I Could Have Lived at Home, But I Chose Residence

It was interesting for me when I came to University, because I was given the option to stay in residence even though I lived in the same city as my University. It wouldn't cost me anything, because I had a scholarship that would pay for it. I wanted to stay in Res, because I wanted to get involved with the university and I thought by being closer to the university it would easier to get involved. Also, I wanted to meet people at the university and by staying at Res I thought it would make it easier. Everyone I talked to who had lived at home in their first year regretted it. Many had tried to get into Res but couldn’t because it was full.

I expected that living in Res would save me time, because I wouldn't have to spend well over an hour each day commuting. However, I hadn't considered the social life, which often used up a lot more time than that. On the other hand, commuting is wasted time; social life isn't.

Another big advantage: I didn't have to be totally organized for the entire day; forgetting some small but necessary item just meant a quick trip back to Res. And now that we have a bus strike going on, seemingly for several months, I can’t imagine how the off-campus kids manage. Most of all though, most of my friends are people I got to know in Res.

There are annoyances and frustrations though. Most obviously, the noise. In my first month, from Thursday night to Sunday night, it was so loud that I could not fall asleep. I went out and bought a fan to drown out the noise. I did find that after the first set of midterms, once everyone got their marks, people started to quiet down once they realized they had done worse than expected. Another Res problem is the temptation just to hang out with people because they're there and fun to be with, while actually you ought to be getting on with your work. Fortunately, that's not a problem for me because I'm organized and I know how to control my life. But for lots, it's a huge problem. On the other hand, chat and Facebook can be tempting in the same way, and they'll still be there wherever you're living.

Oh yes, the dramas on the floor. They seem to be about everything: schoolwork, marks, needing to drop a course or change a timetable, problems at home, partners and ex-partners, sleeping with someone and regretting it afterwards, coming out as gay. All very interesting and very intense, but these dramas aren't things you can ever walk out on, and they do use up a lot of time.

For this year, my second, I have decided to live at home, for financial reasons as well as thinking I will be more grounded and relaxed at home -- I will be better able to focus because the drama and stress of being in the Res floor won’t be there.

Just my choice. If the scholarship had paid for another year, I might have stayed in Res, or perhaps rented an apartment or a house with people I know I could live with. But I'm glad I spent my first year in Res.