People who have been to college or university, where did you live while you were there?

[raginbull]

So guys, I'm from the UK and it's basically standard operating procedure to live in dorms (they are called halls here) or flatshare with other people when you go to university. I'm not sure if it's the same in the USA and Canada. Don't you usually live on campus and share a room with one other person? I think I may be in the minority on this, but I'd prefer living on my own. I'm not sure if I could handle sharing a place even with just one other person, lol. I was wondering what BG's experiences have been. What were your living arrangements while you were studying? Did you enjoy the experience?

[Arvin]

dorms my first 2 years because it was mandatory, and then apartments the next 2 years. I stayed on campus 1 extra year at a house with 5 other guys and that was fun but I'll never do that again because holy shit that place was a hell hole afterwards. I didn't mind it then because of the amount of partying that usually happens but in retrospect it was probably the worst place I've ever lived.

[Sepukku]

Dorms first year by requirement, then 4 more years in the same off campus apartment 2 miles from the univ. It was 2 bedroom and my lone roommate changed once during those 4 years.

[tyven]

2 years dorms 3 years apartment. anyone that does college in less than 5 years is a fucking retard imo. it is the absolute best time of your life, make that shit last.

[Roranora]

Freshman year: dorm room
Sophomore year: rented house with 3 roommates
Merit points > credit hours. (FFXI peak era): shared apartment with friend
Junior, Senior, 6th-year Senior: studio apartment downtown

[Arvin]

2 years dorms 3 years apartment. anyone that does college in less than 5 years is a fucking retard imo. it is the absolute best time of your life, make that shit last.

^

ya college was seriously the best

[Arvin]

Also on the topic of living alone vs with a roommate/dorm... You meet some of your best friends in your college years, and its mostly through living around them. Go to dorm functions, meet girls or guys, get laid, have a good time.

[Jaybar]

The living situations are going to be radically different depending on the university you go to. If it is one located in/around a large urban core (say NY, LA, or Chicago) you're most likely going to be living in high-rise style apartments/dorms (if mandated for x-amount of years) and then you have the chance to move into a new apartment/rowhouse outside the rules of the university.

If you are going to the middle of bumble-fuck nowhere, there is more than likely on-campus housing you'll be staying at for a year (or mandated) and have a chance to move out to a house (you'll maybe find an apartment complex nearby which would be cheaper but these bumble-fuck nowhere townships are often cheaply developed so expect cheaply made apartments/homes).

It may be frugal for you to find a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment and share it with 2-4 friends bunking up to save on rent cost while paying off-campus tuition rates. I would not blame you if you did not want to go this route.

[Laugana]

My brother went to Stockport University, and due to there not being any room at home (dad had divorced and we had to move to a smaller house), he decided to live in Stockport. He shared a terraced house with a few other people but I think he hated it (he had a room on the ground floor) - the sharing of the kitchen, food being stolen, no privacy etc.

[ringthree]

1st semester at home, 2nd semester through end of second year on my friend's dorm room floor. 3rd and 4th year dorm. Worked at the university after that in lived in apartment then townhouse with friends.

[BaneTheBrawler]

was only there one semester, stayed in the dorms. had a roommate, who spent most of his time with his girlfriend.

[Cayos]

Freshman year mandatory dorms with 1 RM.
Next 3 years same townhouse with a rotating group of friends that I will have for the rest of my life. By the time I graduated the house was a piece of shit and we're definitely not getting our security deposit back, but it was definitely worth it. 5 people in a 4 person house didn't really help much.

[Mertron]

dorm first semester with someone I didn't know, horrible
met people and moved into a college apartment with them second semester. next year got a house with them
from then on always an off campus house

im willing to bet finding a house or apartment off campus will be cheaper than paying room and board at a uni. you can still get meal plan without living on campus (at least you could at the schools ive been too) so you don't have to worry about food expenses that much.

you can have a housemate and not interact with them if you want, but you will probably want to so you meet people and not sit around twiddling your thumbs all day

[Anoat]

I was 21 and already had an Associate's degree when I enrolled in university, so I wasn't required to live in a dorm on campus. Lived in an off-campus apartment. I had a handful of different roommates over the years and I can say I am still good friends with all but two of them (they were major potheads). One thing I would stress to you about getting an apartment or house in a college town or near a campus is make sure you get individual leases so you aren't screwed completely if you end up with a terrible roommate.

[Viq]

I've spent about 3 years in dorms now, but I choose to stay here because it's a fun experience. Obviously, studying abroad is a bit different than the average circumstance, but I've had roommates from Korea, Japan, China, Iran, Sudan/Egypt (he moved back and forth), Germany and Poland. Every semester I hope I get paired up with someone from a different country just to be able to talk and learn from their experience instead of just from a book. The German guy was the most fun for partying, but the guy from Iran was easily the nicest and easiest to get along with.

EDIT: Totally forgot about my Indian roommate last semester. That guy was a straight up douche and smelled terrible. Sorry to the other billion or so people in India, but I assume you all suck now.

[Sqwunk]

I did community college my first two years, so I stayed at home. Then I did my last two years at a state university, lived in a dorm my first year there with one other guy, and then my second year I lived in an on-campus apartment. Basically an apartment owned by the college, you could live in a 2person or 4person apartment, I lived in a 2person the whole time, but I had to switch roommates shortly after getting the apartment. That guy was a straight up asshole, second apartment roommate was great but he was also a friend that I knew I would enjoy living with.

As Tyven said, I wish I had made it last 5 years total, and wish I had skipped community college and just done straight Uni the whole time and made it last 5 years. The two years I spent living on campus were 2 of the most fun years I've had.

But the general progression at that school for people that were there for their entire school career was.
1st year - Freshman dorm
2nd year - Sophomore dorm
3rd year - On-Campus Apartment or renting a house off campus
4th year - Almost always renting a house off campus.

I was just different because I transferred in.

[Abandon]

first year in the dorms, next 2 in fraternity house, last year in apartment with 3 roommates. awww yeah

[Vaspinne]

The conservatory I went to was small, like, 200 people max. I lived in apartments around it while I attended.

[Plow]

dorm the first year, house with roommates the rest is definitely the way to go

2 bedroom if you're private, 4 bedroom if you're a party person

[Plow]

Oh, and btw, most will have a dorm that has a floor or 2 dedicated to international housing.

It's usually the one that keeps a couple floors open over winter and spring breaks.

Find out which one and try to live there. (that dorm, doesn't have to be on the international floors)

Trust me.