Dorms vs Apartments

Where my son is going there are no dorms. The coach/college has an arrangement with an apartment complex and 21 boys are staying there - 3 per 3 bedroom apartment. They definately have more room than if they were in a dorm - but I think going into that situation right out of HS they definately have to be a more mature type of kid. With an apartment they have to take more responsibility for everything. From shopping and cooking food to cleaning, to paying their bills on time etc. It definately helps them learn about 'real life' a bit faster.

On the other side there is an atmosphere in a dorm that your just not going to get in an apartment and for some it might be an easier transition from home to being on their own.

We didn't have a choice, but for him it seems to be really working out.

Are son just started his college program on a campus (D1 school) that lets you stay where you want. He (with our very strong urging) is staying in one of the dorms/colleges, which is also his community on campus. So far we have heard nothing but good feedback from him. He has his own room (7'X 11') within the quadraplex and a central "living room." We are pleased with our decision, but of course have not started classes or practices yet.

Baseball players at son's school are housed on campus in an apartment, where coaches determine where you live, and you must live with your teammates. I think that creates a lot of chemistry within the team. More room in way of living room and their own kitchen.
Although small and one bathroom to share for 4, and eager to get off campus the second year, I am sure living on campus was a blast. While you are essentially on your own, you have to abide by campus rules.
He resides in an apartment that is a palace to him now, 4 living together with their own bathrooms.

At son's former school all "non-resident" students were required to live in the dorms. Some of the locals got around the rule by claiming to live at home while, in actuality, renting apartments near the campus. The players were all housed in one wing of the dorm. This particular dormitory hadn't seen any signficant improvements since sometime in the Roosevelt administration. To put it kindly the dorm was a dump. It was ok for the freshman year and he did it for the sophomore year but had already stated he didn't want to live in the dorm again. His decision to transfer took care of that.

Most of the upperclassmen at Memphis are living in houses in the same general area just south of campus. Son is now in a duplex with one other pitcher, and he's thrilled. He's already been on the phone with mom several times with housekeeping questions LOL (How long do I cook the rice? Can these pots go in the dishwasher?).

I think the dorm was a good transition step. Getting "his own place", with responsibility to have the garbage on the street by Tuesday, keeping up with monthly bills, etc., is going to be a good experience.

My son has just started his freshman year 300 miles from home and he's living in a dorm. He has one roommate (in-state) and they share a bath room with 2 others in another room. The dorm is coed by room and this situation is working real good for him because he's getting the chance to meet alot of people from different areas. His dorm has a high percentage of student athletes so they all have something in common. His roommate plays lacross and the other 2 guys play club ice hockey. In some ways rooming with athletes other than baseball helps give these guys some diversity. Also, both the guys and girls have agreed to attend each other's games when possible.

Jazzman, where is your son? It sounds like a school that I'm very, very familiar with (and where I met a young man from your town and where they have lacrosse and club ice hockey and where the dorms are coed by room. Just curious).

My 04 son attends a small Christian college where all students are required to live in on-campus dorms until they are 21, unless they live with their parents nearby.

Freshman year he shared a very small room with another freshman he had never met before stepping on campus, but it worked out fine, other than the room being messy and crowded. I think the dorm was a good supervised transition from living with parents to being "on his own", it was easier not needing to cook, etc., plus he made tons of non-baseball friends because of the dorms.

Soph year he roomed with another friend from freshman year, not a baseball player. Somehow their room was involved in several pranks that I heard about, from mild ones like a dorm room being filled with crumpled newspaper while its residents were gone for the weekend, to worse ones involving balancing wastebaskets filled with water. He could not really study in his room because of the activity level / constant visitors.

This is his final year in the dorms (junior year) and he shares a room with a teammate and has several rooms of teammates surrounding his. They also spend a lot of time at two nearby houses rented by older teammates. Senior year he will live in a house near campus, with teammates - and hopefully learn to cook!

Mcozart,
My son goes to UMBC.

quote:

Originally posted by Jazzman:
Mcozart,
My son goes to UMBC.

Thats cool, i live about 20 minutes from UMBC. One of my best friend's dad is the head coach of the lacrosse team there. I attended a camp their over the summer.

Well, Jazzman, I didn't meet your son but did meet another young man from your town at a school about 20 minutes from UMBC. Just don't usually find too many Connecticut kids in our state schools.

I can't say enough good about UMBC (ok, I went to grad school there). Great education, great coach, great location and a very proactive administration at the school. He should enjoy it!

mcozart,
I sent you a PM.

Problem solved, bought a house 1.5 miles from the University, no yard to speak of, 3 bd rooms, 2 bath. Roomates pay the mortgage, we still have insurance and taxes to pay, but alot cheaper than rent!