3 answers
Richard
Student
Rochester, New York
1
Question
Updated
1151 views
What should I look for in college housing?
What type of dorm setup should I look for? How does roommate selection work? What's a good price for room and board?
3 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1085
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Richard,
The housing situation and how housing is managed will be different for each university. Check out the information that is on your school's website, probably under residential life or housing services (example: https://www.rochester.edu/reslife). Your welcome package will also have housing information.
Many colleges require first-year and maybe second year students to stay in res on campus. On the other hand, at some colleges on-campus res fills up before you even get there. Often, fresh-peeps are assigned different residences than upper classes. Some colleges have on-campus residences and off-campus housing options. In some colleges you are allowed to live at home or find your own housing off campus which usually means a room in a shared apartment or a room in a family home.
Not all residences are the same either. You'll find anything from shared rooms to individual suites. If you are required to share, there is often times a sign-up form that allows you to indicate preferences so you get matched with someone of e.g. similar levels of organization and chattiness or chose single-gender vs co-ed options. If you know a person you would like to room with you can indicate that as well. But every college will handle this differently.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
The housing situation and how housing is managed will be different for each university. Check out the information that is on your school's website, probably under residential life or housing services (example: https://www.rochester.edu/reslife). Your welcome package will also have housing information.
Many colleges require first-year and maybe second year students to stay in res on campus. On the other hand, at some colleges on-campus res fills up before you even get there. Often, fresh-peeps are assigned different residences than upper classes. Some colleges have on-campus residences and off-campus housing options. In some colleges you are allowed to live at home or find your own housing off campus which usually means a room in a shared apartment or a room in a family home.
Not all residences are the same either. You'll find anything from shared rooms to individual suites. If you are required to share, there is often times a sign-up form that allows you to indicate preferences so you get matched with someone of e.g. similar levels of organization and chattiness or chose single-gender vs co-ed options. If you know a person you would like to room with you can indicate that as well. But every college will handle this differently.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Phill Pezo
Industrial Design
103
Answers
Nutley, New Jersey
Updated
Phill’s Answer
Hey Richard,
It is great to see that you are considering college housing for your college experience. You can begin by thinking of your necessities. For example, a desk space, maybe a private bathroom, or if you have the option of single or double room. If the mattress is not the best, you can always add foam and mattress toppers, they really make the difference. Also, consider your food situation. Does it have a fridge? Does it have and come with dinning? Is there a place to cook? This is something to consider to your experience as well as financial obligations. You can also consider looking into housing that is off campus but is for student living. Depending on the area, it might be cheaper to live off campus, but consider the commute in order to get to campus. Also, depending on the side of the campus, you should consider if you have the choice of building depending on where your classes will be. Storage space will also be needed so be sure to look into dividers and organizers for your items. A hanging fabric shelf in a closet can save a lot of room by folding instead of hanging clothes on a curtain. If you are able to, see if you can meet your roommate or choose your roommate before moving in with them. If you see they might not be the right fit, do not be afraid to try to get a different living situation. Know that it is about making good connections as well as learning to live with someone new.
Best of luck on your journey!
It is great to see that you are considering college housing for your college experience. You can begin by thinking of your necessities. For example, a desk space, maybe a private bathroom, or if you have the option of single or double room. If the mattress is not the best, you can always add foam and mattress toppers, they really make the difference. Also, consider your food situation. Does it have a fridge? Does it have and come with dinning? Is there a place to cook? This is something to consider to your experience as well as financial obligations. You can also consider looking into housing that is off campus but is for student living. Depending on the area, it might be cheaper to live off campus, but consider the commute in order to get to campus. Also, depending on the side of the campus, you should consider if you have the choice of building depending on where your classes will be. Storage space will also be needed so be sure to look into dividers and organizers for your items. A hanging fabric shelf in a closet can save a lot of room by folding instead of hanging clothes on a curtain. If you are able to, see if you can meet your roommate or choose your roommate before moving in with them. If you see they might not be the right fit, do not be afraid to try to get a different living situation. Know that it is about making good connections as well as learning to live with someone new.
Best of luck on your journey!
