Must I have a Roommate in the College Dorm?

In this article we are going to see if it is necessary to have a roommate in the college dorm and reasons to choose to live in dormitories.

As a fresher who just got admitted into college, there are a lot of things that are going to change for you. You also need to have detailed knowledge about the school so as to be able to integrate into the system.

You must have heard about college dormitories, how you need to obey the rules of the school and that of your roommate. Also you might have been to boarding school while at high school where you are made to live with roommates. 

Must I have a roommate in the college dorm?

No, it’s not a must to have a roommate in the college dormitories. Unlike high school dormitories where you must be in one of the rooms with many occupants, you can choose to be alone in college for some reason. In college dorms, you can see double rooms and single rooms but the double rooms are always bigger.

But why will you want to be alone in the college dorm?

Though there are many people who will want to be alone in school, I don’t think it is the best for anyone except on health grounds. Being with roommates is a crucial part of the college system.

Understandably, you must have been raised in a big home where your parents are rich and you have a room of your own. You are used to dropping your stuff anywhere in your room and might keep your stuff anywhere without looking for it. So it might be hard for you to start living with somebody suddenly. But you are growing and need to add to yourself.

As you grow up, you need to start changing some of your habits in order to live with others. In this world we are now, being able to associate with others will determine how far you will go especially if you want to influence others.

Not living alone in the school dormitories will help you to associate with people. In College dorms, you have the time to grow.

Though you can live alone without a roommate in college, it is not for everyone. There are some reasons why everyone cannot have a room all by themselves in college. One reason is the cost of building and maintenance.

Imagine that a college admitted 5000 Students and if they must live alone, there is a need for 5000 rooms. This is a huge project and will have a big cost and I am not sure any school will build such dormitories.

Though there are colleges that have many single rooms that you can get but it is mostly not for fresher’s. 

So you must not have a roommate in a college dorm but not for freshers in most colleges but you can get it on health grounds and at a high cost.

What is it like to live in a dorm?

Going to college is a crucial part of one’s life and it is like a passage to your adult life. Many people, especially freshers, will be happy to move into a dorm since they will no longer be under their parents supervision but that is not always so, in college dormitories, you have Resident Assistants who will serve as your parents. But don’t worry, we will talk about them later.

To others they might have fears of living in dormitories since they will not be alone. Many people prefer living alone but with roommates, that is not possible.

One thing about college dorms is that you will not have the privacy you want. You have to share many things with your roommate(s).

To live in a dorm is fun for some and otherwise for others. In most college dorms, you will not have a private kitchen and washing space but a general one, and this can be frustrating at times. There might be times you want to cook or wash but others are already there using the cooktop or washing machine.

Also in dormitories, you have to share space with your roommate. This means you cannot keep your belongings anyhow. With roommates, there are possibilities there will be noise and some influence on your time and self. But don’t worry about noise, there are mechanisms for controlling that with dorm rules.

Though no two dorms are the same, some Schools have dormitories with two bed spaces while some have 5 and more bed space. So experience in one of the college dorms and others must not be exactly the same but they are similar.

One thing about living in a college dorm is the ability to socialize and make great friends. You cannot hide in a dorm, people must see you.

Dorm life helps you in transitioning from your parents ‘ care to you taking care of yourself. This is good for you and your future. While at the dorm, you have to learn about your roommate’s ways of life and also learn more about yourself. This period will help you to build yourself.

While at the dorm, you will learn how to tolerate others behavior. This is very important since you will be sharing a room space, toilet, kitchen and washing machine.

Though there are single rooms you can get but they are expensive. Though not for everyone, you can also get it if you don’t want to share a space with others.

Pros and Cons of living in the dorm

As they say, every good thing has an ugly part of it, though I don’t think that marrying a good wife has a bad side, there are things that might make living in a dorm not look good for you. Let us look at the most important part of life in the college dorm.

Privacy

Most of the time your college will be in a city far from yours and as such you will probably be living in a dorm. If you choose a shared room, that means you will have roommates and as such won’t have the luxury of privacy.

Having a roommate is one of the things I like most about dorms. Making friends will be very easy for you since you will have roommates and the connection will build automatically.

Many people you will be living with in college dorms are new people you never knew before unless you are not a fresher whereby you can choose someone to live with. Having to live with them will help you in your quest to associate with others.

It is a normal thing to have arguments and disagreements while in the dormitory but it is an opportunity for you to learn how to solve problems or disagreements passionately or compromise if case be. With many people around, there are possible noise makers who will disturb you but Schools have rules that make sure there is quiet time for all.

Supervision by Resident Assistants (RA)

In most movies, you will always see Students having fun and partying but that is not always the case. Resident Assistants are employed by the school to supervise and enforce the rules guiding the dormitory.

Though you are no longer on the same roof with your parents who supervise you, RA’s are there to keep you in check. One of the pros of having a Resident Assistant is that they help Students keep the rules. When it is time to be quiet in the dormitory, RA makes sure it is obeyed or assigned punishment as written in the dorm rules.

Cost of Dorm

Living in the dormitories is sometimes expensive. At most colleges, there are no kitchen and washing rooms. This means that you have to eat at the school cafeteria which is sometimes costly since you cannot cook. Also washing your clothes too will also take some money out of your pocket.

If you choose a single mom whereby you will not have a roommate, that will be more expensive than others. For instance, at the University of California, San Diego, a single room is $11,409 and a double is $10,609. At the University of Missouri, a single is $6,160 and a double is $4,625.

Should I have a roommate in campus dorms, or can I have a private room?

Having a roommate in a college dorm depends on many things. To decide whether to have a roommate or not you should consider your pocket, the school and your lifestyle. But if I might suggest for you, you should have a roommate for your first two sessions.

Yourself

To decide whether to have a roommate in a college dorm or live alone you should know if you can cope. There are many benefits you can get while staying alone. 

First, you will have your privacy. You can be able to keep your secret without anyone knowing about it. Your electronics and clothes will be safe since you are the only one there. Your conversation on phone will not be heard by anyone and many more.

Secondly, you have your space all by yourself. While staying in a single room in the dorm, you will not share your space with anyone. But with roommates you will have a small space.

There are also benefits of staying with a roommate. 

Making friends will be very easy for you if you have roommates. So if you have roommates you will have automatic friends. Also you can have study partners. You will have friends to play and hang out with.

Cost

Cost is one of the main determinants of whether you will stay alone in a college dorm or have a roommate.

Though the cost of staying in a single room while at a college dorm is always higher than double or multiple rooms, it is not that expensive. If you can afford it then it will be nice. On the other hand, double rooms are cheaper and pocket friendly.

The School

Most colleges do not have the facility to host many students in a single room. If you attend a college that doesn’t have a single room, you will be forced to stay in a dormitory with roommates. In this case You don’t have the luxury of choosing where to stay.

Safety

To me staying in the college dorm with roommates is the best because of safety. You will feel more secure when you have roommates and your properties too. For example, some guys might be trying to rub you but when they noticed you have a roommate, they will withdraw since you guys can over power him.