Historically, dormitories (residence halls, as they have come to be known at Ferris) have been a place to live that accomplishes a couple of goals: a place to meet people in a new situation and an inexpensive living arrangement for students who are working their way through school. It seems as though less emphasis is being put on the latter.
This is evident in the price of living on campus. For the 2016-2017 academic year, a single room costs $7,380. That is $820 per month. It is no secret that the most expensive place to live while attending Ferris is the residence halls. Compared to Venlo, the most expensive off-campus student apartments to my knowledge, living in a dorm is nearly double the price.
The cost of the room is not the only inflated expense while living on campus. Anyone who has attempted to cook their own dinner while living in the dorms knows how difficult a task it is. Even if you are able to cook in the laundry room/ kitchen, storing pots and pans in a dorm room is no easy feat. So this leaves students practically requiring the Rock or Quad Café to eat.
Eating at university dining facilities costs about eight dollars per meal if you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there. This far exceeds the cost of preparing one’s own meals.
So if students are not saving money by living on campus, what is the appeal? Corey Nichols, a Ferris senior has been a resident advisor (RA) for two years, had only good things to say about residence life.
“I think there is a fine line between cost effective and luxurious. Honestly, I don’t mind the halls and what they look like, they have my basic needs,” Nichols said.
What exactly are Ferris students getting out of paying more to live in the dorms? Major advantages of living off campus include not having to go home for breaks, less chance of a fire alarm waking you up in the middle of the night and the ability to have guests over without jumping through hoops. Brooke Krozek, who lived in Cramer her freshman year, is a Ferris advertising integrated marketing communications senior.
“I had a crazy roommate my freshman year that could probably beat every crazy roommate story. I also didn’t like how noisy it always was. I prefer off-campus living. You become more responsible and you get to choose who you live with,” Krozek said.
Changes are being made to Ferris housing. The days of two people fighting for space in a small room are coming to an end as new construction projects and plans are taking shape. It remains to be seen how these changes will affect students’ housing budgets.
Ferris is making great decisions for future housing. I’m excited to see what the new halls bring the community,” Nichols said.
What we know now is that prices for suite-style housing like East Campus Suites are less expensive than a single room on campus but still provides students with their own sleeping quarters. These suites are still about $200 more than an off-campus apartment.
Most agree that Ferris on-campus housing does provide students an opportunity to assimilate and meet new friends. But it is a stretch to say that Ferris residence life offers students an economical living arrangement. It is up to the student to decide if the extra money is worth it.