Michelle M.
Actress
3276
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi, Richard !
One of the first things to consider about housing while being a student in your beautiful city of Rochester, New York is cost. The average price range per school year for dorms is currently something like $12,328 on the low end and $13,472 on the higher end, but keep in mind - all fees are DIFFERENT at each college. The dorm fee is tagged onto your bill for tuition. This price range may not be pertinent to the college you end up going to.
If you choose to live in a dorm, IN GENERAL, in Rochester, you can fill out the housing application and choose the dorm in your first year. You specify things such as a roommate, gender-specific wing, etc. but you will be assigned the dorm that has an available room. First-year students cannot request a specific building, and assignments are made based on the information provided on the application for the dorms and availability. In Rochester, it can also be done for incoming first-year students who are guaranteed housing and they can self-select their room and roommate during a designated room selection process. So, it depends on the college. Go to your intended college's website for detailed information about the dorm process.
There are only 6 four year Universities in Rochester so this will probably not take too long to gather the information about their dorm policies.
I know of a college that was built 8 years ago and they built the dorms inside the actual school (in a separate wing) and they are single dorm rooms, no roommates. This is so modern and cool, so see if the school you will attend is recently built, if single dorm rooms may be a trend. It's going to take a little first hand reading and exploring for you to get the best information.
If you decide to get an apartment off campus, and want to live alone, consider a studio apartment or room for rent. I left a link below for you to get an idea of off campus housing. Look for a studio apartment in a pleasant, quiet neighborhood and since you live in Rochester, you'd know where you would want to live. You'll need a calm atmosphere while you are a student. There's also the option of having a full sized apartment and dividing the rent among roommates. You can visit the campus to see if there is a housing board with "roommate wanted" postings or if they have it on the college's website student portal. My first two years of college, I had roommates and last two years lived in my own studio apartment. Living alone was much more desirable, convenient and helped me focus better as a student. Just look for roommates that are like minded, preferably who are fellow students, that turn out to be supportive and fun to be around.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best exploring housing options for college !
ROCESTER STUDENT OFF CAMPUS HOUSING SEARCH https://rochstudenthousing.com/
One of the first things to consider about housing while being a student in your beautiful city of Rochester, New York is cost. The average price range per school year for dorms is currently something like $12,328 on the low end and $13,472 on the higher end, but keep in mind - all fees are DIFFERENT at each college. The dorm fee is tagged onto your bill for tuition. This price range may not be pertinent to the college you end up going to.
If you choose to live in a dorm, IN GENERAL, in Rochester, you can fill out the housing application and choose the dorm in your first year. You specify things such as a roommate, gender-specific wing, etc. but you will be assigned the dorm that has an available room. First-year students cannot request a specific building, and assignments are made based on the information provided on the application for the dorms and availability. In Rochester, it can also be done for incoming first-year students who are guaranteed housing and they can self-select their room and roommate during a designated room selection process. So, it depends on the college. Go to your intended college's website for detailed information about the dorm process.
There are only 6 four year Universities in Rochester so this will probably not take too long to gather the information about their dorm policies.
I know of a college that was built 8 years ago and they built the dorms inside the actual school (in a separate wing) and they are single dorm rooms, no roommates. This is so modern and cool, so see if the school you will attend is recently built, if single dorm rooms may be a trend. It's going to take a little first hand reading and exploring for you to get the best information.
If you decide to get an apartment off campus, and want to live alone, consider a studio apartment or room for rent. I left a link below for you to get an idea of off campus housing. Look for a studio apartment in a pleasant, quiet neighborhood and since you live in Rochester, you'd know where you would want to live. You'll need a calm atmosphere while you are a student. There's also the option of having a full sized apartment and dividing the rent among roommates. You can visit the campus to see if there is a housing board with "roommate wanted" postings or if they have it on the college's website student portal. My first two years of college, I had roommates and last two years lived in my own studio apartment. Living alone was much more desirable, convenient and helped me focus better as a student. Just look for roommates that are like minded, preferably who are fellow students, that turn out to be supportive and fun to be around.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best exploring housing options for college !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Delete Comment
Flag Comment