After choosing your future college the next step is usually deciding whether or not to live on campus. It is important to look at your options and weigh the pros and cons of each choice. There are many benefits to residential living that play a role in your college career.
How could living on campus enhance my learning?
Residential living allows you to be surrounded by people taking the same classes as you. This makes it easier to schedule study sessions, ask questions about assignments and hold discussions about what you’re learning in class. In addition, living on campus provides opportunities to be an active member of an academic club.
Being a commuter might limit you when it comes to scheduling meetings with other students or having access to various resources such as a professor’s office hours or tutoring sessions.
How does being a residential student play a part in my social life?
Creating relationships is an important aspect of not only college but of life in general.
Living on campus allows you to connect with students you otherwise might not choose to hang out with. College is a place where new friends can be made, and the best part is each individual comes from a unique upbringing, hometown and background you may have never learned about otherwise.
You will cross paths with individuals from all kinds of backgrounds, beliefs, goals and personalities. This will enhance the way you view the world around you.
How could residential living affect my involvement on campus?
Most events on campus are typically planned in the evening to accommodate as many students as possible. These events might be harder to attend for a student who does not live on campus. Another benefit of residential living is that it’s easier to coordinate with your friends which events to attend together. It can also come in handy if you remember about an event last minute because you are already on campus.
Being a residential student might also allow you to work a campus job. Campus jobs are an excellent way to gain hands-on experience while continuing to build relationships with professors, faculty/staff and other students.
Where would I live on campus?
Every college has a variety of housing options. Research your college of choice to see what housing options are available, and what restrictions there might be. Many schools reserve apartments or off-campus university-owned houses for seniors or students meeting certain academic criteria.
- Traditional residence hall provides lodging for 15-20 people per floor with a shared bathroom
- Pod or mod living is for 8-10 people with a shared bathroom, kitchen and living space
- Campus apartment provides housing for 4-8 people with a shared bathroom, kitchen and living space
- Off-campus university-owned house, often pay rent to the university with the benefit of the university being the landlord to fix maintenance issues, mow grass, etc.
Be sure to look into renters insurance if you choose to live in off-campus housing.
How will living on campus benefit me in the future?
Living on campus will teach you skills such as time management, responsibility, and life skills such as laundry or learning to cook.
Living in an environment surrounded by lots of different people, whether you have a roommate or not, will teach you communication skills. It will also teach you how to respect each other’s time, property and personality type.
The community experienced in a residence hall will grant you opportunities and living skills you will carry with you long after graduation.
Community of respect at Bluffton University
Bluffton University is a residential campus. The university is committed to the belief that living with others in a residence hall is an important part of the total educational and social experience of college life. As a community, we commit to learn and live in an environment where the values of honor, honesty and integrity are fundamental to the way we choose to live.
Explore the places to live on Bluffton’s campus
Written by Bluffton University senior Beth Weigandt.