<p>mdcissp, I have heard that it can be exactly as you describe. Frankly, if a student is an addict in recovery, I don’t think it should bother you or your son. If the student is one who likes to “party” and the parents hope to turn their child around by insisting on substance free in exchange for tuition dollars (and filling out the housing questions for their child in a way that is not truthful), that could be a problem. I do think that you will also find more religious students overall in substance free housing, but from what I have seen, they certainly do not make up the majority of students that you will find.</p>
<p>Editing this-my kids have told me that at many schools one signs a contract as a part of substance free housing. Often if that student is caught doing something (ie: drinking at a party anywhere on campus) they can be asked to leave residential life on that campus. That would probably solve the problem of students who want to party being placed in substance free housing by their parents.</p>
<p>Every time the issue of substane free housing comes up, people seem to post concerns that the substance free dorms will be filled with former substance abusers and kids forced to apply by their parents. I think these fears end up discouraging kids who would want such housing from applying.</p>
<p>I’ve known several kids who lived in substance free housing from whom it was a great option. They were able to get to know people freshman year without worrying about being surrounded by people who were looking to get wasted each weekend. Some moved out of substance free housing after freshman year since they felt comfortable enough with their friends and social circle to feel they needed longer needed it, others stayed in substance free dorms because they simply liked not having to worry about waking up to find puke in the bathroom.</p>
<p>Your should check at any school your student is considering, but i think most schools have pretty strict policies for their substance free dorms. Check if the rules apply only to activity in the substance free dorm or everywhere (ie, is it the dorm that is substance free or the residents). And check what the consequences are. If the rule is one strike and you are out of campus housing, my guess would be it is taken pretty seriously.</p>
<p>Realize also, that while there is drinking and drugs at all campuses, schools will also vary in regards to what extent they enforce the fact that, except for drinking by students over age 21, all of this activity is in any event illegal, regardless of substance free dorm or not. Some schools will be more vigilant with residential staff cracking down in the dorms and most partying taking place off-campus.</p>
<p>I’ve posted this elsewhere before, but a friend was assigned (not by her choice) to substance free housing. Half of the students were court-mandated to live there because they were not only former users, but had ended up in court for this. The other half were evangelical Christians. This may vary from college to college, of course.
That being said, I think that many colleges need to take a good, hard look at the drinking culture and do something about it! And, as parents, we should do the same. How can we get across to our kids that binge drinking is stupid, immature, and dangerous?</p>
<p>^^^ This is my fear/worry about it. When my son eventually does choose a college, we will further research the available substance free housing on its campus and what the pervasive culture is at his particular school. He would not do well with uber religious/bible study group type kids OR former users (personality type…). He just would want to be with kids who don’t want to “party” to have fun.</p>
<p>as with just about anything, how schools put something into practice will vary – you need to ask a lot of questions. be careful you aren’t getting excuses from kids who just don’t want to be in substance free housing. and also be careful residential life isn’t painting a picture that isn’t reality either.</p>
<p>by law, schools have to maintain public information regarding crimes on campus – including drug and alcohol offenses. however, i’ve never really known what to make of this data. if a school has more incidents, does that mean drug and alcohol abuse are more prevalent or just that they are policing it more? if a school has fewer incidents, does it mean these activities are less prevalent or just that the school is more lax about them?</p>
<p>Those tempted by substance free dorms may want to have their child sleep over in one before choosing.</p>
<p>An interesting side note is why are such dorms needed in those states where you are not allowed to smoke cigarettes indoors; drink below 21; or use drugs at any age?</p>
<p>Levirm is absolutely right about the need for cultural change. Frankly, heavy drinking at certain schools of all types has been a fixture for so many years–Dartmouth; Ole Miss; Lehigh; Penn State; James Madison–that I suspect the culture does not change because it aids recruiting.</p>
<p>My oldest two both chose “Wellness” or substance-free dorms at their schools. They went to very different colleges but both seemed to operate essentially the same. They were called “Wellness” housing. Both required the student to attend an interview to assess their intentions - making sure they were not there under parental duress. Both required the dorms to be free of alcohol regardless of the age of the student occupying the dorm. Most schools I have found use them as another aspect of ‘theme’ housing. I have never heard of them being used to house ex-druggies.</p>
<p>I think it is an excellent point to stay over night in the dorm, if possible, before commiting to a particular school. I told my son to sit in on some classes and stay over night after he gets his acceptances to see where the best fit is. He is a serious student and needs a quiet environment to study.</p>
<p>mdcissp – at any college, there can be issues regarding noise. even if a student has a single, there can be noise on the floor – it doesn’t mean other students aren’t serious students, just that they may be noiser than your son might need them to be. would it meet your son’s needs if schools might have other designated “quiet” study areas? perhaps they might meet your son’s needs by offering a consistent place that is quiet, or at least offer a refuge if the dorm is noisy sometimes? some schools have quiet areas in the library, sometimes dorms have quiet study lounges. is this something you have looked in to at any schools he’s looked at?
some students study in their rooms, others prefer to go elsewhere with fewer distractions.</p>
<p>I cannot speak for other schools, but USC provides a quiet floor, as well as other kinds of special interest housing, for those who want it. I also think the housing situation can greatly enhance or diminish the college experience–it is a place where your kids can find friends and enjoy social activities together (if the RA organizes anything). USC happens to be a very social school and encourages a variety of social activities (the dorm is going to a movie night for example).</p>
<p>Also think that every school has a certain vibe, as Rockville Mom says, and we are all trying to find the right academic and social fit for our kids. I just know my younger son needs a quiet place to study and sleep. I am sure there must be other kids who have this basic need, such as there are other kids who thrive on late hours and partying with friends. I think the substance free dorm is a place to consider and ask questions for goodness of fit, if you think this might be a place for your child.</p>
<p>While I believe excellent in concept, theme housing, I also wonder how does one strike a balance in reaching out and discovering “new” when you are locked into a specific type of dorm.</p>
<p>I think theme housing will vary by school, and a student needs to investigate how serious the programs are being applying. My daughter was in a “healthy living” program freshman year, and a leadership program sophomore year. To be honest, she applied to the programs to help get into the dorms of her choice, because housing quality varies a lot at her school. Both programs had minimal programming and most of it was optional. She made one close friend on her floor freshmen year, but the group never really jelled. Her floor was pretty quiet, but she would have preferred a more social situation. She did get a wonderful room in a beautiful historic dorm, so she felt it was worth it.</p>
<p>At large schools like UMCP, I’ve know kids who felt that the living/learning programs helped them find friends with similar interests. I don’t think the kids felt like it limited chances to meet other people.</p>
<p>cherryhill-- college students aren’t homogeneous. no matter what common interest you try to group them by, you aren’t going to end up with a homogeneous group of students. even at schools with theme housing – a common interest in social action, or green living, or a specific foreign language, partying, not partying, quiet studying, whatever will not mean that the students do not have other qualities that differ – and in some cases those differences may be even more noticiable than their similarities. all that any such housing can do is try to offer students a chance to share a common interest with those they live with – sometimes it is more successful than others, but it doesn’t preclude getting to know a variety of types of people.</p>
<p>West coast junionr daughter looking for New York school (wants to be near city), has ADHD thus good grades but low SAT is anticipated (she take it this weekend)…any suggestions?</p>
<p>yabeyabe2–She is interested in Fashion Design…but the business/marketing side. She is looking for a “real” college but would consider an art/design school if it has a business/marketing emphasis. Thanks</p>
<p>okay I know SUNY Oneonta is not near NYC, (3 1/2 hours) but I know a few girls who studied fashion industry there and got great internships in nyc during school and great jobs after.</p>