If you are a freshman at an American college, you may be lucky enough to live in a new fashionable dorm. Many colleges in the US are experiencing a building boom - and in doing so, they are bringing luxury elements to the interior of their dormitories. Others attract students with their historically famous student rooms.
Whether a college offers the opportunity to live with its students, use smart technology, or have a desk like the one where Edgar Allan Poe wrote his stories, you're sure to learn a lot and make new friends.
If you're a student at Brandeis University, you may be living in a National Register of Historic Places castle. (Mike Lovett) University of Cincinnati students enjoy panoramic views of the campus. Blinds or curtains on the windows are not needed. You can change the color of the glass or its ability to let in daylight to achieve a comfortable level of light. (Courtesy UC Photo Services) The student housing at the University of Virginia Academic City (also called The Lawn) was designed by Thomas Jefferson. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The best graduate students live here in rooms with 19th-century-style furniture and fireplaces (Creative Commons) The University of Akron offers modern rooms with high ceilings and large windows, allowing students to get creative with housing (Courtesy photo) The pride of the hostel called Osprey Fountains at the University of North Florida is a pool reminiscent of the "lazy rivers" in many American water parks. Students can go with the flow on an inflatable ring while reading a book. (Creative Commons) At Yale, residential colleges allow students to live in the same community for their entire four years of study. Two teachers live here with families, they share food and daily life with students, at the same time being their consultants (Norman McGrath)
Remember: , it is necessary to take into account not only living conditions, but many other factors. Professor Daniel Shambliss collected material for his book How College Works and observed the lives of about 100 students throughout their studies. In the online resource he shares his opinion that the “contact environment” characteristic of traditional hostels is the best option.
In long corridors, common rooms and bathrooms, students cannot but meet with fellow students. Shambliss believes that regardless of the comforts of home, this option "is the best way to help new students solve their main task - to make new friends."
Get useful information about studying in the USA at the EducationUSA website and learn about the success of other international students at American colleges at .
On the past New Year holidays, when I finally got a chance to take a break from studying, educational literature, and so on. I finally took up "my" literature, namely, I read the book by Donna Tartt "The Secret History". In it, the author, very ... unusual for me as a person living in a university dormitory with all Russian realities, described the life of an American student. Also now I am in the process of passing the game Life is strange, in which the main character, in turn, is a pupil of a prestigious American college and also lives in a hostel. It became interesting to me, what is it really like for students to live in America? The voice of reason confidently says: "Games, books, movies do not reflect the real state of affairs." Or reflect?
To begin with, it is worth highlighting the features of Russian hostels and I will start with where I live myself. For example, we have cameras everywhere, a very strict access system: there is a turnstile at the entrance, several guards, one or two of whom (depending on the flow of people) check your pass. Every time you come “home”, they carefully check it at the door, compare the face in the photo with yours and, accordingly, ask you to remove your hood / hat / scarf if they cover part of the face ... Every time, like the first. Around midnight, the commandant with one of the guards begin to walk around the floors, naturally, sensitively reacting to anomalous noises in the rooms. Guests until ten in the evening. Kitchen until midnight. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked in that you can smoke on the balconies (there are two of them on the floor, one on each side of the corridor), because I know very well that in many hostels students have to go outside for nicotine needs. In our case, this would not be a disaster for smokers, since the hostel does not close at night. One of my acquaintances, for example, has a different situation - the checkpoint is closed at night, so everyone smokes from the windows, which ... well, not comme il faut, frankly.
(photo of the second building of the hostel DAS MGU, additional photos hostels on the site by clicking on the image)
Recently I even stumbled upon a post by a student from our hostel, where he lamented about total control, about the lack of personal space, they say there are cameras around, there is no way to "legally" spend a guest at night, and so on. If you do not pay attention, then everything is very good, but if you are puzzled, think, then the cameras and the thought of constant surveillance cause discomfort. It’s a sin to complain, because, perhaps, this is all necessary measures so as not to turn the hostel into a passage yard.
