I think it's better for college students to live on-campus their first two years, and then move into an apartment off-campus their last two years. Freshmen and sophomores need the stability of campus life, while juniors and seniors need the independence of off-campus life. Students' needs change over four years, so their housing should too.
Living on-campus makes it easier to get oriented to the way things are done. You get the whole university experience. Plus, you interact more with other students. This includes not only your roommates, but everyone in your dormitory. The older students in the dormitory can be a big help for the new students. Keeping up with studies your first year is hard enough. You shouldn't have to worry about finding your way around and figuring out the university bureaucracy.
Living in the dormitory also makes a student feel more apart of the university community. There are more opportunities for becoming involved in university activities and networking with student leaders and university administration.
Living off-campus, however, is a definite advantage for older students. Finding an apartment, dealing with leases and the landlord's regulations, cooking meals, and figuring out budgets are all good practice for life after graduation. This kind of independence helps older students grow into adulthood.
Off-campus housing also gives students a better perspective on what's going on around them. Campuses can be like little worlds of their own. There are few children or older people and everyone is focused on education. Getting to know neighbors who aren't students is good for students coming from different places. It's a chance to find out what other people think and feel.
I think a combination of two years on-campus and two years off-campus is a winning combination for most students.
In dorms, students can learn to improve their communication skills and to live with others harmoniously. Roommates must adjust their eating and sleeping habits regarding to each other's needs. Each one must adjust his free time in such way that he does not bother others while they are studying. The environment of dorms is likely the environment of formal offices where everyone must find solution to various problems and cooperate with others.
Consequently, by adapting to conditions of living in dorms, students can actually prepare themselves for their future jobs. The environment of a dormitory is friendly and understanding, because it consists of students who have same goals and interests. For example, if one failed to understand his lecture, he can ask others for help. Furthermore, students can find that it is easier to find topics to chat or conduct activities together because they have so much in common.
Apartments have quietly different surroundings. Students usually have fewer neighbors and roommates so that they have less distraction. Thus, students can concentrate better on their schoolwork. As a result, their grades could be better. Moreover, living in apartments maintains students' privacy. One has his secrets that he does not want anyone to know and sometimes needs to spend his time alone to think about his problem. Another advantage is that people who live around apartments are diverse. Thus, students learn to contact with ordinary peoples and are not confined to the academic community. Therefore, students are offered a wide variety of experiences that will be useful in the future.
If I were in a situation to choose whether I would live in a dorm or have a separate apartment, I would choose to live in a separate apartment. It could be argued that living in an apartment limit the contact of a student with his fellow students. This argument goes on to assert that such students are deprived from social environments and therefore remain aloof and introvert. However, it is a fact that students can make enough friends even if they live outside of the university. Especially, in cases that they live with their friends.
Furthermore, students can visit each other as often as they need to. They can maintain a good relationship with their fellow students in a way that does not affect their school performance. Alternatively, students who live in academic dormitories are constantly surrounded with familiar people so they cannot avoid excessive socializing even if they don't want to. As a result, they do no have enough time for studying and the get low grades.
I think it's better for college students to live on-campus during their first two years in college, and then move into an apartment off-campus during their last two years. Freshmen and sophomores need the convenience of campus life, while juniors and seniors need the independence of off-campus life. Students' needs change during four years, so should their housing too.
Living on-campus makes it easier to get oriented to the way things going on campus. You get the whole university experience. Plus, you interact more with other students. This includes not only with your roommates, but also everyone in your dormitory. The older students in the dormitory can be of a big help to the new students. Keeping up with studies during your first year is hard enough. You shouldn't have to worry about finding your way around and figuring out the university bureaucracy.
Living in the dormitory also makes a student feel more like a member of the university community. There are more opportunities of becoming involved in university activities and networking with student leaders and university administration.
Living off-campus, however, is a definite advantage for senior students. Finding an apartment, dealing with leases and the landlord's regulations, cooking meals, and planning budgets are all good preparations for life after graduation. This kind of independence helps senior students grow into adulthood.
Off-campus housing also gives students a better perspective on what's going on in the society. Students meet different people in the society than on campus. Getting to know their neighbors who are not students can enrich students' understanding to the society and help them adapt to life after graduation.
In conclusion, I think a combination of two years on campus and two years off-campus is a winning combination for most students.
