Freshmen Living In Residence Halls

Co-ed dorms are the essential focus of what’s seen as the college experience. Living away from mom and

Seniors have a tendency of taking their last year of high school for granted. They do not realize that the relaxed classes and fun filled weekends with their best friends will all soon come to a devastating end. They have applied for college, bought miniature refrigerators, and sent in their housing applications, but none of them have really thought about college in the way that they should. When asked about college most high school seniors image the huge parties, attractive people, and freedom; however, college is much more than that and, in a way, much less. College and high school are completely different when it comes to a student’s actual lifestyle, but they have many of the same traits that most high school seniors do not see coming.

For first year students coming straight from high school, college life can either be very exciting or overwhelming depending on how well one prepares for it. Some have the notion that college is fun and is all about partying, while some believe that it is an environment in which they can achieve the ultimate freedom thus escape the stringent rules made by their parents at home. Others look forward to experiencing a different learning environment while being exposed to different cultures and sharing different academic knowledge. Successful assimilation into college life is determined by the student’s capability to transform into the new role of a college student. Numerous students face challenges they have never experienced before which can

According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.

When a student chooses to dorm, they are forced into independency. They have more responsibilities, but they also have more freedom. Dormers are responsible for meals, laundry, money, and their well-being. In contrast, students that commute do not have to worry themselves with these responsibilities. With the parental aid, they always have a safety net to fall back on. However, living with parents often means living by their rules.

Another challenge first-generation students encounter is a part of their social life and the development of social skills. These students do not quite understand life on campus and feel that they do not have much in common with their more privileged peers. First-generation students view college differently than the other students attending college. They consider college as a serious responsibility and the only way to get a high-paying job. First-generation students tend to slip through the cracks at large institutions because they do not have social support or simply the knowledge of how a university may operate. They are much less likely to contest a professor’s grade or reach out for help when it is necessary because they feel anxious. They do not understand the need for networking, accessing campus resources, and the history of the campus. First-generation students have difficulty making or finding a community on campus that fits their personality mostly because they are having trouble finding out who they are. This makes them less likely to socialize with peers and take part in student organizations. There are some first-generation students who choose to live at

Our survey consisted of 30 different questions, which were created to gauge many different factors in how freshmen chose their roommates. The questions that were asked on the survey included demographic questions, such as age and gender. The class standing of the responder determined which questions they were going to answer on the survey. If the participants were freshmen they answered a series of questions that allowed us to gather data on how they met their roommate, as well their current relationship with their roommate.

When asked about her time so far at UM she stated, “I don’t like it here. I just don’t like school and I think the people here are too different then back home.” Further expressing a concern that she feels very isolated while at UM, a contribution to Sarah’s poor grades may derive from the fact that she was too preoccupied with adjusting to an environment that is so new to her that it is a shock. The oddity of Sarah’s comment though is that she has already built strong relationships with many people at the university, including her roommate. Sarah states her roommate is most influential in making her feel as if she is not alone as she is always there to talk to and comfort her. This scenario is not uncommon among many college students, but it is especially prevalent among first generation college students because of the strong ties to family that are often seen with these type of students.

While staying at the Honors Living Learning Community, I hope to make close connections with both my peers and honors staff. I believe it would be beneficial to stay in these dorms as a freshman as opposed to others because, I will easily be able to meet and find members in similar classes as me. This would allow for a tightly knit network with a familial presence to grace my first year of college. In the end, I hope to gain a better understanding of my peers that share similar goals as me. To aid in others’ learning experience and have friends who want to aid in mine would be advantageous to my college experience because I would be able to grow in the best learning and living environment possible.

College is a life changing experience for students. College is a new environment for most students and comes with lots of challenges. Things such as the increased difficulty of academic work and not being around the same social groups as a student was before college can make the transition very difficult. One of the best things a student can do to help with this transition is to live in a campus residence hall. Students should live in dorms because of the community that this creates. Students will gain many beneficial social interactions, will be able to better complete academic work, and will ease the adjustment to college life.

When someone mentions the words “single apartment student” or “dorm student”, two images of contrasting people normally come to mind. At the University of Louisiana at Monroe, students who live in the apartments by themselves are painted out to be shy, withdrawn individuals who prefer to work alone and have difficulty making friends due to always being in solitude. However, students who reside in the dorms with another roommate tend to be more likely to study in groups and are more outgoing individuals because they go through the process of getting to know their roommate, a stranger. This preconception, nonetheless, can occasionally be the opposite.

Dorming can also be very overwhelming at first. You can easily be distracted by parties or hanging out in the lounge or a friends dorm. Also it makes it more susceptible to leave everything for last minute and realize that you have no time to

Successful college experiences revolve around three major areas: the transition, being successful in classes/schoolwork, and involvement. These three areas have been determined from my work in the Housing and Residential Programs Department for the past three years, as this is my first lass focusing on student development theories. The three areas are must all be present in some way, shape, or form in order for success. The first step is the transition from high school to college. This is inclusive of moving away from home, and entering into an entirely different miniature society. Incoming students need to learn to adapt to their new surroundings, develop relationships, and a find their support system. Adaptation is important, for many

"The Coming Apart of a Dorm Society" by Edward Peselman offers insight into the environment that college students are subjected to if they choose to or are required to live in assigned dormitories on their school campuses. Peselman's analysis of the college dormitory environment is approached from a sociological perspective and provides scientific credibility into the points that he makes throughout his essay. In the essay, Peselman explores the power dynamics that are made present through habitation of a dorm and the struggle that must be undertaken in order to secure and maintain power.

Now that I am reaching the end of my undergraduate career I feel like it’s fit to reflect on how far i’ve come and some high and low points during this time of my life. Some people may say that these four years of college are the most wonderful times of their life, and for the most part that is correct. But there is this whole other part of college life that is super stressful and even scary. During this paper I will address my personal development and how certain experiences played a role in those developments. Even though I feel like i’ve grown a lot and have developed and learned new things, I have run into some issues. Those issues being family/culture, social and emotional growth, intellectual growth, values and beliefs, citizen and community member.