<p>HI
We were just informed my son will have 2 roomates in a double room. Clearly, we’re not happy about this. Does anyone know what is the healthy amount of space a person should have? Someone I talked to said 100 square feet per person but I’m wondering if anyone has thoughts or information on this? Thanks so much.</p>
<p>The International Building Code says that the minimum size of a habitable room (which includes bedrooms) is 70 sq. ft. However the code doesn’t address how many people you can put in that room. I don’t believe any of our local zoning codes address this issue. </p>
<p>For what it’s worth, since many colleges provide a discount for forced triples, I’ve met a number of kids on tours who thought it was worth the savings and didn’t bother to split up even though space opened up a few weeks into the term. My son even overnighted in one such room. They had the three roommates plus two overnighters!</p>
<p>It’s important to remember that college students don’t live exclusively in their rooms. Many spend a lot of time, including study time, in common areas in the dorm and at other locations on campus.</p>
<p>So an amount of space that might seem inadequate for, say, two working people who are trying to share a studio apartment, might be just fine for college students.</p>
<p>Last fall, my daughter ended up in a triple after requesting a double. Turns out the school had record number of incoming freshman as well as having more women than ever before. </p>
<p>She was also bummed that she was going to be in a triple. However, she ended up loving the fact she had two roommates. The school put in units that were desks underneath with the bed on top. So the room didn’t seem too crowded with three.</p>
<p>It was slightly cheaper as the room cost was by size.</p>
<p>Just go in with a smile and it will all work out.</p>
<p>I see that you are new here; just to put your mind at ease, this happens quite often at alot of schools…</p>
<p>Many schools have students abroad for spring; this is the time that many triples are de-tripled…</p>
<p>If you are positive, your kid will be positive…agree with above; smile…it will be fine…</p>
<p>My son lived in a triple last year. For my tastes, it was extremely small. Literally you could stand in the middle of the room and touch both beds. There was a bunkbed and a loft bed. My uncle went to visit and was totally horrified and could not get over it. The boys however, were perfectally happy, it was completely a non-issue. In fact they voluntarily signed up for a triple again this year because at our school it is a significant cost savings.</p>
<p>Thank you for all your kind words. I will try to stay positive! This is a double room meant for 2 people- 3 kids will have to share 2 closets- there will be a bunk bed and a single bed. In addition, all but 4 rooms in the entire dorm (known for its rowdiness- which my son asked to avoid on his preference form) will be triples- adding a third more students into the building. I know that I have to stay positive and I will in front of him- but I am in shock, actually.</p>
<p>It depends on the kid, really. My D is a “the more, the merrier” type and a triple room would not bother her in the least. However, for her organization and studying (slight ADD issues), she does better in a double. I have offered her a single and she said no – she loves having a roommate. </p>
<p>So, this might be an adjustment for your child, but he will learn to go to the library and will make friends in other dorms and such, and by Spring, he may have another option or these two roommates may become his lifelong best friends. Or somewhere inbetween. </p>
<p>I would emphasize the adventure aspect. My D’s roommate’s family took her on their vacation this summer to Bermuda, so expanding one’s social circle happens!</p>
<p>mommyg- just curious- which college?</p>
<p>There is a reason we move on from our dorm experiences. What worked then doesn’t later (H and I spent a night in a large double room with down the hall bathroom for son’s summer orientation- enough to remind me of why we don’t all live communally). </p>
<p>Like others said- can and will use the whole dorm and campus for living space. Needs the room to sleep in, not much else. Remember- YOU don’t have to live there. You also don’t have to walk to a cafeteria for all of your meals or to classes. For him it is an adventure, new people and experiences. Let him enjoy the positives. Listen to any complaints later with sympathy but emphasize the school’s good points. He chose it for the overall experience- dorm life is a small part of the whole.</p>
<p>If you are full pay you could always throw your weight around. I actually had a friend do that year before last when she was not happy about her freshman D being placed in a forced triple. If not, I’d just grin and cross my fingers. There are anecdotal reports of this every year and it seems the kids manage. Boys, fortunately, tend to have less “stuff”.</p>
<p>My D was in a tripled double and it wasn’t a big deal even for 3 girls. They managed to squeeze in 3 desks and 3 sets of double drawers. One couldn’t have put a recliner or something in the room but they managed. The next year she had a double and the year after that a single so it got better.</p>
<p>On the bright side, your son will have twice the chance of having a roomie he really gets along with.</p>
<p>My D is in a triple bedroom (with a sophomore and a junior, interestingly enough) but in a suite that has 2 bedrooms, a common room, and a bathroom. She doesn’t know yet if the other bedroom has 2 or 3 people.</p>
