What is Living On-Campus Like?

The decision between staying on- or off-campus was one of the major ones for me after being admitted to the MBA program at UWRF. Of course, both has advantages and disadvantages and after staying on-campus for quite a while and making a lot experiences I think it´s time for a first review. Hopefully I can make that decision a little bit easier for some of you by telling you what it was like during the first couple of weeks.

First of all, some facts: There are eleven different residence halls on-campus. About 40% of all students live on campus. That means 2,500 students at all stages of their studies spread all over those residence halls. Being eligible for staying in a certain hall always depends on your status as a student. I am staying in South Fork Suites for example and to be eligible for staying here there must be at least two years between your high school graduation date and your move-in date. Students here are of course way older and more self-reliant. Other halls are reserved for freshmen and some of them are halls that are mixed up. South Fork Suites (SoFo) is the only residence hall where single bedrooms are available. In all other halls you would have to share your room with a roommate. Privacy is an important topic for me as I am used to having my own room back home and, so I only applied for SoFo and I was lucky to get in. All rooms in all residence halls are fully furnished, you have free access to internet and cable TV, there is free laundry, janitor service is included, and the campus-police will take care of your safety (and of your parking tickets ?).

As room designs and floor plans vary from one hall to another there are different types of kitchens and connected with that different types of meal plan obligations. A meal plan is a plan you are for most of the halls obligated to purchase in the beginning of the semester. There are various types of them that allow you to enjoy meals in the cafeteria or in different other locations on campus: You can choose between a 60-meal block plan, a 120-meal block plan, a 14 meals/week plan, a 19 meals/week plan as well as an all-access plan. Depending on the type of plan you chose you just swipe your card for access to the cafeteria and you are free to eat and drink as much as you want or can. If you don´t want to eat at the cafeteria you can choose between several other restaurants of all types that are located right next to the cafeteria. Those meal transfers are quite common. Staying in South Fork Suites is the only way of avoiding the obligation of getting on a meal plan. There are two kitchens per floor in SoFo and a lot of students decide to cook on their own. Some get their own cooking equipment, but you are always able to rent all the stuff you need for free at your hall´s front desk. In most of the other halls you do have kitchens as well but as you must choose a meal plan there you are not supposed to use them every day. All residence halls offer common spaces for cooking, studying, and socializing. SoFo has a pool table, a small workout room and a lot of lounges to relax. Other halls have theatre rooms that are fully equipped with game consoles, Blu-ray players, ping pong tables and other fun stuff. Resident Assistants that are students themselves will help you to get comfortable in your new home when you move in and they will organize fun events throughout the whole semester such as floor dinners or get-togethers after the midterm exams.

I have figured out several advantages and disadvantages of staying on campus before I left Germany that supported my decision and some other points were added during my stay in River Falls. Advantages of staying in a residence hall are: You do have immediate connections to your roommates and make friends right away, you don´t need to get any furniture, you do get the full American dorm-experience, you are near your classes, and you do have the guarantee of having a safe home on your arrival. Disadvantages I have figured out are: You do have to sign a one-year contract that you can´t break, staying on-campus is quite expensive, in most cases meal plans are required, and you don´t have a real-life experience as you don´t have to do any shopping and so you don´t get used to American prices for groceries for example.

In summary, I love my decision to stay on campus. I would do it exactly the same way again if I had to choose. When I left Germany I actually planned to cook on my own, but the meal plans are just too convenient to not get them. Although you miss the chance of a real-life experience when living off-campus you don´t have to shop groceries and cook and at least for me the variety of food that I get in the cafeteria is way more diversified than when I cook pasta every single day ? Besides those food- and housing-related topics I feel really comfortable on campus and I really like the old-fashioned style of the campus with its historic South and North Hall. Other buildings and facilities on campus are quite modern and invite to study, relax and get together. Relating to that topic I would really like to emphasize the brand-new Falcon Center again. I have already pointed that out in one of my previous blogs, but it has really become one of the most used buildings on campus for me and I just love this facility. Brand-new, fully equipped, and never crowded you always have a good time in the gym, in the wall-climbing area, on various courts or just when watching matches of the teams if you like sports.

To be continued!