How often do professors let students live with them?

[InquilineKea]

I actually know a grad student who lived with his girlfriend - in his professor's house. He got in late so he wasn't able to apply for housing.

[Strangefox]

I actually know a grad student who lived with his girlfriend - in his professor's house. He got in late so he wasn't able to apply for housing.

My guess is - not very often

[Langoustine]

Whoa, that sounds really weird. Nice of the prof though! I don't think many would consider it...then again it is a great way to bond with your advisor!

[Matilda_Tone]

I lived in a house owned by two professors last year...but they were away (and looking to make a bit of money by renting their house out for the year). That was weird enough- I don't think I could have done it if they were in the house too.

[HyacinthMacaw]

"Hello, Professor, do you think we could schedule a lab meeting after dinner--in your bedroom?"

"Sure, just let me change into my pajamas." [undresses at dinner table, puts on Snuggie]

I'm all for attenuating hierarchies, but this would just be going too far for me! But hey, if it works for some people, all the power to them. I can't imagine that level of accommodation is at all common, though. Good luck on finding housing!

[InquilineKea]

OMG, Hi Hyacinth Macaw!!!! *SQUWAKS*

[HyacinthMacaw]

OMG, Hi Hyacinth Macaw!!!! *SQUWAKS*

Hola! Nice to see a feathered friend out on these parts. Hard to type with this beak, right? This touch screen on my iPad doesn't make it any easier. I mean, I'm pecking and dragging, but it won't zoom in! Oh well, I guess I'm just going to perch on this branch here and check my stocks in Amazon, maybe break out my Kindle. I've been reading The Jungle Book. Hakuna matata! Oh, wait, wrong movie. Oops, got to preen now, will "fly" by this forum later!

[Eigen]

I had a friend that roomed with his PI for a semester (they were working at another school after Katrina). Not too common though, I don't believe.

[rising_star]

I did something to Matilda_Tone last semester. I lived in a professor's house while he was on sabbatical and paid him rent. Consequently, this year that professor has been my advisor, my landlord, and my boss (I TA for him).

[neuropsychosocial]

I'm a little older, about the age of newly-minted Ph.D.s who started immediately after undergrad, and I think that I'd actually really enjoy rooming with a new professor who wasn't in my department or any related field. I can't fathom living with my advisor or a professor in my department, however!

Field work seems like a slightly different beast - I'm not in a discipline with field work, but somehow that seems less awkward than the day-to-day living at home.

[UnlikelyGrad]

I can't fathom living with my advisor or a professor in my department, however!

I feel the same way!

Dr. Hand-Waver is on sabbatical this year and tried to get me to rent out her house while she was away. Aside from the fact that it was more than I was willing to pay, she wanted to rent it out furnished--and frankly, I couldn't imagine having sex with my husband on the same bed where my advisor has sex with her husband. It is a lovely house, though.

I like professors as people (which may be why I want to be one) but I try to maintain a reasonable personal distance from the profs in my department. One of the profs in our department is Facebook friends with all of his advisees, and even that's too squicky for me...I can't imagine actually living with a prof in my department!

Field work seems like a slightly different beast - I'm not in a discipline with field work, but somehow that seems less awkward than the day-to-day living at home.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll end up rooming with my advisor when we do field work out of the area, as we'll probably be the only "girls" in the group...but we get along well enough that I'm sure it won't be a problem for a week or two.

[everygirl]

The only time I've ever seen this was in that movie Wonder Boys. Michael Douglas played the professor, and Katie Holmes played the student who lived in his house. Professors and students living together? Even in the movies, it's weird.

One of my friends went to a conference with his professor and had to share a room with the professor, also male. Apparently the professor snored and wore a matching pajama set -- gray with yellow piping. It was weird for my friend to know these things.

[Strangefox]

One of my friends went to a conference with his professor and had to share a room with the professor, also male. Apparently the professor snored and wore a matching pajama set -- gray with yellow piping. It was weird for my friend to know these things.

Weird. Weird. Weird.

I would not like to know such things about my professors

[kaykaykay]

I lived in my advisors house for a few days when I moved here. There has not been any awkwardness although I saw the professor and family having breakfast before I even started classes. (It probably helped with my sanity that I know that the person is human and perhaps playing a bit when grilling students)

Also I heard a story about a student who was pet sitting for advisor and the student slept in said advisor's bed (well of course in the person's absence).

I guess professor- grad student relationships are much more on the adult side with some flavor of family ties and possible future professional friendship when the grad student will enter the profession.

[Bukharan]

This all sounds so weird.

I would be so awkward... and proper if I had to live with a professor.

[beanbagchairs]

I am very informal with my former professors/supervisors. but, living with any of them would probably freak me out.

With that being said, I have a friend, a PhD student, who rented a room in a professor's house. They didnt work for the same department at the time, but definitely for the same university. He lived there during the **whole** duration of his PhD program . The professor is divorced, if that even matters.

Weird

I cant image how their dinner conversations would go:

Prof: "Are you defending yet?"

Student: "No, got any hints? or better can you proofread my thesis?"

Prof: "Sure, I'll come over your bedroom to look over your manuscript"

Edited March 24, 2011 by beanbagchairs

[Strangefox]

I am very informal with my former professors/supervisors. but, living with any of them would probably freak me out.

With that being said, I have a friend, a PhD student, who rented a room in a professor's house. They didnt work for the same department at the time, but definitely for the same university. He lived there during the **whole** duration of his PhD program . The professor is divorced, if that even matters.

Weird

I cant image how their dinner conversations would go:

Prof: "Are you defending yet?"

Student: "No, got any hints? or better can you proofread my thesis?"

Prof: "Sure, I'll come over your bedroom to look over your manuscript"

I guess, while renting a room in a house of some prof from your school is somewhat conceivable, living with your own supervisor is totally freaking crazy!

[adinutzyc]

This was such an amusing topic. I would definitely not live with my adviser. I wouldn't live with another PhD student either though. Been doing that through my undergrad (living with an apartment mate), I think it's time for some privacy...