Don't let your kid move off campus.

[Anonymous]

Ha? I guess I'll see what DS does next year.

[Anonymous]

I lived off campus jr an senior year and ultimately got a PhD.

Cost a dollar more a month. Maybe less than the dorms since it solved the problem of where to live in the summer (home was not an option if I wanted to work, unless I bought a car).

OP, you think this might depend on school and circumstances?

[Anonymous]

I'm with the OP. Everyone one I knew who moved off campus ended up taking longer to graduate, but this was also back in the day when living on campus all 4 years was an option.

I'm happy to hear that off campus apartments are sometimes as close as dorm housing at some schools. Does anyone know if this is the case at UM College Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody lives on campus through senior year.

I did. Had a single, three squares and no drama. You have a lifetime to maintain a home, enjoy the convenience while you can.

Me too! I grew up doing lots of household chores and cooking for my family, so I was eager to be out from under that burden as long as I could be. That said, I had access to a kitchen sophomore and junior year and a kitchen in our suite Sr year, so kind of the best of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody lives on campus through senior year.

Not true at many Ivies and SLACs.

[Anonymous]

It's part of growing up. You learn as much learning to pay utilities, finding a house, signing a lease and learning how roommates handle responsibility as you learn in school. It makes you more grown up and less of an adolescent. More likely to move on and out if the house quicker as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody lives on campus through senior year.

Not true at many Ivies and SLACs.

My daughter is at Brown and says that most seniors are off campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college now requires students to live on campuses all three years. The rule has nothing to do with fostering a learning environment. The school just realized that everyone was moving off campus ASAP and the school was losing on housing and dorm fees. So they tripled up old dorms and required everyone to stay on campus thru junior year. Yuck. I moved off after freshman year.

Yep.

Beyond freshman year the dorms are a money grab for the university.

Dorm AND food plan required first three years at my LAC.

[Anonymous]

LACs are desperate for money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college now requires students to live on campuses all three years. The rule has nothing to do with fostering a learning environment. The school just realized that everyone was moving off campus ASAP and the school was losing on housing and dorm fees. So they tripled up old dorms and required everyone to stay on campus thru junior year. Yuck. I moved off after freshman year.

All 3 years? Isn't there typically 4 years?

Yes, meant first three years. When we went on tour with kids the tour guide went on and on about how this fosters a great community and everyone gets to know each other's names. Plus they tripled up all the doubles and SURPRISE did not let us see a single room. Wrong. Faculty told me that they needed the dorm money and food plan - too many students were moving off as they had when I attended. Another thing the tour guide went on about was how "international" it was and how "EVERYONE" did study abroad. Same faculty told me the college had figured out by sending a class abroad every year they banked the difference between SLAC/LAC tuition and the cost the college arranged abroad. "So we in effect have five classes running through the campus instead of four years at one time! We make so much more money". Then the kids return only to find out they can't get the classes they need or can't finish thesis in time = five years paid to LAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody lives on campus through senior year.

Not true at many Ivies and SLACs.

My daughter is at Brown and says that most seniors are off campus.

Which is why I said “many” Ivies — not all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LACs are desperate for money.

No, many LACs are in small towns where:
- there’s not a ton of housing for everyone to live off campus
- no public transportation so if you do, you need a car or to live close enough and even then the grocery stores and everything else are not walkable
- all of the social life is centered around the campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college now requires students to live on campuses all three years. The rule has nothing to do with fostering a learning environment. The school just realized that everyone was moving off campus ASAP and the school was losing on housing and dorm fees. So they tripled up old dorms and required everyone to stay on campus thru junior year. Yuck. I moved off after freshman year.

How is that even legal??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your 20-year-old is not capable of living off-campus and still successfully attending classes, you should be very concerned.

True, but kids on campus graduate at a higher rate so the OP’s contention, while a little hysterical, isn’t entirely without basis. (Sorry, too lazy to find a link but I recall this fact from a story about Northeastern adding housing in order to improve graduation rates.)

All of the studies are about FRESHMEN living on campus.

Ah, I stand corrected. I do think campuses, particularly at small schools, are more involved and participatory when greater percentages live on campus. Too easy to just hang in the off-campus house and not be a part of campus events.

Some people don't want to be involved with campus events. For some people, the academics is really all they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college now requires students to live on campuses all three years. The rule has nothing to do with fostering a learning environment. The school just realized that everyone was moving off campus ASAP and the school was losing on housing and dorm fees. So they tripled up old dorms and required everyone to stay on campus thru junior year. Yuck. I moved off after freshman year.

How is that even legal??

Condition of enrollment. Nothing illegal about it.