Now about the rooms. Four people live in mine, initially there were five of us (due to some circumstances, one neighbor moved out). Each block has its own bathroom with a bathtub, it is allowed to have a microwave, a refrigerator and a multicooker, but no stoves and, by the way, Christmas tree garlands powered by an outlet. It is worth explaining that a separate bathroom is a luxury, and not only in Russia. In another dormitory of Moscow State University, in the FDS (you may have noticed the hype around it and the situation with the resettlement of its inhabitants in a new dormitory in the media), in addition to all the terrible living conditions (cockroaches, bedbugs, devastation), a bathroom is also added to the floor, where to wash in a shower is possible only at a certain time, at which a queue of those who wish is lined up. In general, the bathroom on the floor is the most common case.
(photo of the "bare" room in the DAS MSU, additional photos of the hostel on the website by clicking on the image)
What do we see abroad? In Donna Tartt's book, the author describes the life of Hampden College. Let me explain right away that a college with that name actually exists, but it is located in the state of Virginia and is purely male, although the book describes a mixed campus in the state of Vermont. Most likely, Donna Tartt, when depicting student life, took as a basis the college that she graduated from herself - Bennington College. This is where the "debriefing" begins. The protagonist of the book "The Secret History" - lives alone in a room, a hostel, again, mixed and a little ... Possessed. At night, the neighbors may not calm down, no one except you will object to them, friends can freely come in, even if they do not live in a hostel, which happened very often in the course of the story. What surprised me the most was that you can smoke in the rooms. The book was written in 1992, smoke detectors should have been installed already, although this is not mentioned. On the floor - a kitchen with a common refrigerator, a bathroom on the floor. Here we turn to “life stories”: on the Internet, when searching for information about Bennington dormitories, I came across video tours of them - the communities are literally tiny in comparison with our Russian ones. In general, even the number of students in such colleges is measured in hundreds (and not in thousands, as in large universities). The Bennington College website lists the number of 21 residences for students, including both individual houses and dormitories. About the internal arrangement of housing, it is worth noting the “spaces” for recreation: there are really a lot of them for one hostel. It is difficult to single out something in common between all Bennington communities, except for a cozy atmosphere, excellent furnishings, furnishings and spacious rooms for 1-2 people. Somewhere there are hostels on several floors with small kitchenettes on each floor, on which there are several rooms, somewhere two rooms (3 people) have their own living room with a bathroom, which is very reminiscent of an apartment (well, or a hostel in the TV series “Univer. new dorm). In another building, it's a little different - many small "common spaces", in addition to one large lounge on the ground floor. All this looks really stylish and beautiful, but I can’t say about any excesses (which, by the way, abound in some Moscow State University dormitories and which really looked chic ... once. Take at least the DAS windows, which looked, for sure, insanely beautiful when the opening of the hostel, but due to their impracticality, they are now forever dirty, it is simply dangerous for students to wash them themselves). I note that the design and layout of each hostel is different, except for some basic principles, such as living rooms.
Video Tours of Bennington College Residences
Moreover, students make their places even more special with their own strength and creativity. For example, the theme of one dorm is "useless super-powers", including teleportation by one inch, and the transformation of one type of cheese into another (cheese alchemy), and so on. They have fun as much as they can.
I would also like to say in general about the layout of campuses, more precisely about its main feature. This is walking distance directly to the main buildings, where the training takes place. For example, we have to get to the faculty for about an hour, which is not very convenient, frankly.
And a little information that is always of interest to all - prices. Education in America is paid, with the exception of some free universities (which are even more difficult to enter than Ivy League universities) and cases with scholarships and grants. So, together with accommodation, meals, medical insurance and contributions for ... "activities", whatever they mean, the student pays $ 65,120 per year (without transport and personal parking), which at the current rate will cost only 5,027,828 rubles . Cool. Of this amount, $49,440 is tuition itself, $7,870 is housing, and $6,650 is food.
