To live on campus or not to live on campus, that is the question.
All students must decide whether to get the full college experience or save a little money. I have been attending and commuting to Shepherd for almost two years now and I haven’t even thought about living on campus.
I can understand why students that are residing an hour or more away want to live on campus, but it’s bothersome when I see some students with homes down the road and they choose to spend money to live on campus. Just think about what one could do with almost $2,000.
Come on, that’s a lot of cheddar.
Depending on which hall a resident chooses to live in, the price varies for a semester. For an in-state student, the cheapest halls, which are Kenamond, Gardiner and Turner, are an estimated cost of $2,420.
That amount accounts for just room and board. When you add in the standard meal plan with it, your total increases another $1,950. Many students at Shepherd feel that this is far too expensive, so they choose to drive to campus.
Senior Emily Christian said, “I’d much rather just pay for gas than fork over a lot more money just to live here. It helps me focus on school work and spend less money; gas can be pricey, but it’s not like room and board.”
Christian is just one of the many commuters here at Shepherd. Up to 60 percent of students at Shepherd are commuters and a majority of residents leave on the weekends. Let’s face it; this campus can be a ghost town sometimes. The unfortunate few who stay here just sit around and twiddle their thumbs.
Being a commuter also opens up the ability to have more freedom when working part-time jobs.
Many places are flexible with college students and they allow you to work as little or as much as you feel comfortable with. Many residents have to stick with having an on-campus job or not having a job at all. Finally, depending on one’s self control, living on campus can be distracting due to being surrounded by friends and other students.
Of course, commuting isn’t perfect either.
It is easier to miss classes because of snowy roads, but teachers are usually understanding about those situations. In addition, gas prices can always be a problem since it’s hard to predict when a spike in prices will occur.
I am also not saying that living on campus is a total drag as there are always events going on during the week, and of course there are those students who want the full college experience.
Freshman Joe Smith said, “I needed to live on campus. I had to get out of the house and finally be on my own.”
Many residents share the same ideas as Smith, but students could easily express their freedom from the clutches of their parents without having to empty their pockets.
While living on campus is not a horrible idea, I just think that our students could be better off spending their money on something else other than an awkward roommate and a bed.
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