Rooming with undergrads

[daydreamer254]

Anybody living on campus in an apartment with undergrads? I am, and I feel...weird. On my floor, and maybe even my entire building, I'm the only grad student. There's another girl in the same situation as me in another building so we understand each other.

 

People that I've talked to said it was really strange for grads and undergrads to be housed together, and that usually grad student housing was in a seperate location. Is that true?

 

If anyone else is in this situation, how's it going for you? Right now I'm starting to see not only the age difference, but responsibility (or lack thereof) is apparent.

[ion_exchanger]

At my undergrad institution, which was pretty small, there was grad housing available in the on campus apartments. Undergrads had preference, but if there was space available, grad students were allowed to live in there, although I think there were very few, if any. Most grad students lived off campus. Usually graduate students who lived on campus were graduate assistant RA's who assisted the general RA with their duties. In other institutions that I applied to, there was separate housing for graduate students, so I see both sides. I'm surprised that they put you with all undergrads, especially if there was a possibility of other grad students seeking housing. This is an unfortunate situation for you, I hope that everything works out.

[St Andrews Lynx]

Sympathy. 

Hopefully you'll be a maturing influence on those undergrads...or else I suspect you'll need to buy earplugs...

[sociologo]

I had a friend who ended up doing this the first year of her Masters. It was apartment-style housing that was intended for undrgrads, but grad students could also apply to live there. She was moving across the country, so thought it might be an okay place to start. I think the worst part was when her roommates would have parties, and then some of her students would be at these parties. Very uncomfortable. She spent a lot of time at my apartment off campus. 

[juilletmercredi]

When I was a hall director of an undergraduate residence hall, I lived with them on the floor.  I had juniors and seniors.  It wasn't bad.  My hall was known for being for people who wanted to be away from all the partying and noise and be kind of quiet.  Even when they did throw parties, they were pretty reasonable and usually over by midnight (when they dispatched to go to the real party dorm on campus, or a bar in the city).  We also did not share bathrooms or kitchens; I had my own bathroom and my own kitchen within my studio.  As time went on, a few of the students realized who I was and I would have chats in the lobby with them about graduate school and stuff.  It wasn't bad.

My second year I moved into a building that had communal bathrooms and kitchens, but my hall director apartment had it's own kitchen and bathroom.  That hall was also fine because even though it was mixed sophomores through seniors, they lived in singles, so they couldn't really throw parties.

I would say it is a bit strange for graduate students to be housed with traditional undergraduates.  I've never been anywhere where that was the case.  Now I live in university-owned apartments that are just for graduate students and non-traditional undergrads, and it's much better - very quiet, mostly families and older very studious people.

[Usmivka]

Anybody living on campus in an apartment with undergrads? I am, and I feel...weird. On my floor, and maybe even my entire building, I'm the only grad student. There's another girl in the same situation as me in another building so we understand each other.

 

People that I've talked to said it was really strange for grads and undergrads to be housed together, and that usually grad student housing was in a seperate location. Is that true?

 

If anyone else is in this situation, how's it going for you? Right now I'm starting to see not only the age difference, but responsibility (or lack thereof) is apparent.

D:

[jmu]

I live off-campus with an undergrad. It's fine.

[sociologo]

I live off-campus with an undergrad. It's fine.

 

I think it's really different on campus versus off campus...