Single residents reap rewards too
Living alone isn’t so lonely.
According to those residing in Mountain and Valley View single dorms, having a private room means having benefits.
“I love it,” said Paula Riquelme, a freshman in aviation. “I can just sit here and I don’t have to be bothered. I have my own privacy.”
Unlike students staying in apartments and shared dorms, those living alone have a room to themselves and, despite what some may think, reap several rewards.
For starters, those living alone have no need to worry about someone stealing their food, wearing their clothes, or blaring their music at all hours of the day.
Riquelme said it pays just knowing she won’t have to be bothered when she gets home from classes. Instead, she can get together with friends later, after she spends time on her computer.
“It’s nice because I don’t have to worry about other roommates and their problems,” she said.
When it comes to problems, Cory Hamblin, a sophomore studying financing, can understand where Riquelme is coming from.
“Last year, my roommate kept my room really messy and his alarm would go off at odd times,” he said. “His friends would constantly be calling and I didn’t like to answer the phone all the time.”
Hamblin said it’s nice to come from classes to his personal space where it’s quiet, relaxing and private. In those moments, he says he can do whatever he pleases.
“I can go to sleep whenever I want, and watch TV whenever I want,” he said. “I can play on the computer, visit my friends, and if I get lonely, it’s OK because the hall is pretty social.”
Freshman Aften Varley, studying business and human resources, said she likes not having to worry about roommates waking her up when they come in. She is also able to study without the added noise roommates can sometimes bring. And when the hour gets late, if she feels like watching TV, the freedom to do so is hers.
Jennifer Thurgood, a freshman in food science, likes not having to worry about being messy, noisy or annoying.
“Every morning I can push my snooze button seven times and not feel bad about it,” she said. “And when I come home from classes I don’t worry about waking someone up while they’re sleeping.”
And though some may be surprised, Thurgood said living by herself has made her more social.
“I meet more people, partly because I’m that type of person and partly because I don’t have my own little comfort zone,” she said. “When you’re by yourself, all you can do to make sure you have friends is introduce yourself to everyone.”
She also likes having her own little study room. This way, she does not have to carry her books all around campus while walking to the library.
Even with all the paybacks, however, Thurgood said there is room for improvement while living alone.
“Sometimes it seems like it would be fun to have a roommate,” she said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out. Other times, people think I’m antisocial, but it’s not true.”
Other setbacks come from the rooms being small, always seeming cluttered, and, at times, a little too quiet.
However, Thurgood may have summed it up when she said, “I guess I missed out on rooming with someone really cool, but I didn’t miss out on getting stuck with someone I couldn’t stand to live with.”
-mnewbold@cc.usu.edu