Advantages to Living on Campus

The experience of living in college housing, whether it be a dorm, apartment, or fraternity or sorority, is central to the traditional four-year residential college. For parents who did not attend college, or who may have commuted from home or gone to college part time, this experience may seem particularly foreign. Aren't the dorms where all those parties and other "extracurricular" events take place? Despite what you may have read, studies show there are clear advantages for students who live on campus, including:

· A greater sense of involvement and "belonging" to the college which leads to greater learning and increased satisfaction with college.
· Many colleges have created "learning communities" in which students who are studying similar subjects or have similar interests live together. This experience seems to have a strongly positive effect on student learning.
· Students who live on campus are more likely to graduate.
· Students who live on campus are more likely to have informal contact with faculty, which can improve academic performance, lead to greater satisfaction with the college experience, and increase chances for success after college.
· Students who live on campus make greater gains in self-concept, and develop a greater sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency.

Some parents may look at room and board costs and see commuting from home or living in a private apartment with friends as a "better deal." Don't overlook some of the hidden financial advantages to on-campus living:

· Low or non-existent commuting costs. On most residential campuses, students do not really even need a car.
· Utilities and amenities are "bundled" into the cost of living on campus. This can include things like free high speed internet connections, free cable TV connections, unlimited use of electricity, heat, and air-conditioning, free trash pick up, furnished rooms, and free housekeeping services for common spaces like bathrooms.
· Food costs often include flexible serving hours, unlimited food, and there is no need for food shopping, cooking, or cleaning up! For students, time can be precious, and the ability to concentrate entirely on coursework is one of a four-year college's most precious experiences.

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