Cappex College Insider » college dorm room

4 Ways to Choose your Freshman Roommate

editor — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:44:07 +0000

If you’re like me, when one stress source closes, another window of stress opens. So, even though you are officially relieved from the anxiety that is begotten from the college search–assuming everyone reading this blog has been admitted to college and has decided where they’ll be heading–don’t get stressed out that you’re going to run out of things to stress out about. We have another stress factor for you: Your freshman roommate.

The freshman roommate can turn out to be a(n):

A. absolute nightmare
B. BFF
C. just a person you happen to share a tiny room with

Here are 4 ways to go about choosing your future freshman college roommate:

1. Blind
Rooming blind is for the adventurous. For those who yearn for the surprise and peril of the open sea! It’s also for anyone who is kind of apathetic about the whole thing.
Pro: You could be paired with someone who you wouldn’t meet otherwise and who could help expand your college world.
Con: You have no way of knowing what you’ll be getting in to.

2. A friend
Rooming with a friend is a risk, but not for risk-takers.
Pro: You’ll be living with someone you already know! Having a safety net could help you be more outgoing when making new friends.
Con: Moving from friends to college roommates is an underrated shift in the tectonic plates of friendship. You’ll suddenly be around each other 24/7. You could risk changing the friendship you have.

3. A friend of a friend
The friend of a friend roommate strategy is the perfect smoothie made from the blind roommate situation and friend roommate situation.
Pro: You have a friend in common, so you know a mutual friend thinks you’re both pretty rad and probably won’t steal things.
Con: If you both have a lot of the same mutual friends, your social circle might not expand the way you wanted it to in college.

4. Facebook or social networking site
For the person who wants to control the roommate issue as much as they can without going through friends.
Pro: You can handpick your college roommate by sifting through different options to find the person that you think you’d get along with while dwelling together.
Con: You might not get what you thought you signed up for.

Do you have any advice or thoughts on choosing a freshman college roommate? Leave a comment!

The 10 Best College Dorms in the Country

editor — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:55:27 +0000

In most dorm rooms, there’s barely enough space to move between your bed and the door. The Huffington Post, though, has just posted the 10 best college dorms in the country. These are not your average college dorms. These are super dorms, complete with kitchens, copious amounts of square feet and common spaces fit for a king, or studying. Do you think these awesome college dorm rooms also come with an awesome college roommate who doesn’t steal your stuff?

Here are the 10 best college dorms in country:

1. La Salle University, St. Basil Court

2. Winona State University, Lucas

3. Villanova University, Farley Hall

4. Georgia State University, University Commons

5. Mississippi State University, Hurst Hall

6. Villanova University, Welsh Hall

7. James Madison University, Gifford Hall

8. The College of New Jersey, Eickhoff Hall

9. Kennesaw State University, University Village Suites

10. Saint Joseph’s University, Borgia Hall

Would you choose a college for a dorm?

College Application Rates 2011: Which Schools Saw A Decline?

editor — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:43:35 +0000

We heard before that with the economy the way it is, more and more people have been on the college search train and that application rates have actually seen a staggering increase at colleges and universities across the country. But, the The Huffington Post informs that some schools have seen the opposite. What do you think this means for admissions? Do you think applying to a school with a lower application rate will help with you get in? Or applying to a college with an increased application rate will make it harder for you?

Here are the colleges that saw a decline in applications for the 2015 class:

Tulane University: -13.65%
SUNY Stoney Brook: -11.91%
Grinnell College: -7.61%
Wesleyan University: -6.07%
Elon University: -6.06%
Lafayette College: -3.16%
Rutgers University: -2.29%
University of Maryland College Park: -1.69%
Colgate University: -1.37%

Continue Reading>>

5 Easy Ways to Keep Your College Roommate Happy and Make Your University Experience All the Better

editor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:44:04 +0000

Probably the last thing on your mind while you’re searching for and applying to colleges is who your roommate will eventually be. But, the reality is that after the admissions process, in most situations, you’ll have to live with a stranger your freshman year in a college dorm room.

Whether you wind up becoming best friends with your roommate or cordial acquaintances, here is some advice from ULOOP.com on how to maintain a good relationship with your college roommate:

Do have roommate nights. Grab a bowl of popcorn, sit on the couch, or your extra long twin bed, and put in a chick-flick. My roommates and I always have Gossip Girl Mondays. Having these nights keeps your bond strong; it’s an easy way to break away from some of the stress of school, especially when it’s midterm week and you don’t say a word to your roommate because you’re cramming for your Chemistry test.