<p>My son is an only child, and he is now living in a suite with three other boys. They have a living room and kitchen that they share, which includes a dinette table.</p>
<p>After only two days together, the dinette table is now a permanent Risk game setup, with an ongoing game that will no doubt last most of the semester.</p>
<p>There is a Student Night at the nearby Target that they are all looking forward to attending. (I never thought my son would be interested in shopping, and I can only imagine what will be on his shopping list).</p>
<p>There is a rumor that the fourth roommate who has been incommunicado will be supplying a 63 inch television, courtesy of his father. And this fourth roommate has also moved in with a PS3, including my son’s three favorite games that he plays on XBOX.</p>
<p>Dad is of course ready to move to son’s college town to join in the fun. </p>
<p>Would love to hear from other parents about their Man Caves in the Making.</p>
<p>Having just witnessed a very talented young man be booted from UCBerkeley for academic failure after two years of heavy gaming and light work habits, I warn you to be careful what you encourage or envy.</p>
<p>To Pengo - Not really! Nothing gave me more joy than when my son’s friends came over for “Play Day”, even though they were teenagers. Having been only blessed with one child, I loved having “my boys” over! Although we do enjoy having our TV back at home.</p>
<p>My son had a rocky freshman year, in large part because his room became the dorm social center. He told me that he never got enough sleep because people were always sitting on his bed. This year he and roomie are staying together but S tells me that they are changing their image. Time will tell, but a game-filled man cave is not as good an idea as you might think.</p>
<p>Montegut - I have an only child (son) as well! </p>
<p>What I meant was that I’d be afraid there would be too much man cave bonding and not enough studying going on. I would be beside myself if I had to witness it on a daily basis. I am trying to talk my son out of taking his TV. He doesn’t even watch TV! His roommate is all hot-to-trot to have him bring his set and I told him I can always bring it up on Parent’s weekend if he misses it so much.</p>
<p>I also worry about his room becoming the social room. I warned him of that when he was deciding between a room and a suite. He is so used to going out to find his entertainmant (occasionally hosting at home) but he always came home to his nice peaceful room whenever he wanted some quiet time. Even with a suite, I imagine there would still be alot of noise that could disturb sleep. </p>
<p>But hey, what do I know? I am only a mom. </p>
<p>He is in a double. We shall see what happens.</p>
<p>Yes, mom2ck is right. The “fun room” is the shared living room. If it was in a traditional dorm room, where son wouldn’t be able to sleep, that would be a different story.</p>
<p>our DS, an OC, went to full pay, top engineering school. Triple room not apts or common room.
The boys were too busy or studying to watch TV. DS never did watch TV at home and today as a working dude, lives in a shared house with mandatory NO common TV. If they want to watch a movie or tv they use hulu on DS’s large monitor. Most of time they go to someone else’s place that has a big screen, 60".</p>
<p>No man cave in my son’s suite, either. There are too many female friends (including my son’s girlfriend) who stop in and hang out, so the place is tidy and nicely decorated. While there is a large TV in the common room that will be nice for game viewing, it probably will be used on movie/board game nights. But it seems that all four guys are busy all the time with marching band, student government, working for the campus newspaper or doing research.</p>
<p>My S somehow ended up with 3 TVs by the end of the year. He isn’t even all that fond of TV, so am now sure how he ended up with all of them. He sold them on Craigslist, after we had the pleasure of helping him move them from his apt to the storage room (a nice 30 minute drive) & then help him move it to another apartment weeks later! I never found out whether he sold it before or after he moved all his stuff again, to another apartment a few weeks after that!</p>
<p>Am glad S was never interested in having his place be a social center. His claim to fame was having a LOT of CHAIRS–he owned about 10 or so. I believe they had a lot of study co-ed groups in his nice, clean apartments, which is why he acquired the chairs. He had just one quiet room mate his last two years of college (as well as a different nice, quiet room mate his freshman year–I think sophomore year was more “man cavish” but S doesn’t talk about it).</p>
<p>Even if the “man cave” was to be in a common suite area, it’s tough to keep the noise & distraction from breaking through to the bedroom, especially if others come to join the fun & alcohol & other substances become involved. Oh well, hopefully things will work out for all our kids, one way or another. Most realize they have to juggle fun with academics and strike their own balance.</p>
<p>S1 is an architecture student and he just moved into a off campus house with five other architects. In lieu of a coffee table and couch in the living room they have set up a large lego table. Three of the guys brought their lego (how they will keep it all separate is beyond me) and they intend to buy more. Evidently when architects party they like to play lego. How would you like to walk across that living room early Sunday morning?</p>
<p>S('10) is launching tomorrow. He went on Craigslist & purchased a fridge, a set of 6 speakers + subwoofer, and a 36-inch HDTV that measures 46" H (on pedestal) X 40" W x 24" D. It also weighs 235 lbs. He is convinced that this will fit into a tiny double room. Our plan is to show up at the crack of dawn (8 am) on Friday, Move-in day, somehow move the 235 lb beast into the Man Cave, then run like h**l before the roommate & his parents show up.</p>
<p>12, that is too funny! I find it amusing that the roommate who has been incommunicado is the one that proposes the large TV and has brought the video game system. I suspect it may all be wishful thinking. Seriously, how are they going to get that big of a TV in the dorm. But I suppose where there’s a will, there’s a way. </p>
<p>Loving the Lego story. That’s my son and his friends all over. They play video games and Lego all at the same time. Talk about multi tasking!</p>
<p>My D has an entire dresser wholly devoted to LEGGO! It is sorted by the box it came out of but she hasn’t touched it in so so many years. Meanwhile, her other dresser is overflowing with clothing & her clothes are strewn about all over the floor so the leggos can stay nicely stored in the dresser, untouched! Go figure!</p>
<p>S was disappointed to find out that D’s apartment wouldn’t accommodate the 3 TVs he brought as well as the TV that came with her apartment, which is why he decided to sell the 3 on Craigslist. He said her place is “tiny.” Yea, with 3 TVs, many spaces would shrink!</p>
<p>^^^^ Yeah…what’s up with that? If one of our boys (or husband as is usually the case) doesn’t have the latest and greatest…you would think the world would stop spinning…lol.</p>
</p>