Between promiscuous roommates and squalid bathrooms, for some students, living on campus is not always pleasant. However, most say the convenience of having classes and the library within walking distance outweighs — at least some — of the negative aspects of dorm life.
Many students say the best part of living on campus is having classes within walking distance of home.
Jeff Chatelain, a kinesiology freshman and Kirby-Smith resident, said because he lives on campus, he is able to sleep late and still be on time for class.
“The Pentagon is close to everything: the Quad and most of my classes,” said psychology freshman Aneesa Bonhomme, who lives in Beauregard Hall, within the Pentagon area near Kirby-Smith hall.
“You can wake up at 8:45 a.m. and still make class for 9 a.m.,” said Bonhomme’s roommate Vicky Robinson.
However Jon Courtney, an accounting freshman and Graham Hall resident, said parking is difficult sometimes.
“If I leave during the day sometimes I end up having to park on Aster Street,” Courtney said.
Katy Watson, communications intern for Residential Life, said living on campus offers students a good community environment and the opportunity to meet new people.
Chris Richard, a communication disorders senior and a resident assistant of Louise Garig Hall said because “the world isn’t perfect” many residents have a difficult time with roommates. He said when he was a resident he had a roommate who was not as clean as he was and was inconsiderate of his space.
“My roommate loved her boyfriend, very much,” Bonhomme said. “It wasn’t nice while I was trying to sleep.”
Cleanliness and maintenance of the halls is a common complaint among residents.
Angela Flot, a freshman in sociology and Miller hall resident, said while there are bugs in the showers of her floor and a risk of locking herself in her room by turning the lock too much, overall she enjoys living on campus.
“It’s gross,” Chatelain said. “It never looks like the cleaning ladies clean, and I don’t think they do.”
Robinson said Beauregard Hall and other buildings in the Pentagon area were “getting a little up there in age” and needed more renovation.
Watson said another advantage of living on campus is that students do not have to worry about monthly rent or bills because the housing fee covers utilities and is paid for at the of the semester.
However, Richard said not having to struggle to pay bills each month prevents students from having a real-world experience.
Watson also said a positive part of living on campus is the resident assistants’ programming through the semesters.
One of the reasons Bonhomme said she enjoys living on campus is because there is usually one of these events are going on near her dorm.
“The other night they had a root beer float party, and they have dances at Kirby Smith,” Bonhomme said.
Watson also said overall on-campus students have better GPAs. She said this is attributed to the hard work that goes into the community the students live in as well as the study groups and final review sessions.
According to Watson, in fall 2002 first semester freshman women living on campus had an average GPA of 2.975, while freshmen women living off-campus averaged a 2.759 GPA. First semester freshman men living on campus averaged a 2.759 GPA and off-campus freshmen men scored a 2.551.
“My grades would be worse if I lived off campus because I wouldn’t go to class,” Bonhomme said.