In-province or out-of-province? Big city or small town? English major or history? There are many important decisions incoming university students must make before stepping onto campus to begin their classes.
One of the most significant choices they will have to make is whether they will live off-campus or on-campus.
Since many people are better suited to one or the other, it is essential that all new Ravens consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, so that they can pick the one that works best for them and make the best of their first year as Carleton students.
RESIDENCE PRO: COMMUNITY
Jonathan Lewis, a fifth-year electrical engineering student, said he thinks one of the best parts about living in residence was getting to be a part of the residence community.
“It was great in first year because there was a community of everyone who didn’t really know what was going on, so everyone bonded over that,” Lewis said. “It made meeting people a lot easier than it would have not having that community.”
Elizabeth Dwyer, a third-year humanities student, cited the strong social base she gained from the residence community as one of the best parts of living on-campus.
“I lived on a floor made up of people in programs like mine or even in my program. Having that support system was the biggest plus I can think of,” Dwyer said. “I think that residence definitely helped me build stronger relationships with the people that I became friends with. By living alongside of these people and going for dinners in the cafeteria together, you form better and deeper relationships.”
RESIDENCE CON: DISTRACTIONS
Dwyer described the numerous distractions in residence as one of the greatest disadvantages of living on-campus. She said it was difficult to study and complete assignments while her floormates were playing music or socializing loudly in the rooms around her.
“There is no guarantee that the people that share the floor share your same values or lifestyle. There is always going to be that person who is going hard on a Tuesday night or those people who are so loud that you can’t focus on your assignment.”
Daichi Tong, a third-year aerospace engineering student, said he was often tempted to join his floormates when he should have been studying.
“The common room areas are usually filled with people watching television, drinking beer, watching hockey,” Tong said. “It is very tempting to join them and be distracted from your studies, especially during midterm and exam times.”
RESIDENCE PRO: CONVENIENCE
Lewis cited the convenience of living in residence as one of its greatest advantages.
“You’re close to classes, so you can wake up late and still make it there on time. You don’t have to cook your own food, which is fantastic, especially when you’re stressed out. It is close to the gym and the pool. Anything that you need access to is ten minutes away and really easy to get to,” he said.
Tong described living in residence as the “necessary intermediate step between living at home, going to high school, and being completely dependent on your parents for financial support, food, and housing, and then transitioning into an environment where you are living by yourself.”
Tong said many worries associated with living alone, like bills, grocery shopping, and cooking, are mostly non-existent when living in residence.
“[Residence] fills in the gaps where your parents used to be in terms of food, housing—they take care of that kind of stuff for you,” Tong said.
Tong said living in residence allows students to focus on school.
“Academically, it gets a lot tougher when you go from high school to university. It is a very abrupt change,” Tong said. “Living in residence smooths over the change.”
RESIDENCE CON: POTENTIAL ROOMMATE CONFLICTS
In Dwyer’s case, the system used to pair roommates in residence worked extremely well.
“We had similar personalities, similar habits, and a similar drive when it came to school,” Dwyer said. “It doesn’t work that well for everyone.”
Tong didn’t have the same luck.
“He had different ideas on cleanliness, personal boundaries, and respect,” Tong said. “He was very much used to a different type of lifestyle because he came from a different country with a different sense of what is acceptable and what is not.”
Tong said they were ultimately unable to reach a compromise and had to change roommates.
OFF-CAMPUS PRO: SAVING MONEY
Sabrina Bailey, a former Carleton science student, decided to live off-campus instead of in residence during her first year to save money.
“When you live off-campus, you obviously get to set your own budget,” Bailey said.
Bailey said she saved more than four thousand dollars by choosing to live off-campus rather than on-campus.
Adam Berk, a third-year humanities student, said he also had trouble living frugally on campus.
“Walking through the heated tunnels to Oasis for a $10 sandwich is much more comfortable than a 20-minute trek to McDonalds in minus 30-degree weather,” Berk said.
OFF-CAMPUS CON: COMMUTE
Emma Rae, a third-year humanities student, said commuting was one of the greatest disadvantages of living off-campus.
“I’m quite involved in campus life, so having to trek back to campus once home, especially during winter, can get pretty annoying. I can see how it would be much easier to attend everything if you lived on campus,” Rae said.
She said living off-campus at home often hindered her academics.
“I have a tendency to become sick or skip some classes, especially during a really harsh winter,” Rae said. “Being at home enabled me somewhat to not push myself harder to get into class every time.”
Berk also cited his commute as a negative aspect of living off-campus.
“I had two options for getting to campus: a thirty-minute walk or a thirty-minute ride on a crowded and often late bus,” Berk said. “The commute was not very fun because my area was serviced by only one bus route that didn’t go to Carleton on weekends. As a consequence, I often had to walk to school in minus 30-degree weather.”
OFF-CAMPUS PRO: EASIER TO FOCUS
Bailey said one of the benefits of living off-campus was the lack of distractions.
“Even if you have a single room in residence, you are sharing a floor. Sometimes things can get loud. There’s always something happening on the floor that peaks your interest. You are always invited to do something or have someone knocking on your door in residence,” Bailey said.
“I found it easier to focus off campus,” Bailey said. “If things are too quiet at home, you can visit friends in their dorms.”
Many students who live off-campus during first year might worry their living situation might hinder their ability to make good friendships.
However, Bailey said making friends off-campus was not an issue.
“I made plenty of friends living off-campus,” Bailey said. “You can’t be afraid to talk to people. They are all looking for new friends too.”
OFF CAMPUS CON: MORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Lewis said one of the biggest disadvantages of living off-campus are the additional responsibilities you don’t have while living in residence.
“You have more responsibilities aside from just school,” Lewis said. “Now you have to worry about bills, what you’re going to do for food, who lives around you, how you’re going to get to class, if you have a job, how you’re going to get from here to your job, does your job work around this schedule, and how you’re going to get there and back.”
Bailey said when she lived off-campus, she did not always eat properly due to a lack of motivation to cook a meal after a long day of classes, labs, and commuting.
“You wish you could swipe a card and get into a wonderful buffet,” she said.
