Student Housing Business

MAR-APR 2015

Student Housing Business is the voice of the student housing industry.

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STUDENT OPINION STUDENT HOUSING BUSINESS .COM MARCH/APRIL 2015 89 SOCIAL DECISION One UM student discovers that living in the social center of campus has hidden traps. By Ryan Wolfson T The University of Michigan is massive. There are thousands of students, limitless academic resourc- es, numerous libraries, and a massive amount of course options. However, one of the aspects that gets overlooked heading into freshman year is the importance of housing, and the multitude of hous- ing options, for freshmen. Like a majority of incoming of freshmen, I knew very little of the housing options offered to frst-year students. I knew two things: all freshmen were guaranteed housing, and that I wanted to be in the "social dorm." However, my depth of knowledge about my housing options was very limited: I was deathly afraid of getting put on North Campus, and was very set on getting placed into Markley — the largest, and most social dorm on campus. Refecting on this now, there are so many things I would tell myself, ranging from the importance of other amenities and the lack of importance of social perception. First off, I was wrongfully terrifed of North Campus housing. As I end my freshman year, I can honestly assert that North Campus is not as scary or terrible as rumors say it is. I have many friends who live on North Campus and absolutely love it. Yes, the bus commute to the central campus and classes is annoying and the bus system doesn't work as well as it should. However, there are many positives that my friends talk about. North Campus only houses freshmen. Everyone who lives on North comments on the community and bond that is built. In my experience, people who live on North Campus have a better chance to become friends with their hall mates than any- where else at the school. In addition, there is the option to be placed into Northwood apart- ments instead of the dorms on North Campus. These apartments offer amenities that dorms do not. There are no RAs, units have their own kitchen and bathroom, and you have a living room; you have living space as opposed to a cramped dorm. However, like many freshmen, I was determined to not have to take the bus to class. I — cough, cough — got a doctor's note and claimed nausea to avoid living a bus ride away from central campus. I was ecstatic when I found out I was placed at Markley. It was the largest dorm, only fresh- men, and it had the reputation to be the "party dorm." While it probably fair to say it is indeed the most social dorm, in my experience there are a lot of overlooked negatives to living in Markley. The rooms are tiny, the smallest any- where on campus. In my cramped, 110-square- foot room, my roommate and I manage to stuff all of our belongings. In addition, the lounges and study spaces are clearly outdated and need renovation. The community bathrooms become very annoying and gross. Overall, it is clear that Markley is lagging behind other freshmen living experiences. While I did get my desired dorm, I wish I had realized other crucial living amenities besides social reputation. Factors such as cleanliness, distance to class, cafeteria (and its quality), and dorm size would play a much larger role in determining my living wants if I were to redo my choices. One of the positive aspects of Michigan being so large, that there are so many possible living places — many of which suit more needs than the critically acclaimed Markley. Three dorms come to mind when I look around campus and think about where I would have preferred to live: South Quad, East Quad, and Alice Lloyd. All of these dorms, however, come with a catch-22. Students, except in rare exceptions, are in these dorms for academic reasons. All three of these dorms are recognized by not only students, but also by faculty, as being top tier. As the school randomly assigns housing, they have to reward honors students, or stu- dents in enriched programs. Therefore, South Quad is reserved for the honors college, East Quad is reserved for learning communities, and Alice Lloyd is reserved for a separate honors society. This is not to say that regular students don't happen to live there, it's just rare because certain students are guaranteed rooms. In addition, one more piece of advice I wish I had known is: don't be stubborn. Take advan- tage of the opportunities from these nicer dorms. Living in these dorms does not classify you as a "nerd" and it doesn't inhibit you from partying and enjoying the social scene. Where you live does not have any correlation to how much fun you have. The perks of living in a dorm that is closer to class, has air condition- ing, has a nice dining hall, has renovated bath- rooms, large rooms, and luxurious study areas greatly outweigh the desire to live in a dorm believed to be social, by a lot. At the end of the day, your living experience will affect you in more ways than you can imagine. Other components besides reputa- tion are much more important for your dorm besides its reputation. Being in the social dorm doesn't make your life more fun, or even social. Sometimes it is better to put your "cool- guy" echo aside and choose your living experi- ence based on academic characteristics. SHB Ryan Wolfson is completing his freshman year in May at the University of Michigan. i h l l RYAN WOLFSON " The perks of living in a dorm that is closer to class, has air conditioning, has a nice dining hall, has renovated bathrooms, large rooms, and luxurious study areas greatly outweigh the desire to live in a dorm believed to be social.

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