<p>I was wondering here… in these times of cost-cutting measures and declining endowments, would it be a good idea for colleges to star scrapping roommates’ schemes altogether and providing, instead, single rooms only, as a countermeasure to massive reduction in opening hours of libraries and student centers?</p>
<p>The underlying rationale I’m considering is: if students had their own private, albeit small, places, under their exclusive “ jurisdiction”, there would be fewer demand for “quiet” study places 24/7, all-day opened cafeterias and so on.</p>
<p>I would like to hear opinions on this: would you appreciate to live in a single in exchange for service reduction, therefore being not obliged to share your room with increasingly stranger ppl over college years (the RPG freshman may become the 5th dimensional weed addicted on senior year, the womanizer freshman might become the n-some wicked sexual subject in his 6th year etc.)?</p>
<p>Absolutely not!
I realize it’s not the same for everyone but I would be so sad without my roomie :(. I think living with someone is a very valuable experience because it develops all sorts of social skills. Plenty of people will be living with someone for the rest of their life perhaps…with future apartment mates or a hubby/wife :p. Plus it’s probably a little more environmentally friendly…</p>
<p>If people want quiet places to study they can find it if they look hard enough. And if not, then it’s another developmental social skill to be able to tell other people to knock it off when it’s time to be quiet. It’s also learning to adapt to a new environment…<em>some</em> background noise won’t kill anyone.</p>
<p>As for cost reduction, libraries could still stay open 24/7 but maybe with more limitations…such as ground floor and certain computers only on at certain times, etc. I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to reduce the cost.</p>
<p>Look at other countries. In europe, almost all dorms are singles. IMO, singles offer a better living arrangement for college. (I’m in a double currently…)</p>
<p>There isn’t enough housing here for people who want/need it even with some triple and quad rooms, if there were all singles more than half the on-campus population wouldn’t be able to live on campus anymore-- unless we spent more money building and operating more residence halls, which are probably bigger resource suckers than libraries… And I know a lot of people who are in singles who still prefer to do their work in the library.</p>
<p>AFAIK, last report of The Chronicle Higher Education Report has shown that 12% of net * income * came from Dining & Housing services. They’re talking about net dollars, e.g., room&board - expenses on dorms, dining halls etc. It’s like Universities are operating big enterprises in the hotel industry :)</p>
<p>Of course, this wouldn’t change quickly, but during hall renovation, they could replace, let’s say, 18 double rooms in a whole floor with with 28 ou 30 singles, smaller than doubles of course.</p>