<p>They will have a lofted bed and a set of bunkbeds, 3 dressers, 3 desks, and 2 closets. We are assuming that she will have very little storage space and are bringing a minimum of items that will need to be put on the floor. She’s happy enough - the common room access will help. Maybe the junior will go abroad, and maybe something will open up and someone will decide to move. I guess they’ll figure that out over time.</p>
<p>Having had one go through college already, I’m absolutely prepared for the “gee, honey, that’s too bad - so what else is new?” conversations. Mostly I do think she feels this is going to be a fabulous lark, so I’m happy enough to go along with her (even though I myself would be crazed living in that kind of situation - I never even shared a double in college).</p>
<p>I think most kids make the best of it and it could be worse. A friend’s daughter will be living in a converted study room with 4 other girls. There will be 2 sets of bunk beds plus a single that may be lofted to make room for the 5 desks and 5 dressers.</p>
<p>The year DD was a freshman her college was overenrolled by about 200 students. There were forced triples…and a discount for anyone who chose to be in one. We BEGGED her to volunteer (they took volunteers first…and I believe FILLED those triples with volunteers). She should had done it. Two weeks into her term, her roommate moved to a different dorm. You would have thought that with the forced triples, she would have had a new roomie immediately…didn’t happen. She didn’t get a new roommate until Jan…and it was not a great situation. If she had been in a forced triple and one moved out…the other two would have still been in the room together.</p>
<p>At her school…those who were in those triples did not want to move even when rooms opened up. From what DD told me, MOST of them remained in their triples all year long.</p>
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<p>Source:
RULES OF
THE TENNESSEE CORRECTIONS INSTITUTE
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES INSPECTION
CHAPTER 1400-1
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR LOCAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
(Rule 1400-1-.04 PHYSICAL PLANT)</p>
<p>I think whether a forced triple is too little space or just right depends on the individual student. Some students thrive on having large amounts of company and don’t care too much about space issues. Others need more space and/or don’t like having to live in close quarters with others. </p>
<p>Personally, I fit the latter category and hated living in doubles even though I got along with other roommates. On the other hand, I don’t need much space so long as there is enough room for me to crash and a small desk to place books/computer. A reason why after college I had no issues sharing an apartment where my 9’ x 6’ room was originally meant as a storage space. Actually enjoyed saving lots of money and having my own small private bedroom for 2 years. </p>
<p>Whenever friends wondered about the extreme tiny size of my room, I just told them that space was not an issue so long as I have sleeping space that’s all mine. </p>
<p>My father would sometimes rib me on this by telling how in '50s Taiwan(Also the same in late '90s China), they’d house 6-8 undergrads in a room the size of a large single or small double in many US colleges. Each room would have bunk beds on each side of the wall, a small table for everyone in the center of the room, and a small closet/chest for storage. Trust me…it made living in the most cramped dumpy US dorm like the height of palatial luxury. :D</p>
<p>To me and I’m betting most CCers, the Chinese dorm situation would be the stuff of endless nightmares.</p>
<p>I don’t know how all your kids are, but for whatever reason I find myself very aware of what my mom likes and doesn’t like on some level. If my mom saw my dorm situation and freaked out I’d get freaked out, and if she saw it and acted like she thought it was no big deal, I’d probably convince myself I agree. So my thought would be whether it’s too little space or not, it is what it is and I would start looking for the positives and verbalizing them so D doesn’t get upset needlessly! Kids survive in forced triples all the time. You adjust to tiny spaces a lot more than you’d think you would-- my friend and I shared an 8x10 room for a summer and it felt roomy by the time we left. You only NEED to sleep in the dorm room, there’s always lounges and the library for other things.</p>
<p>I lived in a quad in my sorority house and had a lot of fun. One set of bunk beds and 2 twin beds.</p>
<p>I would have gone nuts in D1’s freshman dorm room…triple room with 2 closets for the 3 of them. They bunked 2 beds and the 3rd was on risers with a bunch of stuff underneath. She chose the bottom bunk and covered the wall under the top bunk (and the underneath side of the mattress) with her “stuff” and pretty much had her own little cave. They got by fine…it would have made me crazy. Last year, D2 was in a triple (bigger room, but still only 2 closets). She opted to not use a closet at all and created a little cave of her own with some creative furniture placement. This was in an apartment with a living room and kitchen area, so it was much better than the dorm situation. BTW, boys generally have a lot less “stuff” than girls so the triple rooms seem to be less of an issue with them.</p>