes away so at night I could drive to the library and get work done and park there. During the daytime all the parking by there is taken by faculty and staff.

Penn State requires this only for your freshman year, and only at University Park and Erie. Every other satellite campus doesn't require it, especially since some of them don't have dorms. Which is justified by the fact that most people who go to University Park don't live in State College, and State College traffic is already bad enough that adding freshman commuters will make it worse.

Second year and above? Go wild. I moved out of the dorms into an apartment, though some of my friends in CS stayed on campus for ease and convenience. State College is small enough that commute via bicycle works, so I don't drive.

Quote from: bandit957 on July 25, 2024, 07:15:15 AMI went to NKU and later community college. I have a feeling that if I ever want to go back to NKU (which I don't), they won't transfer my community college credits.

I'm 51, so I think it's moot now. It's just a shame they don't build college towns for 51-year-olds.

I'd think it would depend on when your community college credits were earned.

Prior to the Gov. Paul Patton administration (1995-2003) the Kentucky community college system was administered by the University of Kentucky. Since Patton's first term, there's been a separate Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).

When did NKU build dorms? I remember that for many years, NKU was a commuter-only school.

Quote from: bandit957 on July 25, 2024, 07:15:15 AMI went to NKU and later community college. I have a feeling that if I ever want to go back to NKU (which I don't), they won't transfer my community college credits.

I'm 51, so I think it's moot now. It's just a shame they don't build college towns for 51-year-olds.

I think they might transfer those credits. Maybe not all of them, but I think you would be surprised.

In Wisconsin, there were two year UW System campuses all over the state, and like all UW schools, are funded in part through the state's budget. Those were different than the two year "technical colleges" which are divided into districts and funded through direct property taxes.

What ended up happening is that the technical college had a source of public money that rarely was questioned, and they have built up nice campuses and entered into agreements with many of the four year UW schools. This meant that students didn't have much reason to attend the two-year UW schools any longer and they are starting to close.

That is a long way to get to my point that a lot of former "technical college" credits are more routinely accepted by four year schools than before.

Quote from: hbelkins on July 26, 2024, 11:53:27 AMWhen did NKU build dorms? I remember that for many years, NKU was a commuter-only school.

They've had dorms since at least the early 1980s, maybe 1970s. But I don't think they had as many back then.

I wonder if, in the future, colleges and universities wil be under more pressure to house more of their students on campus due to the housing crunch across the country - even if more dorms mean less tax revenue for local governments.

Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on July 27, 2024, 08:01:30 AMI wonder if, in the future, colleges and universities wil be under more pressure to house more of their students on campus due to the housing crunch across the country - even if more dorms mean less tax revenue for local governments.

But, in a lot of areas, on-campus housing is more expensive than off.