Section 1: living Options In college
There are four basic living options when it comes to going to college; freshman dorms, apartment style on campus dorms, apartment/condos off campus and living at home and commuting.
Keep in mind that not all colleges offer all living options. So, if you determine you need to live in an apartment, and the school you are looking at doesn't have apartments, you need to come up with a plan for where you can safely live to attend the school. Also, keep in mind that in order to get any special accommodations for housing because of food allergies, you have to go through the office of Disabilities Services at the school (more on that later).
In this section, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of each living option so you can help decide which option will be best for you.
Freshman Dorms
Freshman dorms are often small, not air-conditioned, over crowded and usually require you to have at least one roommate, as well as using communal bathrooms. On the bright side though, they are often fun and filled with a lot of social interaction. Lets look at some of the pros and cons of living in a freshman dorm:
Pros:
Apartment Style Dorms
Apartment style dorms are exactly what they sound like, they are apartments complete with kitchens, living areas and bedrooms but they are owned by the college or university. Like freshman dorms, these dorms also have some pros and cons. Let’s check them out!
Pros:
Off Campus Living
Living off campus is a major commitment both financially and socially. Off campus living in an apartment or in a condo comes with its own benefits, but can also come with some cons. Let’s get right into it, here they are:
Pros:
Commuting From Home
Commuting from home can be an option for students who go to college within commuting distance from their homes. This option probably has the most cons of all of the living arrangements. Lets check them out:
Pros:
All in all...
It is best to live in which ever option is best for you and fits your needs. You can even make your choice a combination. We know one food allergy student who took some classes online, lived in a dorm suite with a kitchen during the week and went home on the weekends where he could replenish safe food. It is important to know your options when picking your living arrangement so you can make an informed decision!
Here is a checklist you can use throughout this chapter to help you keep your priorities straight when looking at colleges.
Keep in mind that not all colleges offer all living options. So, if you determine you need to live in an apartment, and the school you are looking at doesn't have apartments, you need to come up with a plan for where you can safely live to attend the school. Also, keep in mind that in order to get any special accommodations for housing because of food allergies, you have to go through the office of Disabilities Services at the school (more on that later).
In this section, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of each living option so you can help decide which option will be best for you.
Freshman Dorms
Freshman dorms are often small, not air-conditioned, over crowded and usually require you to have at least one roommate, as well as using communal bathrooms. On the bright side though, they are often fun and filled with a lot of social interaction. Lets look at some of the pros and cons of living in a freshman dorm:
Pros:
- Normalcy- Most freshman going to college live in freshman dorms so living in them your freshman year means you will get to be with kids in your class and who are the same age as you
- RA’s- RA’s or Resident Assistants are upperclassmen or graduate students who are trained to help make your transition to college smoother. They also plan activities for your floor and are trained in first aid. If you have an allergic reaction, they might be able to help you use your epinephrine auto-injector and get emergency assistance. However, they are not usually trained to recognize symptoms of anaphylaxis or administer epinephrine.
- Roommates- Roommates can be lots of fun and like an instant friend. Having a roommate can be great as it ensures someone is living with you. That way you do not have to worry about having a reaction in your room, being alone and no one finding you to help until it is too late. Some schools ask whether you have food allergies on housing forms. Food allergic students are never forced to live together, but it could be an option at some schools.
- Living Condition- For people with asthma and food allergies, air quality can sometimes be an issue in freshman dorms. Freshman dorms are often the oldest dorms on campus. Thy may not have air conditioning. They may be dusty and moldy leaving lots of allergens in the air which can cause asthma flares.
- RA's- Let us repeat: Most RA's are not trained to deal with food allergy emergencies. This may sound shocking to students and parents who are used to attending K-12 schools where classroom teachers and nurses take pride in their training to administer epinephrine. In 2014 only two states: Indiana and New Jersey have laws that would make it legally feasible for schools to train RA's on food allergy emergencies, and as far as we know, only one college in the United States does that. So unless you have a reaction in the student health building - assume university personnel -including housing and dining- is not trained for food allergy emergencies.
- Lack of cooking abilities- Living in a freshman dorm means that you will not have a kitchen and a means to cook food for yourself, leaving you to rely on dining services to prepare you safe food. Many small cooking appliances that you might think you can use to prepare supplemental food are banned in dorms. Depending on your allergies and level of sensitivity, it may be difficult to get a healthy variety of food you can eat from dining services. As much as no one wants a freshman 15, a freshman minus 15 is not healthy either! If you do rely on dining services, have some shelf stable safe food options in your room in case of emergency. If there is an unforeseen event that makes it impossible for dining services to prepare food - they will bring in food from outside sources that might not be safe. We know someone who experienced this and went a whole weekend practically without eating.
- Roommates- While roommates can be a big pro, they can also be big cons. Depending on your sensitivity, in order for you to be safe, your roommate may not be able to eat what you are allergic to in the room. This can be a bit hard to ask of someone you have just met, and to trust that they will follow through. We know food allergic college students who had roommates who brought their allergens into their room after agreeing not to. Peanut butter, nuts, yogurt and milk are deadly to some and quick nutrition to others.
Apartment Style Dorms
Apartment style dorms are exactly what they sound like, they are apartments complete with kitchens, living areas and bedrooms but they are owned by the college or university. Like freshman dorms, these dorms also have some pros and cons. Let’s check them out!
