# This is college, not boarding school! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 9, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618 "2003-09-09T21:54:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/41 "2003-09-12T16:52:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Short \* > I don’t see a difference between a kid living in a dorm and a kid living in an off-campus apt… Why should the organizational structure of the housing provider influence what rights the tenant has? > \*\* Because as long as you are living in a residence managed by the school, they are responsible for your safety and well-being. The school has esentially replaced your parents. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by catsix \* > Ah yes, one of the things I hated about dorms was all that ‘We live in the same building, therefore we must all know each other and be friends.’ crap._\* You shouldn’t have a problem with that “making friends” crap. The idea is that it is easier to meet people in your building vs some random you see in the quad. The first weeks of freshman year at my college, the freshmen halls do EVERYTHING together. They eat together, they go to parties in herds together, they walk to class together. Once they get more comfortible they do their own thing. By sophomore year, no one lives in the dorms. They either go greek, live off campus, or move into 4 person on-campus appartment units. By senior year, pretty much everyone lives off campus. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/42 "2003-09-12T17:33:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Because as long as you are living in a residence managed by the school, they are responsible for your safety and well-being. Got that right! Additionally, the school administration is responsible for the room-mate’s safety and well-being. It’s a different dynamic than that between two co-tenants in an apartment. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/43 "2003-09-12T18:51:22Z")
> [@](#): > > **Monty** said: > Hold it, now. If you’re attending the same school, isn’t that something in common? Not much of a common interest. I was there for the engineering education, uninterested in football, cheerleaders, basketball, frat parties… ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/44 "2003-09-12T19:52:26Z")
You know, the way **catsix** is being treated here ( “You bitter, anti-social loser!”) is probably why she hated the dorms. So, you know, thanks for illustrating her point. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/45 "2003-09-12T20:05:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*You know, the way **catsix** is being treated here ( “You bitter, anti-social loser!”) is probably why she hated the dorms. So, you know, thanks for illustrating her point. \*\* Well, I don’t think **catsix** is bitter or a loser, but she definitely is anti-social. And that’s fine. It makes no difference to me how she decides to live her life and if she’s happy, I’m happy. My whole point is that you shouldn’t just automatically live off campus without trying dorm life first. For some people it sucks and for others it’s great and often you won’t know which until you get there. However, I have noticed that people who just assume that folks “weren’t their type of people” (not actually quoting anyone) and didn’t even try to be halfway friendly often had a harder time of it. ---
**Author:** ![Ego\_Mk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Ego\_Mk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ego_Mk2)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/46 "2003-09-12T20:26:57Z")
When I was in the dorms my roommate was the one with the illegal “room protection device” in his desk drawer. Know what? I didn’t care. It was there for OUR protection. Let me tell you, there were some nights when some jerkass was pounding on the door at all hours when he was gone that I pulled it out and waited for said jerkass to break through the door (as unlikely as that event acually was.) For those who think I should see who it was, have you ever tried to look through a peephole when someone is pounding on your door? Try it, it will be a most enlightening experience and will probably end up with you visiting an ER for corneal abrasions. Call 911? I don’t need Officer Campus turning over my room because I called him to ASSIST me. I’d rather kill/maim/run off jerkass and deal with the legalities of roomie’s weapon of choice after the fact. But I’m way past college so all the home invasion deterrents available to me are now 100% legal anyway. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/47 "2003-09-12T20:41:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > Well, I don’t think **catsix** is bitter or a loser, but she definitely is anti-social. And that’s fine. It makes no difference to me how she decides to live her life and if she’s happy, I’m happy. There’s a diference between ANTI-social and just NOT social. There are plenty of times I just don’t feel like being sociable and would rather watch spend a quiet night watching TV instead of going to a loud party or bar. That’s a lot diferent from someone who is anti-social. Someone who is anti-social would not only dislike going to fraternity parties but also hates those those “stupid stuck-up clubs for jerks”. A non social person might avoid the football game because they don’t care for crowds or football. An ANTI-social person avoids the games because the can’t stand those “meathead assholes and their bouncing bimbo cheerleaders”. It’s fine to have a select group of small friends. It’s not fine to have a small group of friends who sits in their room every night hating the entire world. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > My whole point is that you shouldn’t just automatically live off campus without trying dorm life first. For some people it sucks and for others it’s great and often you won’t know which until you get there. I think no matter what lifestyle you choose - fraternity, dorms, off campus - it’s important to find some way to connect with the school and the people who go there. I didn’t particularly care for my freshmen hall, but I stayed there on weekends and hung out with the guys. I was never really best friends with them but we were friendly enough to hang out or say “whassup” when we met around campus. My roomate on the other hand would go home every weekend. If he was alone in the room, he would shut and lock the door while most of the other people on the hall would leave their doors open. I don’t know what happend to him after freshman year. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/48 "2003-09-12T20:46:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, I don’t think catsix is bitter or a loser, but she definitely is anti-social. I’m not really anti-social. I am more a-social than social. I have no problem socializing when I want to, and am not opposed to socializiation, but when I’ve had enough, I’ve had enough and I want to go back into my safe, comfortable alone space and start recharging the mental battery. Dorm living was absolute hell for that because all day long it was people coming by to try to ‘cheer me up’ or encourage me to be more social, and discussions about whether I was a snob, hated everyone, would go on a killing spree, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/49 "2003-09-13T00:37:18Z")
