Thursday, November 17, 2011
Homework and Jacuzzis as Dorms Move to McMansions in California
NYTimes.com: While students at other colleges cram into shoebox-size dorm rooms, Ms. Alarab, a management major, and Ms. Foster, who is studying applied math, come home from midterms to chill out under the stars in a curvaceous swimming pool and an adjoining Jacuzzi behind the rapidly depreciating McMansion that they have rented for a song.
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7 comments:
I think there is something to be said for having the college dorm experience, but that doesn't mean I think should have to experience it for all four years. Moving off campus was one of the best choices I made. A separate space within a communal living area. Privacy and roommates. The whole package. It can also end up being cheaper than living on campus, and can help cut down on the amount spent on food.
However I do not think that one should skip out starting their freshman year. Especially your freshman year. You would miss out on the benefits of living on campus, and the activities planned for freshman. Then again, the houses that these students are living in are pretty sweet.
I agree with Ariel that I think that the dorm experience is an important part of the college life. But that 4 years is far to long to experience it. These homes are amazing! Its unfortunate that the reason these students can have them is because some family was foreclosed out of their home. However, the price that they are paying for rent is close to what I pay per month. If it works I think that this is a great living condition and that these students are really lucky. Hopefully they do not end up trashing these beautiful homes, like some college students might be known to do. And that they remain lovely places to live for years to come.
When deciding to read this article, something that drew me was the cooky title: I was expecting to hear about the wonderfully outlandish living condition of some lucky college kids. After reading this article however- such a concept didn't seem as unreasonable as I had once considered- why WOULDN'T renting out a foreclosed home be a good idea? Especially when that rent is divided up by multiple people. Although I am on the "freshmen dorming camp", this is by no means a bad solution for upperclassman looking for off campus housing.
Who wouldn't love to live like these students? It does sound pretty awesome, but the added responsibility of paying bills and lawn upkeep doesn't sound fun. I think everyone should live in a dorm for at least a semester or two. It makes you appreciate what you have had at home, but on an even better note, it gives you the chance to make lifelong friends that you can depend on forever. Being a freshman is a big transition. Having your meals at your fingertips and not much to worry about like a homeowner is a definite plus. I don't want to live in a dorm for all four years but I think all in all it is a positive experience for most students.
This is exactly what college students need: more cushy accommodations and inflated expectations of living in the real world. Our generation is already going out into the workforce and complaining when they have to pay their dues; now that attitude is being transferred to housing.
However, the article says that students are put in these mansions because there is a shortage of dorms, so at least it is not first choice.
Although this is good for the neighborhood in a way because it's better to have people living in houses than to have vacant houses, there are a lot of downsides to college students living in these luxury houses. Of course, as the article pointed out, many of the non college students who live in the neighborhood are unhappy about it, but there is also the fact that these students are probably going to be in for a rude awakening when they enter the real world. I think that a part of the college experience is learning to live within your means in living spaces that are often less than ideal. When these students are in the real world, chances are they are not going to be living in McMansions, but they are going to be living in small apartments struggling to scrape together the months rent.
Living in a really nice house for college.... I don't know how I feel about this. I think being a student there would be awesome because who doesn't want a jacuzzi, but on the other hand, a college dorm is part of college. Even though I only lived in a dorm for one year and will never live in one again. I had the experience and I made it work. I dealt with living with 3 other girls in the same room as me and trying to make that work. We were lucky and happened to have our own bathroom, but every other aspect was dorm like. Living in a giant house without paying rent on it is a luxury that usually cannot be afforded. I understand why the college is doing this, it makes a lot of sense. But for the non-college people in the area, this could pose a real challenge. I would never want to live next to college kids because of noise. But if this is the only way the school can house their students, it's better than nothing.
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