In the game Life is strange, the dorms (separated into men's and women's) are not so rosy, but they have a spirit of freedom, the spirit of toilets on the floor and spacious rooms for one. This is a completely fictional college near the fictional city of Arcadia Bay in Oregon. It is difficult to single out something new after the previously described Bennington College, except, again, the lack of strict control (cameras on the floors, commandants, etc.).
(screenshot from the game Life is strange, dorm room)
We turn to stories from life and information from the Internet. Dormitories in the USA are very different, which also depends on the location of the university. In large cities, these are often buildings designed for a large number of residents, usually 2 people live in rooms, sometimes, again, there is a separate bathroom per block (I suppose it depends on the time the hostel was built: the newer, the more amenities). The main thing that I have never noticed when studying information on the topic is the checkpoints with security. Access to the hostels is carried out either by cards or by magnetic keys. In one of the videos, a Russian student, for example, opened the front door with a magnetic key, through the living room - into a room, which is accessed by an individual card. I know for sure that the entrance to the MGIMO dormitories is carried out with pass cards, through turnstiles, which is much more convenient and modern than using human labor at checkpoints.
As we have already understood, all this pleasure is very, very expensive, although again, prices vary. One lady who studied in Canada told me that she lived in a university townhouse with several other students and paid $ 2,500 for it. Well, the education itself cost about half as much as in the aforementioned Bennington College.
The question also arises: is education abroad really something elitist, only for wealthy families? In America, there are enough opportunities to study for free, and people who really deserve it get a free place. Also, many take loans for education (I found out that in Canada, for example, it is interest-free). We should be glad that the echoes of free Soviet education in the form of state-funded places still remain in our time.
The Janus blog tried to sort out the main differences between the hostels in Russia and America, while also highlighting the similarities, in addition to the unique family community of cohabiting students. If you have something to add - we will be extremely happy to comment!
November 18, 2012, 04:22 PMOhio College of Humanities Dormitory (USA)
Dormitory Tietgen is called the roundest place on the campus of Copenhagen (Denmark). In addition to rooms for living, there are workshops, a cafe, a music center and a huge courtyard where future specialists spend time until late in the warm season. 
In the construction of the dormitory at the University of California at San Diego (USA), eco-materials were used. The building is LEED Silver certified. 
City of Franklin Lakes (USA). Dormitory of the Medical University. The area of the hostel is so huge - more than 38,500 square meters. m - that, in addition to student bedrooms, a clinical center, scientific laboratories, a cafe, a canteen and offices of a pharmaceutical company fit on it. In total, over 1200 students live here. Recently, a building project called Basket Apartments was commissioned in Paris, it represents a new student residence designed by the architects of OFIS Arhitekti. The building is located in the 19th arrondissement next to the park and a rather complex piece of land was allocated for its construction. Thus, the width of the structure is 11 meters, while its length is 200 meters. The residential complex is divided into two blocks, connected by a narrow bridge, under which there is a small garden. 
Each dorm room in Spain has at least armchairs and sofas, a private bathroom and toilet, an Internet access point, a TV, a telephone. Often there is a small kitchen for one or two rooms. In addition, the residence itself must have a student canteen, a library, a gym, a laundry room, a study room, a games room, parking lots, etc. All this was done to the maximum for the convenience of students. The cost of meals in student canteens is quite affordable, and parking fees are minimal. The administration of the universities in Spain is extremely careful to create the best conditions for the student for productive learning. It is for this reason that unacceptable behavior, dirt, damage to property, etc. are severely punished here. laws, and not interfere with other young people's learning. 
Hostel in Düsseldorf (Germany). A separate category of student hostels is hostels for couples and for families with children. In fact, a hostel for a childless couple is a one-room apartment with an isolated kitchen, with a total area of 30 sq. meters. Such an apartment in the expensive south costs about 420 euros per month. Thus, living together for a young couple is both cheaper and more comfortable. 
Dormitory of Moscow State University: 
You have entered an American college or university, received a visa, and will soon board a plane that, waving its silver wing, will take you towards knowledge.
