Ball State University's Housing and Residence Life is looking for ways to retain more juniors in the residence halls.
Alan Hargrave, director of Housing and Residence Life, said research suggests that sophomores have special needs,.
If sophomores have a good experience on campus, then housing will be doing its job, and students will be more likely to stay on campus, Hargrave said.
The university can focus on keeping juniors on campus, because they already bridged the freshman-to-sophomore gap with the Premium Plan. By freezing room and board rates, the Premium Plan led to a 4 percent increase, up to 52 percent, in the number of sophomores choosing to live on campus. Four percent is a big difference when considering that adds up to an additional 150 students living in the residence halls, Hargrave said.
"The Premium Plan tried to provide people a way to save money and get great value out of their housing and dining investment," Hargrave said.
The university is in the planning stages of some programs to improve the sophomore experience, because it's a Housing and Residence Life priority. Hargrave said.
Although freshmen and sophomores are the majority in the residence halls, Hargrave said housing is looking to provide a great experience for every student.
"What we look for is ways that each and every student can find a place on campus that is responsive to their academic program," Hargrave said.
While the majority of younger students live on campus, only 10 percent of juniors and 4.6 percent of seniors live in the residence halls, showing a drastic decrease between the sophomore and junior years.
"I moved off-campus for the freedom," junior Amanda Schnekloth said.
That statement summed up the feelings of a number of juniors who moved into a house or apartment.
"I believe living off campus offers a great deal more independence than living on campus," junior Amanda Pollard said. "I decided to move off campus because I wanted to have a greater degree of freedom in my daily choices: where to eat, when to eat, the size and set-up of my room, when I enter and exit the building, etc."
In addition to the freedom provided by living off campus, a number of students said the cheaper cost of living was also a factor in their decisions to move off campus.
The standard double dorm room and meal plan will cost $6,898 this year, while those on the Premium Plan will pay $6,570.
Junior Kelsey Crim, who lives on Abbott Street, said cost difference was the primary reason she moved off campus.
Four students living at either Beacon Hill Apartments or College Park Apartments said they spend $4500-4600 during the nine-month school year, including the cost of rent, food, utilities, cable, and transportation.
Three students living in houses on Carson and Abbott streets said they spend around $3600 each for nine months.
If renters don't live in the apartment during the summer or can't find a sub-leaser, then living off campus is as good of a deal since they have to pay rent for the months they don't live in their apartment or house.
Hargrave said students tended to underestimate their costs for groceries and utilities.
"Some students tell me they can live on $50 a month for food: only if they live on Ramen noodles," Hargrave said. "How many times a week do you order pizza? Go out to eat?"
Hargrave said students also could underestimate their transportation costs, which range greatly, depending on if the student owns a car.
Other regular costs that students said they didn't anticipate included kitchen and bathroom necessities like paper towels, soap and toilet paper. In addition, there are a lot of up-front costs involved in setting up an apartment or house that does not come furnished, such as extra furniture, beds, full-size refrigerators and freezers, cooking supplies, cleaning supplies, light bulbs, extension cords and Internet routers. These expenses can add up depending on the quality of products purchased and whether or not the students will be living off campus one or two years.
Despite these extra expenses, the students said it is still cheaper to live off campus, particularly if items purchased can be used multiple years.
However, the cost of the time and convenience associated with living on campus cannot be calculated.
"I decided to stay on campus this year because I felt it was the easiest option," junior Brenna Kessinger said. "I would have had to have shopped around for an apartment, found roommates and perhaps drive to and from campus for classes. I also feel that there is more of a sense of belonging to a community when one lives on campus, so I wanted another year of that before going off campus."
While the residence halls provide activities to give students a sense of community, it can separate students from friends who move off campus.
Graduate student Jack Colwell said the choice of where to live depends on what you need. Colwell lived at Scheidler Apartments for three years and said he would still be there if his family hadn't grown.
"If I were a single student, or married with no children, that place is nice," Colwell, who has three children, said. "Low costs."
As his family grew, however, Colwell said Scheidler no longer met his needs.
"Too small for me and in some ways too dangerous," Colwell said. "I had to look for a house off campus. If I were advising someone to find a place I would tell them to sit down first and make a list of what they want, what's important to them."
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