College Housing Types
College housing types vary depending on the location in which the student lives. Sometimes, right out of high school the need to move is sudden, in which, one of the obstacles is registering for on-campus or off-campus housing on time.
Firstly, there are different types of on-campus housing; sorority, fraternity housing, or university housing. Secondly, off-campus housing options are to live with family, renting a room in a house the campus offers, or renting an apartment independently.
Dormitories
- Said to be the “where to live at college” thought process
- Often seen in films, brought up when college freshmen move in, dorm parties are heard of, and roommate stories
- One of the places on college campuses where students commute
Most importantly, colleges like California State University and Florida International University are said to be where most freshmen commute.
First-year students can live off-campus. Subsequently, the data shown below is stating that the percentage of 11 national universities and if their students lived off-campus or on-campus.
- CUNY- City College 98%
- Louisiana Tech University 95%
- California State University – Fresno 87%
- University of Michigan – Flint 78%
- Florida International University 77%
- University of New Mexico 76%
- University of New Orleans 75%
- Rutgers University – Newark (NJ) 73%
- Northern Kentucky University 69%
- University of Illinois – Chicago 67%
- Cleveland State University 67%
There are different on-campus living options like:
∴ Residence Halls
∴ Shared with at least one other student
∴ Includes Suite-style bathroom
∴ If students are first years, meals are required
Ω Greek Housing
Ω For students wanting to join a sorority or fraternity
Ω Privately maintained by Greek organizations
Ω The students who live in Greek housing tend to have weekly meetings and events
Ω Rooms can either be sharing spaces or single rooms
→ University Housing
→ Multi-bathroom apartments
→ Spacious atmosphere
→ Is still owned by the university, which means certain rules would still apply
→ More independent than dorms
→ Students won’t have to worry about extra payments like utilities or Wi-Fi
→ Special events and get-togethers are offered
There are pros and cons when living on campus:
♣ Pros
♣ Expenses included
♣ Easy way to make new friends
♣ Meal plans are included
♣ If living on-campus, it’s regularly patrolled by campus security
♣ Eases transition to college, thus helps those going through the change
◊ Cons
◊ More expensive than off-campus housing
◊ Students may or may not bring many personal belongings depending on the size of the rooms and halls
◊ Would have to follow school policies depending on the institution
◊ Every students’ stages of life will be similar even if there is some diversity
Off-Campus Housing
This type of college housing includes houses or apartments. However, while living in houses or apartments off-campus provides a comfortable distance from the college, it also helps the students learn how to be independent and handle financial situations.
In conclusion, financial situations would also include extra expenses such as Wi-Fi, garbage removal, water, and even electric.
Depending on the circumstances, students could rent an apartment and live on their own. However, it means they have to take out more loans or pay higher fees.
If students want to live off-campus, a few options are:
♦ Live with Family
♦ If the college is close to family
♦ Can be a successful option
♦ Students may also feel growing pains
♦ Not having the full college experience as they expected
♣ Rent Alone
♣ For students who want to focus on their studies
♣ Receives the privacy students need after sharing a dorm for a while
♣ Expensive; not having a roommate
♣ Responsible for household tasks like cleaning or paying bills
♠ Rent a Room
♠ For students who don’t want to live on-campus, but are not financially stable
♠ Similar to living alone
♠ Provides solitude by having less interaction with others
♠ Can rent with roommates
♠ Payment is lower
Here are some pros and cons about off-campus living:
→ Pros
→ Extra payment is less
→ More privacy for students
→ Students can start a rental history, which is beneficial for their future living
→ There will be a variety of neighbors rather than college students
→ Students can stay for an extended period of time
⇒ Cons
⇒ If something needs attention, it may take longer to contact their landlord
⇒ Those who don’t live on-campus may need their own transportation
⇒ Some students tend to find roommates
⇒ Can take longer to get to and from campus
⇒ Certain students may or may not be involved in school activities
In conclusion, on-campus college housing types are ideally for college freshman, in which, they can be familiar with the campus and make friends.
More Importantly, off-campus college housing types are for students who prefer to be away from the campus and have their own space and be independent. In Which, this creates a big step for them to become proper adults.
Sources:
Wignall, Allison. “Different Kinds of Living Arrangements in College,” The College Raptor, Published June 15, 202o
Kerr, Emma. “11 Universities Where Most Freshman Commute,” US News, Published July 28, 2020
“The College Housing Survival Guide,” Affordable Colleges Online, Published December 3, 202o
Moody, Josh. “Living on Campus: A Guide to College Housing,” U.S.News, Published May 1, 2019
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pakarwadee Tiebklang
Student Author - Spring 2021