After passing through passport control, you will find yourself in the United States, and the first thing you will need to do when you hail a taxi is to tell the driver the address. About where you will live, you need to take care in advance.
RESIDENCE AND CAMPUS IN THE USA
These are the most optimal conditions for living and studying. Typically, campuses are located near the place of study or on the territory of the university (no need to waste time traveling) and are cheaper than housing in the private sector.
Many universities in America insist that students live on campus for at least the first two years of study.
What are American dorms? These are mixed buildings (boys and girls live in the same building, but on different floors or in different wings).
Bathrooms and kitchens are usually shared and located on the floor. There is, however, another option - student apartments with several rooms, a common hall and a bathroom.
If you settle in a regular room, you will share it with one or two peers. The necessary furniture, lighting, Internet and television will already be there.
One of the advantages of living in a hostel is the so-called "social territories". These are places where students can meet to play some games, watch TV and chat. Among the minuses are strict rules.
Residents are non-smoking (in the entire building), pets are not allowed (parrots and hamsters are on this list), and sometimes you have to follow temporary s m restrictions.
This pleasure (depending on the state and university) can cost $600 a month, or it can empty your pocket by $2,000 a month. However, larger amounts usually include food, electricity, water, garbage collection and room cleaning. Payment occurs once a semester. Less often - once a year.
IMPORTANT! Applications for a room in a hostel are submitted within a strictly limited time frame - no later than six months before the start of classes. In this case, the application is considered only after enrolling in an educational institution.
This is where problems can arise: sometimes the letter of enrollment may be late, and then the student will have to solve the housing issue on his own. And only in the most prestigious universities like Harvard there are enough places in dormitories for absolutely everyone, since there are slightly more of them than students.
RENTAL IN THE USA
You can stay off campus. This option is simply necessary for those who prefer to be independent (after all, whatever you say, life on campus is subject to rules). Most universities have bulletin boards or special web pages where you can look for suitable housing near your place of study.
They will explain all the terms of the lease to you, and they can also help you find a roommate. The cost of living in the private sector can vary from $ 800 per month (per room) to $ 2000 - it all depends on the city and rental conditions.
However, in this case, it is worth remembering that utilities are not included in the indicated amount and you will have to pay extra for them, which will increase your bill.
HOME STAY
A great option for those who want to live off campus. This is an opportunity to fully become a local resident, and at the same time practice your everyday English. The university will offer you options for living in a family - almost every university has such “proven” families.
Moreover, in some universities there is a rule: if a student is under 18 years old, he is simply obliged to live in a family under the supervision of adults who will help “if anything” and take care.
Families are different. Some accept only one student. But it is not uncommon for 2-3 students to live under the same roof. At the same time, everyone has their own room. The main plus in addition to communication is that you will be cooked homemade food (well, that is, at least, it is understood that homemade, although warmed semi-finished products can be called such in America).
In addition, a prerequisite is the location: your journey should take no more than 20-45 minutes from the campus. When looking for housing in the private sector on your own, you cannot always count on a good location.
And it should be noted that, for example, in Los Angeles, the public transport system is very poorly developed, so long trips will not bring any pleasure. The cost of living in a family, of course, depends on the state and agreements with the university. But usually it is slightly higher than in a hostel, and significantly lower than in a separate apartment.
All my life I dreamed of living in a hostel. No fools, but in all seriousness. I was a hothouse Moscow child and went to the university by subway. With what heartfelt trepidation I listened to the stories of happy peers from other cities. About the Chinese who fry herring in the common kitchen. About the evil commandant who puts feces under the door. About the boys from the next block, who steal borscht with ladles, and in the evening they sing songs with a guitar.
In this truly unforgettable December in New York, there was no family for me. I showed up at school quite suddenly, and American families had no time for students - Christmas, New Year, whatever. So, n-tsat years later, Alena's dream came true - she finally settled in a hostel. Unfortunately, the dream has long since sunk into oblivion. Luckily, I only had two weeks to live there.
