I vividly remember the conversation with my older cousins…
“You’ll need a shower caddy, sandals, and a towel…is anyone bringing a fridge?”
What? Wait…what is a shower caddy? And sandals…like for the beach? Okay, I was lost. Why in the world would I need these items? It wasn’t until I finally made it into my freshman dorm that I truly understood what everyone was talking about.
It didn’t take too long in my 12x20 concrete block assignment to fully understand all the hints and tips my cousins and friends were trying to give me. Yes, the shower shoes were a must have and it felt kinda strange taking a “normal” shower without sandals the first time I went home. After having my green shower caddy for a couple months, I started to have caddy envy for those having different colors. Thinking to myself, “I wonder where they bought theirs?” Remember, these are the days before Amazon and internet shopping. Pickings were definitely slim. If green was all they had left at the store, that’s what you bought.
Early in our first days in our room, my roommate and I decided to turn our beds into bunk beds. Unfortunately, I got the top bunk since my roommate was a sophomore. No big deal…I’ve slept on the top many times through the years. Our room had a decent set up. Our dressers were on one wall and the TV was between them like an entertainment center. You were able to get arrangement ideas from walking the halls and seeing other students with their doors open. Yes, their doors were just open. See, that's what you did when you were not in class. You opened your door, grabbed your newest CD that you just had shipped from Columbia House/BMG, and spun the latest sounds on your Aiwa or Sanyo stereo with CD and tape deck. When going to the cafeteria, you invited and coordinated with anyone that had their door open or was in earshot of your voice. It was great. Open doors with music blaring, shared prison style showers, and plenty of late night fire alarms. I moved to a small apartment the next year, but frequently visited friends that stayed in the dorms another year.
Sadly, after my sophomore year, our particular dorm was torn down to make way for a new university building. Upon originally hearing the rumors of the potential demolition, no one said, “good, I hated that dorm.” It was quite emotional for everyone. Why would they tear down a perfectly good dorm? As nineteen year old students, we truly didn’t see and understand the long term plan. Fortunately, the relationships made that freshman year were vital and helped guide every year after.
What no one saw coming was the direction many colleges and universities were going. Buildings were being demolished and new buildings with suites and “apartment style” living were being constructed. Neighboring universities all tried to keep up with the Jones. Apartments, two bedroom suites, four bedroom suites, private bathrooms, and small kitchens. Universities were trying to fix a problem that didn’t exist by trying to keep students on campus in their luxurious housing.
During this surge in construction, students also encountered a new world of technology. Social media was coming on to the scene, online gaming began to explode, and classes were now available to take from the comfort of your own room. Despite these advancements, this was not good. Doors were no longer open. Music, if even heard, was muffled. Shower caddy…what’s that? The caddy envy is no more. In fact, you’re not even sure who your neighbors are. Group outings to the cafeteria? Not necessary. You’re just going to heat something up in the microwave and jump on Call of Duty or Wii Sports.
A few things should take place in college. First and foremost, you learn something and hopefully earn a degree. Next, you socialize and form bonds with other students. Networks are created and continue to be beneficial throughout adulthood. These friendships help you learn about yourself and others. The shell you may have lived in during highschool is broken and your true self is unveiled. Who knew I had such a great sense of humor..? Lastly, you struggle and so do the people around you. They all take the same walk to the shower with their shower caddy, wear the same sandals, and sit in the stall beside you. They all lived in the 12x20 concrete block room with no AC (box fans were key) and rearranged their room multiple times to get the most living space. As far as money goes, that was gone by mid semester. All the money made from the summer only went so far. However, money was just a luxury that wasn’t really needed. You had the cafeteria and a meal plan and those occasional treats that your parents sent you back with. Despite all of this, college life was great.
Fast forward to the present day. Students now reside in apartments nicer than some houses and certainly nicer than the places many get post graduation. The social component has been squashed by secluding students in their cushy apartment style living. Even more frequently, students have multiple online classes and never have to leave their room. The humbling portion of community bathrooms, shower caddies, and sandals no longer exist.
In the past decade, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there has been a decline of 1.95 million students or roughly 10%. This trend has experts scratching their heads and others giving excuses. In my opinion, it starts with the residence life experience students are being provided. Students need the social aspect of college. Otherwise, just stay at home and commute or take online classes. We cannot expect to put eighteen year old students in a fancy suite with limited social interaction and expect a positive outcome. It's too easy to fall into an online game and neglect the networking portion of college. When I lived in a dorm room, I wanted to get out of my cramped room. We would look for those open doors. We would spend the extra time with friends at the cafeteria. What reason do these students now have to get out of their room? Kitchens. Living Rooms. Private Bathrooms. They have it all, but at what cost?
As a parent, I witnessed first hand the impact traditional dorms had socially on my college age children. One child attended a school, lived in a great luxurious community with a pool and gym the first year, but socially never really had the opportunity to interact with anyone. After their sophomore year, they dropped out. Grades were great but they had enough. Now my second child, different story. He lived in a traditional dorm with all the modern community bathroom amenities. We joked and laughed about it, but there hasn’t been a night where he wasn’t with a group of students. In addition to traditional dorms, this university heavily pushes clubs, intramural sports and greek organizations. This university sees the importance of keeping students involved and recently had record high enrollment numbers compared to other universities that continue to have declining enrollments. Ironically, the schools with declining enrollment are also the schools that have the luxurious suites and apartments and historically pushed away Greek organizations, failed to support the importance of various clubs, and have limited intramural/club sports.
So, what is the solution? Most importantly, stop building suites and apartments. They look nice, but are not for 18 year old college students. It's okay…they can be humbled. Living on their own in a nice apartment is something that graduates should have to work towards, not be handed. Additionally, tuition costs are out of control and many rising seniors can’t justify $100k for a bachelor's degree in business or teaching. If a student isn’t going to take advantage of the social aspect of college, stay at home and commute. It's much cheaper and they’ll get the same degree. If they do live on campus in a fancy apartment, get involved in a club, sport, or greek organization. Do something.
What if they are fortunate to live in a traditional dorm? Join those same clubs, sports, or greek organizations, but leave that door open. Play your music. Have group outings to the cafeteria. Go to Amazon and get that shower caddy. This is what my kids bought! No more caddy envy. The sandal options are unlimited but make sure they dry quickly. Get two towels. One will eventually smell or be needed to clean up a spill in someone’s room. It's okay. Regardless, be humbled. Embrace the suck. We’ve all been there.
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