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[quote=debzkidz;22871727]Guess it really depends on the schools. Both my kids are currently in college. Both of their schools do not have nearly enough housing for students...
A number of my relatives are in college and during Holiday get togethers we talk about their life in college. Many live 500-1000 miles from home and are going to college in towns completely new to them.
But what seems to be common to nearly all my relatives who go out of State to college is how little they leave the campus.
Some of them are going to college in great communities like Philly or Boston but from what I can tell most of them basically never leave the campus. They never bother to explore their new community and live in a bubble on campus. Even on weekends and over Holidays.
Is this common for college kids or just my relatives? Why?
I lived in Boston. Went to college there, too. I thought long and hard and cannot come up with any instance where college kids stay on campus....in Boston. For one, most of the college campuses in or around Boston/Cambridge...and Somerville (can't forget about Tuft's!) are in one way or another incorporated into the city. Harvard, Tufts, MIT, BC, perhaps Northeastern, and maybe BU (depending on how you view the campus) are the only colleges in Boston/Cambridge where someone could potentially stay on campus and be reasonably comfortable (i.e., there are enough amenities on campus so they may not get bored). I suppose it would be possible, but I dunno. At the college I went to, a student would have to physically venture "outside" and cross some of the city to get to campus from the dorms. Fairly typical for other colleges in the area, too.
And, everyone I have ever known who has lived in a dorm all had to vacate during holidays. Not sure where you relatives went when they had to leave for the particular holidays.
I lived in Boston. Went to college there, too. I thought long and hard and cannot come up with any instance where college kids stay on campus....in Boston. For one, most of the college campuses in or around Boston/Cambridge...and Somerville (can't forget about Tuft's!) are in one way or another incorporated into the city. Harvard, Tufts, MIT, BC, perhaps Northeastern, and maybe BU (depending on how you view the campus) are the only colleges in Boston/Cambridge where someone could potentially stay on campus and be reasonably comfortable (i.e., there are enough amenities on campus so they may not get bored). I suppose it would be possible, but I dunno. At the college I went to, a student would have to physically venture "outside" and cross some of the city to get to campus from the dorms. Fairly typical for other colleges in the area, too.
And, everyone I have ever known who has lived in a dorm all had to vacate during holidays. Not sure where you relatives went when they had to leave for the particular holidays.
Both of my kids schools closed all dorms during winter/Christmas break, and spring break and maybe Thanksgiving (can't remember for sure). Those were the only holidays the schools observed. There would be one dorm left open for international students, or anyone who couldn't leave campus for whatever reason, just as temporary housing, but they were not allowed to actually stay in their regular dorm rooms.
[/b] Both of my kids schools closed all dorms during winter/Christmas break, and spring break and maybe Thanksgiving (can't remember for sure). Those were the only holidays the schools observed. There would be one dorm left open for international students, or anyone who couldn't leave campus for whatever reason, just as temporary housing, but they were not allowed to actually stay in their regular dorm rooms.
This applied at my alma mater, as well.
Someone earlier mentioned Boston's Northeastern University, and its characteristically and intentionally non-residential setup...it just depends on what experience one is looking for. My SO went to Northeastern and ended up not particularly caring for that aspect of it. I would not have enjoyed it, myself...just not what I was looking for.
The dorms at my College were extremity overpriced and, as already said, they will move you during breaks etc. ( Hell no, I'm not gonna move all my stuff all the time ). On top of that, it was in a crappy area and the city was large and spread out. You were basically stuck on campus pretty much. Unless you had a car, of course. It was a central location, but the city is just too spread out and the bad area doesn't attract many business. There is pretty much nothing within 3-4 miles.
I don't think it has to do with what kind of school you attend so much as personal preference. I lived in the dorms and went off campus almost daily, while some of my neighbors didn't leave campus until the holidays.
The dorms at my College were extremity overpriced and, as already said, they will move you during breaks etc. ( Hell no, I'm not gonna move all my stuff all the time ).
This will vary wildly, based on the school, and their residential setup and policies.
Where I went, you didn't have to move your things out over breaks. I actually don't know anybody who lived in residence halls who experienced having to move their things out during breaks, so it's not a phenomenon that occurs at every school.
Same ... They were also open over breaks.... we had a quarter system and our summer student population was pretty large..... We hired a residential director from another local university and her first year she was going to move students between spring and summer terms ..... One of the few times there was mass student protest on campus and the idea was quickly scrapped
The town surrounding my campus caters to the college. Lots of cute little shopa & restaurants and also campus is like 10 minutes from a great lake with beaches etc so most people leave campus fairly often. I leave campus at least every ither day.
My college town was the same...small, dependent upon good relations with the college community, maintained a downtown strip that was ten minute walk from campus and provided most dining and night life.
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