This year, an impressive 97 percent out of the two thousand available beds on campus are filled. I decided to go out to investigate what people’s opinion on dorm life actually is. Do they love it, or do they hate it? What are the things that can make or break your campus experience?

Delaney Castronovo lived in Monument Hall last year. In the first semester she had a roommate. However, after a couple of months she was on her own, because her ex-roommate wanted something more than just a bedroom and a shower. She needed a common area where she could meet others. Castronovo didn’t mind staying behind.

“I quite liked having the place to my own to be honest. It was great! The room was super big for just one person,” she said.

Mirthe Levels

This year Castronovo resides in Walnut, where she has a double room in the apartment. “I had a single room as my first choice but a double was my second,” she said. “I don’t mind it. I actually quite like how it worked out, since I am sharing the room with a good friend of mine.”

Also, according to her it shouldn’t be that big of a deal to live with a roommate. “It’s not that difficult to be a good roommate to someone, you know? Just don’t like, jump on their bed, or take their clothes. It’s mostly common sense.”

Kelsey O’Neill, an international student from the United Kingdom, resides in Grand Mesa and really likes living in a shared dorm room.

“You always have someone to talk to,” O’Neill said. “You know how a very short conversation can be like a little pick-me-up for you if you’re having a bit of an off day? Yeah, I really like having that.”

[media-credit name=”Courtesy of Kelsey O’Neill” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]

It also helps, she admits, that she and her roommate get along so easily. “I didn’t have any trouble with my roommate. Also, weirdly enough, because we got such different schedules we don’t even see each other until the evening when everyone’s back. But even then you could just go and chill in the front room. […] There’s plenty of room to be separate from everyone if you want to be basically.”

There are some downsides to sharing a room. “If you can’t sleep for example, you still have to be quiet. You can’t just put on some Netflix in the background because, well, your roommate is there,” O’Neill said.

Although there are no shared dorm rooms in the UK, O’Neill doesn’t think she would have preferred a single room in America like she has at home. “Being an international I wanted to make sure I would get the real experience,” she said. “Since it always seems to be such a stereotypical thing for American colleges. And I feel like I am indeed living that stereotypical college life now, yeah.”

Lastly, I spoke to Zara Mejslov Jensen to get insight into off-campus living. “I like living there,” she said. “I have my own space and don’t need to worry about waking anyone. I also like the fact that I have a bit more freedom. For example, I am 26 now, so it’s nice to be outside of the no drinking policy.”

Although Jensen likes the freedom it gives her, she does give the impression that she would have liked being part of campus life. “I do feel like I am missing out on a lot of the ‘casual’ social interactions, yeah. Basically, the feeling of just walking out the door and immediately being a part of campus. I do miss that.”

If you personally feel like you are having problems with your roommate(s), you might like to know that on Sept. 11 there is a Room Change Event. Residence Hall Coordinators will be in the University Center from 4 until 6 p.m. to talk about what spaces are available and possibly have the opportunity to move.