so i’m hearing (reading, actually) a few bad things about the dorms at MUA. according to school policy, single first semester students are required to stay in the campus dorms. i can understand the good intentions of social integration and assistance for those living in a new country, but a few red flags are popping up for me.
1) you can request a single dorm, but are not guaranteed to get one.
this means that depending on demand and enrollment, you may be expected to share a tiny room with a complete stranger that (based on a dorm questionnaire) hopefully has approximately the same sleeping behaviour as you. i realize this happens all the time in first-year university residences in Canada and USA, but it’s one of the huge reasons i have never lived in a campus residence.
i go to bed early, i get up early. just about every other minute of the day is spent either studying or eating. i am a solitary person who will take breaks to be social — not the other way around.
2) bathroom cleanliness leaves something to be desired.
as i read the forum post about the state of the bathrooms, i remembered the line in the MUA handbook that recommended bringing bathroom cleaning supplies. the OCD in me is freaking out.
3) lots of people in small quarters = lots of socializing.
as mentioned above, i have always avoided living in campus residences. that doesn’t mean i didn’t enjoy attending parties in res. but i definitely liked being able to go home and leave it all behind at whatever hour my little heart desired. i am not spending thousands of dollars to go to med school on a Caribbean island so that i can host different/better parties. i’m probably going to end up seeming like a total snob, but most of my 18 months on Nevis are going to be spent with my nose in books, not beer mugs.
4) not exactly worth the money.
other than the socializing, students often choose campus residences because they can save money on rent and transportation. a single dorm at MUA is $500/month, not including internet or laundry. my preliminary real estate searches have found fully furnished pet-friendly 2 bedroom houses close to campus with fenced yards and air conditioning, for less than twice as much.
5) how can you come visit me in a dorm room?
one of the benefits of going away to school has got to be the potential for friends and family to come visit. you come up with the airfare and i’ll provide the couch/spare bedroom!
to be fair…
i have heard that quite a few students are a little older/more mature, so the situation may not be as bad as my imaginary OCD nightmare. i can also appreciate the importance of creating and establishing solid social networks while in school and beyond. i think relating to someone that is going through the exact same thing you are can be a very valuable resource. i’m not a snob! really! i’ll go for a beer with you after that brutal exam! but i also need the opportunity to study in my own space during my own schedule with my own silence. i think it’s overly optimistic to hope for a building full of students with the exact same intentions.
i am still researching pet-friendly accommodation and may end up paying more to live off campus during my first semester even if i don’t bring Maddy…
i always avoided the dorm life as well though i would hope that a more mature crowd who has done undergraduate work already would be more serious ~ or is that overly optimistic of me?
I shared dorm rooms my first two years of college. My first roommate was a born-again Christian hippie who was extremely dirty. My second roommate was quiet and neat. It’s a total coin-toss as to what you get when it comes to roommates.
As for the bathroom situation, two words: shower shoes.
My first roommate (1973 Syracuse U) brought 100 yards of rappelling line, dropped it on the floor where it stayed til Christmas break in constant unraveling mode. That and a half dozen pipes (pot and tobacco) and dirt encrusted hiking boots… at least 6 pair.
It was a nightmare.
The next semester the new guy was a coke rattled Jewish kid from NYC that could type a 20+ page term paper overnight without notes on a manual typewriter… which he did every other day.
I don’t envy first year college life. But this is the sort of stuff where friends are found and memories are made.
darlene – i also had equally optimistic thoughts… and that may well be the case. but the more i read/hear from people who are actually there… *sigh*
erin/roger – ha. i could probably live through that situation if i was getting through first year courses. but basic science classes that will help make or break the board exams which will in turn make or break my future residency? *sigh*
part of me knows you make the best of whatever situation you are handed. but we also create foundations for opportunity with our choices and decisions.
either way, i may have a few “interesting” stories next fall. : ))
My first experience at Brandon U was a roommate from Gimli who listened to Toronto (a band apparently back in the day!) Me being older and more “enlightened” (haha) listening to The Clash and generally being more alternative made it a strange experience at first. Anyway, I met a lot of nice people on the “Dinosaur” floor (aptly named since I was an old man at 23). While an adjustment, it was cool in the end.
Plus, you’ll be in a professional school where everyone has worked their butts off to end up. As much as you have.
I’m sure any roommate you get will see you an an example!
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.”
~ Henry D (I think you know of him)