Column: Living on campus sucks
Content note: This is an opinion article and should be taken as such. The contents of this article are the opinions of the writer and are not the beliefs of the staff, student body or institution.
Living on-campus comes with a lot of pros, including proximity to classes, meal plans, amenities, socializing, security and housing resources. Although there are many benefits, the living on-campus experience may not be as great as it sounds.
Often, living on-campus is more expensive than living off-campus, USC Aiken apartment costs range from $2,596 - $3,659 per semester. With the addition of a meal plan, the expenses quickly add up.
A lack of privacy is another reason why living on campus simply sucks.
If students are able to secure rooms to themselves they will still have no choice but to share bathrooms and common areas. Students who are more private or introverted may not be comfortable sharing their space.
Concentration while studying and living on campus can be a challenge because being surrounded by parties, loud neighbors and roommates may make it hard to stay focused.
On top of that, both living and studying in the same space may increase boredom and may make dorm rooms feel cramped.
Roommates: It’s very rare that students do not have to share a room or a living space with roommates. Housing often classifies students based on age, year and gender. So, most likely, students do not get to choose who you want to dorm with.
The pros seem to always come with a con: being able to sleep-in because classes are a short walk away, sharing rooms with roommates or suitemates that are not compatible, meeting new people, studying with distractions and so on.
At the day’s end, when the sun sets, students often have mountains of homework to do while the neighbors are partying next door. College peers are screaming down the hallway and students living on-campus are cramped in rooms that are the same size as their bathroom at home with no privacy.
So, in my opinion, living on campus sucks!
I enjoy my privacy, and feel as if my room is a place where I can be myself and be free. The idea of sharing a room with a stranger is too odd for me.
With my class and work schedule, I pull a lot of all-nighters, and need my sleep whenever I can get it. I can't live with neighbors or roommates being loud when I'm trying to sleep.
Choosing between living on-campus or off-campus will depend on individual student priorities, including costs, location, privacy, amenities and over-all living expense. For me, privacy is one of my top priorities.
