NewsLab

One of the most exciting changes of a new school year involves the living situations of students. At St. Scholastica, sophomores get out of the dorms and into on-campus apartments, while juniors get the option of moving off campus.

Molly Edwards, a sophomore and first-time Groves apartment resident, immediately noticed the added space.

"Having more than one room to go to is great," said Edwards of the transition from a dorm room to an on-campus apartment.

Edwards also liked the kitchen in her new apartment. "It's nice to not always be eating in the Greenview," Edwards said, referring to St. Scholastica's cafeteria.

Despite the advantages, Edwards also said she feels further away from her friends than in her freshman year. "It's not as fun as when you would step outside your room and see everyone you know," Edwards said.

Sarah Pollock, a junior, moved off campus this year but said the move involves a number of ups and downs.

"It didn't really feel like I was starting school because I wasn't on campus," Pollock said. She added that the upkeep of a house is greater than of on-campus housing.

"Another downfall is the parking situation," Pollock said. "A lot of the time you're walking a long way to the buildings."  

Despite her complaints, Pollock said living off campus has its advantages. "It's nice to have the freedom that you don't always more have on campus," she said. 

Betsy Kneepkens, assistant dean of campus life, said increased enrollment has adversely affected the availability of on-campus housing.

"There are about 425 students in the dorms and about 650 in the apartments," Kneepkens said. That leaves about 1,100 students in off-campus housing, a figure including graduate students.

"We've had some problems housing students this year," Kneepkens said. "There are students sleeping in the lounges and we've had to move 30 to 40 students into Campus Park, which can be a good situation because people usually drop out."

"This is the largest number of students we've ever had on campus," Kneepkens said. "We haven't had to find housing off-campus before."