By Yang Bai
“It’s fun living on campus,” and it can help students stay involved, make friends, and hang out with friends, according to Sara Jo Burks, the assistant director of housing.
When asked about the advantages of living on campus, students said convenient parking is an attraction.
“Parking is a big issue,” said Emily Paige Blodgett, a multimedia journalism major and public relations minor from Harvest who was a junior in the spring. “But living on campus is good because you have a very short commute.”
“It’s convenient,” said Lainey Dortch, an exercise science major from Birmingham who was a sophomore in the spring. “You don’t have to drive everywhere.”
There are other advantages for living on campus.
Meals prepared
“You have to buy meal plans,” Blodgett said, “so you don’t have to worry about feeding yourself.”
Dortch said living on campus can keep students close to each other, and it’s fun and convenient to hang out with friends.
Burks said convenience, college events, safety, and help from resident assistants are all advantages for living on campus.
RAs can help solve problems related to housing or their residents’ personal confusions.
“We have resident assistants in all the buildings,” Burks said. “Every floor has at least one RA, and they are there to help students.”
“We’re here for that situation, and we can handle that situation,” said Denzel Walker, a social work major from Midland City who was a junior in the spring.
Walker was a resident assistant in Alumni Hall; he said every RA has been trained to help residents handle complex situations.
Students who live on campus have to obey the rules.
According to Blodgett, who is an RA in Hamil Hall, keeping rooms clean is an important rule for residents to obey.
Read the contract
Burks said students should apply in time and read the student housing contract terms and policies. Room contracts are for the academic year — fall and spring semesters.
Between semesters, students will be charged $100 per week if they still want to live in their dorm rooms.
“Breaks are included (in the academic year) as far as if it says spring break,” Burks said, “because it’s in the middle of a semester.”
“If you want to live on campus, you have to be willing to accept what we offer you when some certain buildings are full.”
“Our obligation is to the people that they’re requiring to live on campus first,” Burks said when asked about residency requirements. “They are supposed to be the freshmen who are under the age of 19.
“Our priority is going to be placing those younger students on campus first; older students have to wait and see if we have space available for them.”
Some students enjoy living on campus and being involved. However, Anna Orlofsky, an English major from Troy who was a sophomore in the spring, said that sometimes she was forced to be involved.
“The disadvantage for living on campus is that all the big events that happen on campus, you hear them,” Orlofsky said.
She said she has to wake up at 8 on Saturday mornings during football season, hearing the band playing.
Orlofsky said sometimes it’s hard to sleep because whenever people come by and wait for parties or other events, they stand and talk underneath the dorm windows.
Apartments as options
Many apartments off campus give Troy students options. Students move out from campus for different reasons.
“You kind of get more freedom for living off campus,” said Mallory McQueen, a hospitality, sport and tourism management major and business minor from Slapout who was a junior in the spring.
“But living off campus, you have to factor in gas, groceries, electricity and other utilities,” McQueen said.
“Also, don’t let the freedom get to you. You come to college for a reason — to get a diploma.”
For those who want to live off campus, McQueen said she suggests picking roommates and places wisely.
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