5 ms·

He's exaggerating (or maybe it's the case at UCSB), since it's usually only true for first year undergraduate (among "traditional" students starting right high

He's exaggerating (or maybe it's the case at UCSB), since it's usually only true for first year undergraduate (among "traditional" students starting right high school. I think older students usually live off campus). As for relationships, most people end their high school relationship before college, or the two go to a different college, so it's long distance. I actually found it formative to be forced to share that space and resolve (inevitable) tensions that arise. And since it's usually randomized, you end up with someone you might not have normally met. Of course some people have bad experiences, and can request re-assignment.

cjrp 5y ago
I'd say I got similar benefits living on a shared corridor (single kitchen, bathroom, etc. between 8 individual bedrooms). Sharing a bedroom still just seems bizarre.
chriskanan 5y ago
It is definitely university specific. When I was an undergraduate in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, Freshmen had to share dorms but after that one could pay extra to not share the room, although the bathroom was still shared. However, when I was at USC for my MS housing was extremely limited and while there were a handful of single-person dorms, almost everyone had 2+ person setups and even then it was like winning a lottery ticket to get any on campus housing at all. Later during my PhD at UCSD, it was again enormously difficult to get any on campus housing and I had roommates in campus housing for 6 years. There wasn't another option. Maybe things have changed, but when I was an undergraduate in Oklahoma in the early 2000s
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  You had to share rooms as a grown-man doctoral student for six years? That's absolutely bonkers. Why would we ask anyone to do that? How can someone have an adult life like that?
  - chriskanan 5y ago
    It wasn't fun. Rent was $800 per month on an income of $1800 per month for a 2 bedroom university apartment. I was considered lucky to get such a sweet deal, since off campus housing was more money with greater commuting requirements, but graduate students all make the same amount.

cjrp 5y ago

I'd say I got similar benefits living on a shared corridor (single kitchen, bathroom, etc. between 8 individual bedrooms). Sharing a bedroom still just seems bizarre.

chriskanan 5y ago

It is definitely university specific. When I was an undergraduate in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, Freshmen had to share dorms but after that one could pay extra to not share the room, although the bathroom was still shared. However, when I was at USC for my MS housing was extremely limited and while there were a handful of single-person dorms, almost everyone had 2+ person setups and even then it was like winning a lottery ticket to get any on campus housing at all. Later during my PhD at UCSD, it was again enormously difficult to get any on campus housing and I had roommates in campus housing for 6 years. There wasn't another option. Maybe things have changed, but when I was an undergraduate in Oklahoma in the early 2000s

chrisseaton 5y ago
You had to share rooms as a grown-man doctoral student for six years? That's absolutely bonkers. Why would we ask anyone to do that? How can someone have an adult life like that?
- chriskanan 5y ago
  It wasn't fun. Rent was $800 per month on an income of $1800 per month for a 2 bedroom university apartment. I was considered lucky to get such a sweet deal, since off campus housing was more money with greater commuting requirements, but graduate students all make the same amount.