Ego: I just have to say your comment about the police officer is pure and utter bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/50 "2003-09-13T03:11:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ego\_Mk2 \* > Call 911? I don’t need Officer Campus turning over my room because I called him to ASSIST me. I’d rather kill/maim/run off jerkass and deal with the legalities of roomie’s weapon of choice after the fact. > > But I’m way past college so all the home invasion deterrents available to me are now 100% legal anyway. 😛 \*\* I never understood who you pussies were so afraid of that you think you need a “home invasion deterrent”. What are you afraid someone is going to “step to you”. Snoop-dogg? What could you possibly need that’s more powerful than a golf club, Mag lite or any other handy object that wont land you in jail for 10 years? ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/51 "2003-09-13T05:47:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Ego: I just have to say your comment about the police officer is pure and utter bullshit. \*\* I wouldn’t say that. Some campus cops are assholes. We were required to call them first and _they_ would call the real 911 “if needed”. On my college campus, the campus cops were much more interested in tossing rooms looking for alcohol (completely dry campus) than aiding students. I knwo from experience. My neighbors in the dorm got in a fight one night and one called the campus cops on the other one to report that she had alcohol in the fridge. They were there within five minutes to confiscate it. However, the following week, a friend and I could not get a security escort from our midnight to 3am radio shift to our dorm after getting some creepy threatening phone calls. Why? Because they were busy busting one of the guys’ dorms for alcohol and besides, “It’s probably just some guys flirting with you. They’re probably sweet when you get to know them.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/52 "2003-09-13T06:44:39Z")
Some of you would have been damned miserable at my school. It had a residency requirement for all four years. Of course, with everyone living on campus, people had an interest in making it liveable. So: lovely rooms. Awesome food service. Different classes mingling. No need for happy-ass bullshit about everyone being pals. My sister went to college in our hometown and wanted to stay at home. My parents made her live in the dorm at least one year. It was good for her–she made a lot of friends and experienced school in a way she wouldn’t have as a commuter student. It’s not for everyone, but there are some serious advantages that bear consideration. Not to mention that on a lot of campuses, freshmen are _required_ to live on campus. The policy seems a little callous to me. If you want students to feel like the residence hall is their home, you can’t treat their privacy so carelessly. I’m all for safety, but it sounds like they’re showing very little consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/53 "2003-09-13T08:18:43Z")
evilbeth: Out here in the Golden State, the campus cops are the real cops. They are legitimate police officers. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/54 "2003-09-13T08:22:30Z")
p.s. The police officers would need a valid reason to “toss” the room. Getting called to rescue someone, IIRC, does not constitute a reason to conduct a complete search of the victim’s abode. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/55 "2003-09-13T09:32:47Z")
Addendum to my next-to-last posting: That comment only applies to the campus police for the state’s university systems. Private schools, of course, have private security. & oddly enough, the community colleges also have private security. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/56 "2003-09-13T16:34:34Z")
We had both at S.F. State. Campus cops that were real cops and security guards (the ones that drove around in the little golf carts and escorted students and such, they were students themselves). We had yellow phones every 50 feet or so that all you had to do was pick up, press one button and be connected with them. And while we had “fire drills” on a regular basis (usually because some yahoo pulled the alarm) I can’t remember ever getting my room searched when I lived in the dorms. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/57 "2003-09-13T17:08:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > **Some of you would have been damned miserable at my school. It had a residency requirement for all four years.** Which is why I didn’t go to those schools. Residency requirements were the first things that got em tossed out of my prospective schools pile. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618/58 "2003-09-14T11:33:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilbeth \* > \*\*…a friend and I could not get a security escort from our midnight to 3am radio shift to our dorm after getting some creepy threatening phone calls. Why? Because they were busy busting one of the guys’ dorms for alcohol and besides, “It’s probably just some guys flirting with you. They’re probably sweet when you get to know them.” > \*\* :eek: What year was this? With all the press about sexual assault on campus, I wouldn’t think campus police post 1990 or so would shrug off your request. If it was that recent, then that’s a double :eek: . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-college-not-boarding-school/200618.md?page=2)