On Campus Housing

In many colleges and universities in the United States, there is an option for attendees to either live on campus or commute to school, and depending on many factors, they can make a decision that best suits their situation. One problem that repeatedly arises with living on campus is finding a roommate. Whether it is a random roommate or a friend, problems are bound to arise when one begins living in small quarters with a person they are not used to spending so much time with. On Connecticut College’s website, a post about advice for new students stated that “more than 95% of entering first-year college students have never shared a bedroom.” With that being said, difficulty adjusting is expected, but there could be a way to make this easier.

First, the use of a good roommate survey could prove beneficial in matching people who would live well together by gathering people’s sleeping, working and cleaning habits. Finding someone that is similar on these levels would definitely improve the chances of a good relationship because the living space would be respected due to similarities in values. However, this method won’t always work, which is why the actual structure of a dorm room should also be refined to create optimal success in living with more than one person. The size of an average double should be expanded so there is more personal space, creating a more comfortable atmosphere. It is harder to get along generally if one has to accommodate another at their own expense. Along with that, most rooms should be doubles with a few triples and little to no quads. In order to do this renovation, grants would be needed from both private and public donors. Although it would be hard, these renovations would help better guarantee the success of the students in a given institution. A Huffington Post article wrote that “There is no shortage of research to prove roommate relations factor heavily into a student's overall sanity.” That being said, if we can create a better system that ensures more positive roommate relationships, we should jump at the chance.

Improving the roommate survey as well as the size and structure of the room will not only benefit the students living on campus, but also benefit the institution itself. With better roommate relations, students are more likely to be successful in their academic and extracurricular careers on campus, and will bring positivity to the campus atmosphere. Along with that, students who are happy living on campus will bring a better retention rate, thus more money to the institution. It will also make things easier for the housing directors, RA’s and RD’s, because less time, energy and money will be spent on room changes, disorderly conduct and reports on behavior and other things that come with roommate issues. Also, there will be less peacemaking and uncomfortable situations between students and ResLife personnel. This switch would make on-campus life a lot easier and definitely worth it for current and prospective resident students, and for the student body as a whole.