Living off-campus, many enjoy economic benefits

"Residential living for tradition-aged single students is a part of the Norwich Experience," was a point made in a recent memo made available to NU students.

Yet, on Jan. 21, Brigadier Generial Michael Kelley, vice president for student affairs & commandant, released the housing policy for the academic year 2011-2012 that calls for more students to live off campus.

Some students are taking advantage of this opportunity and say that living off campus allows for a more enjoyable and economically sound college experience.

Keeping in line with last year's policy change to cope with a demand for beds, full-time civilian students who are academic juniors or 21-years-old may chose to live off campus by simple request, avoiding the waiver process used in years past.

Third-year students at Norwich can move off campus and into apartments in the Northfield community, according Dean of Students Martha Mathis.

Mathis said that having students live off campus comes as one of a two-part dilemma. "It's both a matter of logistics and making sure the students are put in the right place off-campus."

"I moved off campus because it was more economically affordable for my situation; campus is pretty expensive to live on," said Collin Hyte, a communications major who made the switch to commuter student this past spring.

Living off-campus has become more popular in recent years for juniors because of the cost. It is significantly cheaper to live off-campus.

Hyte, a 20-year-old from Marblehead, Mass., initially made his decision for economic reasons but found numerous other benefits of not living in the dorms.

"I prefer living off campus because I can go home and hang out, and not have to talk to people who I don't want to," said Hyte. "Having your own place allows you to relax when you want to, without worrying about a roommate or other people in your building."

The transition to being off campus went smoothly for Hyte.

"It was simple trying to find a house and a friend of mine had an extra room for a good price so I decided to live with him," he said.

Mathis recognizes that there is definitely another side to having to commute. "I want to make sure each student is taken care of," said Mathis. "They're still a student here, even if they don't live on campus."

"I want to make sure you know that the apartment you're getting is not only a good choice for you," said Mathis, "I want you to know what you're getting yourself into."

Students must go through Mathis to make sure that they're getting a good deal and not getting themselves into a hole.

Students can also turn to the residence life office for help finding a place off-campus. "We definitely keep an eye out," said Residence Life Director Iphigenia Tanguay. "If any student comes to us with questions, we'll help out with what we can."

Senior Greg Dietrich, from Point Pleasant, N.J., who has been off campus since the beginning of this year, said it is not for everyone.

"I enjoy the privacy, that's something you can't really get in the dorms, but if I didn't have my own car I wouldn't be living in town," said the 22-year-old construction management major. "When the temperatures get really low during the winters, getting to school in a car can be hard enough; I can't imagine having to walk in those conditions."

Hyte, however, said that weather conditions rarely keep him from getting to where he needs to be on time.

"Being about a mile away from school I don't really have a hard time coming to class unless it snows a lot over night," he said. "A few times I haven't been able to get out for class, but in all honesty it has never been a serious problem."

Dietrich said that his mentality about going to class has remained unchanged, and that living off campus has not had a negative effect on his schoolwork.

"I've been able to concentrate more on school since I got my own place," he said. "When you have your own room to focus without distractions from roommates you can get a lot more done."

However, Dietrich did have some cautionary advice for those who are interested in becoming commuter students: "Make sure you know what everything is going to cost and plan for the unexpected, because costs will always come up that you didn't plan for."

Hyte said that he has not yet run into any unexpected costs and that it was a good learning experience to rent a place on his own.

"So far my experience has been nothing but good, especially now that I don't have to go to countless irrelevant floor meetings and have people watching over me," he said.

In addition to juniors or those at least 21-years-old being allowed to live off campus without a petition, full-time civilian students in their fourth year will only be allowed to live on NU grounds if there are sufficient beds.

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The number of beds allocated to all civilian students is anticipated to be 664 beds," according to the 2011-2012 housing policy. "Of that allocation, junior and senior students, not on the residence life staff, are eligible for an anticipated 100 beds - 70 for juniors and 30 for seniors."

For students in the Corps of Cadets, the notion of living off-campus is not more than a dream, but it has become possible for some students this past year. "Students can appeal to the commandant and move off-campus with the full understanding that they will still be in uniform and have to attend formation," said Mathis. "This privilege is only extended to those students who are fifth-year seniors or architecture students staying another year for their masters."

Furthermore, the policy states, "Fifth year or sixth year architects (master's degree students) and fifth year undergraduate civilian residential students must reside off campus."

Some wonder why, when the student body is increasing, more dorms aren't being built.

Tanguay said that NU 2019, the master strategic plan for the development of the university, includes the construction of two civilian dorms in addition to South Hall.

According to the Norwich website (www.norwich.edu/futurecampus/campusmasterplan.html), the plan created "was centered largely on a civilian housing development . . . to increase the on-campus population of civilian housing to continue to balance the two populations that the University supports – corps and civilian."

"We just started discussing what they're (administration) calling, ‘South 2', which could potentially be in use by 2013, and it would have just over 500 beds," Tanguay said.

The project is based on demand, she said, but "South, for example, was full the first year, definitely sooner than when we expected it to be."

Although residential living is part of the "Norwich Experience," students like Hyte and Dietrich say their college experience improved by living the opposite lifestyle.

"I plan to live off campus for the rest of my time at Norwich," said Hyte. "What more would you want than freedom? College is about just that, and off-campus living gives you that, independence."