One Campus, Different Living Styles

On Campus Vs. Off Campus
By Brandon Miles

The sound of laughter and screaming fills the halls as a new year at BSU is beginning. Hundreds of students move their belongings from their homes to start a new life as a college student. Anticipation and excitement begins to take hold as a new chapter in the lives of student begins to take hold as the brim of education peaks over the horizon.

Meanwhile returning students grow weary of the constant distractions of the dorms and seek out new dwellings in a house or apartment off campus. Although the goal of the student, on or off campus, is the same the drastic differences between the two living situations is very notable.

Maple Hall

The BSU campus has a variety of housing starting with Tamarack and Oak where the majority of freshman call home for the duration of their first year. Pine contains housing mainly used for families or students with young children and Lynden provides superior housing for the remainder of the on campus population.  http://www.bemidjistate.edu/students/reslife/

Linden Hall.
 Picture By Nathan Meints

Living in the dorms as a freshman provides a vital social experience “I love living in the dorms,” said freshman Daniella Williams, “it allows you to meet new people and find a group of friends which I think is very important as a freshman.” The idea of moving to a new place and not knowing many people is a scary thought for many students and living in the dorms helps some students cope with that uneasy feeling.

“I don’t know what I would have done without the dorms,” said freshman Michael Dipalo, “I came here from Iowa and didn’t know anyone so it’s nice to have the dorms and a roommate to make a connection with people.”

The dorms provide a neutral environment for students, who may not necessarily know each other, to interact and form relationships with one another. This seems to be the most beneficial part of dorm life but older and more established students have a different view on living arrangements.

“The dorms were ok for a while but after a year in there I wanted out,” said junior construction management major Troy Dale, “once you establish a group of friends you get more comfortable living away from home and you get tired of the constant distractions and antics that take place there.”

Dorms such as Lynden and Pine minimize these distractions but the freedom of an off campus residence is too much to pass up for some students. “I moved into a house with three roommates off of Callahan when I was a sophomore and never looked back,” said senior design major Amber Costin, “the dorms were nice at first but after a while they got real old and I got tired of people running through the halls screaming at one in the morning.”

Sure the off campus homes allow for students to get away from the distractions of campus life but as one student explains the cost benefits from living off campus is another major determining factor in the decision to leave the dorms. “The cost for me to live in my house is about 380 dollars a month in the winter and that includes all utilities,” said Junior math major Garrett Lee. “I pay way less a semester than I did when I lived in tamarack.” The cost of a semester in tamarack, the cheapest of all the dorms, comes out to 1,912 dollars which equates to 478 dollars a month. Although most houses are not as cheap as 380 dollars the vast majority of them are well under what the dorms charge per semester. “Most of the houses I own require a monthly rent payment of about 350 dollars not including utilities,” said Bob Whalen who owns numerous house properties off campus , “I try and adjust prices, within reason, to accommodate the needs of the people I rent to.” http://whelanpropertiesinc.com/

Whether a student chooses the dorm life or a residential home their basic goals remain the same. Bemidji is fortunate enough to provide students with housing both on and off campus that suites the preferred living conditions they are accustomed to. As such BSU students have the choice of their living arrangements to best coincide with their needs and wants. It is this freedom that makes the transition from living at home to being on your own a do-able process and a necessary one.

For more information on BSU resedential life http://www.bemidjistate.edu/students/reslife/