Moving away from home and onto a college campus can be an exciting experience, complete with newly found independence and plenty of chances to meet new people. However, it's a novelty that appears to quickly wear off, as students seem to bolt the residence halls as soon as their required two-year stay is up.
"I think it's the whole (idea that) you're even more grown up if you have your own place," said nursing major Amy Bartram, 23, who has lived in an apartment for two years.
Tom Fojtik, director of the Department of Residence Life, said about 5 percent of all students living in residence halls are juniors or seniors. There has been a steady decline in the amount of older students living on campus in recent years, he said.
"We've seen a great increase in the amount and quality of off-campus housing," he said. "(Students) have a lot more options, and I think they choose the option that is best for them."
But for some upperclassmen, staying in a residence hall is a welcome alternative to the immediate costs of living off campus.
"It doesn't add up to me," said senior Kat Brannaman, 23. "At least in the dorms I don't have to pay for it until I get out of school, when I have a decent job and I'm making enough money to pay for all that."
Brannaman said it's nice not having to worry about paying bills related to housing every month, and that right now she would be unable to afford living in an apartment.
"It's not cheaper (to live off campus) by any means. At least when you're in the dorms, everything's included in one bill, including your meal plan," she said.
Becky Jeglum, 20, is a junior living in a residence hall. Because she was the valedictorian of her high school class, she received a scholarship that covers her tuition and half her room and board.
Jeglum said she sometimes feels "like a loser" when fellow upperclassmen ask her where she lives and that it's sometimes awkward since most students her age live off campus.
"I'd say it's an unwritten rule, but I don't know if there's really any pressure," she said. "I think people just do it because that's what everyone else is doing. I think it just all depends on what your friends do."
The most common complaint from students is that the hall rules are too strict, Fojtik said, but staff members are simply trained to stop trouble when they see it. "Some people are more comfortable with that than others," he said.
Bartram listed the dormitory rules as one of the top reasons for her moving into an apartment. At one point, a community adviser gave her an incident report for having her TV on too loud, she said.
Fojtik said Residence Life is always looking for new ways to attract upperclassmen into its buildings. "I think what we need is different kinds of housing options for upperclassmen because most of them just don't want to live in a traditional residence hall," he said.
Stewart Community, which has single rooms for upper-level undergraduates, is Residence Life's best effort to connect to older students, but it may not be enough, Fojtik said.
"The reason we like having (upperclassmen) is that a lot of them are successful academically and I think they can serve as good role models to our younger students," he said.
Jeglum, a human resource management major, said she considered living in Stewart to avoid "all the crazy freshmen," but decided she wanted to be more social. She said Residence Life could be doing a better job promoting juniors and seniors living on campus, considering all the housing information that sophomores receive from area landlords.
Brannaman said the thought of moving off campus has occurred to her a number of times, but she always arrives at the same conclusion. "A lot of people expect you to do it, and you get funny looks when you don't," she said. "A lot of people also find out once they move off campus that it's not as easy as people think it is."
She added that she has had friends who have moved off campus and returned to the residence halls because they could not afford it.
Brannaman, who has lived in six different halls, admitted that sometimes living in a cramped environment can be inconvenient, especially when people don't respect others in the building. "It's hard living on a floor with a whole bunch of guys and girls who are obnoxious and loud. They don't respect the fact that there are other people sleeping," she said. "Nasty puke and stuff in the bathrooms is no fun, either."
The food at Blackhawk Commons also seems to be a point of contention for many students as there has been a call for more of a variety in meal choices.
"It's not real food," Jeglum said. "I want to be able to make my own healthy food."
Brannaman, on the other hand, said that the dining services are more than sufficient. "Not having to cook everyday? It's a beautiful thing," she said.
Fojtik said he understands that when students move off campus, it's similar to the step they take when they first move into a residence hall as freshmen.
"When you first get to college, it's a rite of passage," he said. "Another rite of passage is moving off campus and signing a lease and doing all those things. I think for a lot of students, that's just a part of college.
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