Pros:
- Kitchen- Having a kitchen can be quite useful. It allows you to control what you eat so that you don’t have to worry about entrusting your health to anyone else. Kitchens can be most useful for kids who would not have adequate choices at the dining hall because of the number of food allergies they have, or have a high risk of cross contamination due to allergy to a ubiquitous food or ingredient. If you just have one food allergy chances are, dining services will be able to accommodate you.
- Better Condition- because apartment style dorms are often meant for older students they are often nicer then freshman dorms and often air conditioned and better maintained. If you have asthma, this may help reduce flare ups which can make a reaction much worse.
- RA’s- Because most apartment style dorms are meant for upperclassmen, there usually aren’t RA’s. This can be a con because in case of a reaction alone in your apartment, there really isn’t anyone designated to help you. One option to overcome that safety issue is to purchase an emergency alert system such as First Alert, Mobile Help or Life Alert among others. They can provide both in-home and mobile alert system devices that will call 911 for you. Another con to living in an apartment, you will not have the typical floor activities that freshman dorms will have.
- Age- because most apartment style dorms are meant for upperclassmen, chances are your neighbors will not be your age it may be more difficult to make friends at first. But if you are an outgoing person, you can meet friends in other places - and they will love to study and hang out in your apartment.
- Cost- Living in apartment style dorms are often more expensive then regular dorms. In addition, you will need to buy kitchen supplies, dishes, bathroom furnishings and many things that most college freshmen will not need to buy.
- Time- because living in an apartment with a kitchen will mean that you will not have a meal plan, you are going to have to cook your own food. Cooking your own food will take a significant amount of time to prepare since you will have to go shopping as well.
- Social Isolation- because you will most likely be living by yourself, apart from the other freshmen, you will have to work harder to make friends and find your niche.
Off Campus Living
Living off campus is a major commitment both financially and socially. Off campus living in an apartment or in a condo comes with its own benefits, but can also come with some cons. Let’s get right into it, here they are:
Pros:
- It is yours for as long as you own or lease it- Your own apartment is nice when it comes to move out day. Because you will have more food prep stuff than students who eat at cafeterias or restaurants, it is nice to not need to move it, and also nice to be able to use it in the summer if you choose to take summer classes or do summer internships.
- No need for disabilities services- Getting special housing accommodations for food allergies will need to go through disabilities services. While K-12 schools are filled with students who have food allergies and staff is used to dealing with requests to accommodate, food allergies are relatively new to disabilities services at colleges and universities. However, it is a growing chronic health condition they will also have to accommodate in greater numbers in years to come. We will explain how to approach Disabilities Services for accommodations in a later section. Having your own place will mean avoiding the disabilities office altogether.
- Off campus- Being off campus can be a logistical nuisance. If your apartment is not in walking distance from campus it may mean getting up earlier to get to class, having to go home by yourself late at night and dealing with the logistics and responsibility of having a car. Off campus apartment buildings also are not campus secured - but may have their own guards or systems.
- RA’s- Because most off campus apartments are not university run, there aren’t RA’s. This can be a con because incase of a reaction there really isn’t anyone designated to help you. One option to overcome that safety issue is to purchase an emergency alert system such as First Alert, Mobile Help or Life Alert among others. They can provide both in-home and mobile alert system devices that will call 911 for you. Also, you will not have the typical floor activities that freshman dorms will have.
- Cost- Living in an apartment is much more of a financial commitment then regular dorms. In addition, you will need to buy kitchen supplies, dishes, bathroom furnishings, beds, couches, chairs, desks, dressers on top of apartment rent.
- Time- because living in an apartment with a kitchen will mean that you will not have a meal plan, you are going to have to cook your own food. Cooking your own food will take a significant amount of time to prepare since you will have to go shopping as well.
- Social Isolation- because you will not be living on campus with your classmates, you will have to work harder to make friends and find your niche. This will be a bigger issue the farther you are from campus. Some schools have off-campus options that are just as close as school-owned housing.
Commuting From Home
Commuting from home can be an option for students who go to college within commuting distance from their homes. This option probably has the most cons of all of the living arrangements. Lets check them out:
Pros:
- No need for disabilities services- Getting special housing accommodations for food allergies will need to go through disabilities services. While K-12 schools are filled with students who have food allergies and staff is used to dealing with requests to accommodate, food allergies are relatively new to disabilities services at colleges and universities. However, it is a growing chronic health condition they will also have to accommodate in greater numbers in years to come. We will explain how to approach Disabilities Services for accommodations in a later section. Having your own place will mean avoiding the disabilities office altogether. No disabilities services- Getting special accommodations to live in an apartment style dorm will need to go through disabilities services.
- Focus on school- If you live at home, you don’t have to cook for yourself, your parents can cook for you.
- Cost Efficient- Living at home is very cost efficient. You don’t have to pay for an apartment or a dorm or any new things to bring with you to college other than your normal school supplies.
- No independence- going to college and living at home removes a lot of independence you have if you live in an apartment or dorm and you miss out on some of the typical college experience.
- Social Isolation- because you will not be living on campus with your classmates, you will have to work harder to make friends and find your niche.
- College choice limits- If you are going to go to college and commute, you will have to limit your college radius to around half an hour to 45 minutes away. This limits your college choice a lot and may keep you from going to your dream school.
All in all...
It is best to live in which ever option is best for you and fits your needs. You can even make your choice a combination. We know one food allergy student who took some classes online, lived in a dorm suite with a kitchen during the week and went home on the weekends where he could replenish safe food. It is important to know your options when picking your living arrangement so you can make an informed decision!
Here is a checklist you can use throughout this chapter to help you keep your priorities straight when looking at colleges.
College Priority Checklist | |
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