I’ll make a reservation right away - I’m going to tell you about the dormitory of the language school at the university. The students of the university itself mostly live in other dormitories - frightening multi-story monsters. There they rise beyond the field.
Our school had a nice two-story cottage. Fenced area with a checkpoint and an electronic lock - entrance with a student card. Several identical cottages - neighboring ones were also occupied, perhaps by students of certain faculties or schools.
I will never forget my first day at the hostel. I was taken to the building by "old men" - a friend from Saudi Arabia and a silent tall Chinese from our group. They dropped me in the hall and went to their rooms to kill the dark winter American evening. Five minutes later I was discovered by a very young and very businesslike American woman.
- So, - she said to me, - who is sitting here with us?
"Alena," I muttered. I didn't want to talk at all.
- Ah, Alena! The girl smiled wider. - I got a call about you.
The girl turned out to be one of the "komendas". Working hours in the hostel - from six to nine in the evening. The main occupation is a student. At night, no one controls the residents of the hostel. Any problems are solved around the clock by the security service.
The girl took me to show apartments. Alena, who took out the brains of the entire leadership of the school, was given a whole block. There were faces on the door of my block.
Write your name here,” the girl told me.
“Yeah, now,” I thought. She opened the door and let me inside. A large dressing room, to the right - a toilet and a shower, straight ahead - two rooms, two beds in each. I just lathered to choose, she pushed me to the left.
- No, you can't choose a bed either. I have this left one written down for you. Such rules, and then suddenly there are drawings on the walls or something else, you yourself understand.
She gave me a set of linen—two sheets, two pillowcases, two flimsy towels, and a thin waffle blanket. She told me to contact "if anything" and left.
I looked around. Apparently, the walls here have not yet been desecrated, which is a pity. There is nothing to catch even a glance. Whether it's a hostel at the Moscow Aviation Institute, I looked there at the time of my stormy youth. As now, two-story, wooden, cluttered bunks and a monstrously dirty “kitchen” behind a curtain stand before my eyes. However, there was life in MAI. There was a hospital here. Okay, I think, if I completely fix it, I will create over the next bed.
The room was cold, very cold. There were no hangers in the closet.
The shower in the bathroom only worked from one angle. Of course, no hair dryer and other frills.
I thought and went to "change the number." Not in myself yet, new fish. The "komend" in the hostel has its own block. On the door - the schedule of "shifts" and a variety of information. Important phone numbers, dorm rules, bus schedules.
And inside - a real student cozy lair, just like in the movies. Posters on the walls, cheerful linens, books, toys, bottles. Piece of the house.
The girl was not particularly surprised at my arrival.
- First time in a hostel? she asked me affirmatively. I heard the same question again two hours later. - I can't change it. You should resolve this issue with the curator from the school. Your handler should call mine. My instruct me. It's six now, the curators don't work. And we still have all the same numbers.
I already knew that I would not master the curators. Therefore, I tried to squeeze the maximum out of the girl. She gave me a second set of underwear - there were no warm blankets in the hostel. I set the air conditioner to heat - since then it has become my worst enemy for two weeks. It hung under the window, right at my headboard, and rumbled like a washing machine in the "spin" mode. With rare breaks, all night long. A friend from Saudi Arabia in her room on the other side of the corridor slept like a log - she says that I don’t care, the main thing is to fall asleep. And I used to take the clock out of the room at the dacha, because it is ticking.
I spent the first night without sleep - the condo, which had been sleeping for a long time, was gaining strength. The first morning I cried with rage. And then I got used to it, a person gets used to everything. I bought my favorite silicone earplugs, got used to the soul. I even managed to paint my head in it.
Learned to appreciate simple human joys.
In the morning you run out into the kitchen to put on the kettle - in a home suit, without makeup.
Sometimes you run into someone from the group, for example, a tall Chinese man who dragged my hand luggage to the hostel. The Chinese, of course, is immersed in noodles, but he never forgets to wish good morning and is generally extremely kind. Somehow I saved his brew - he went into the room, and seething water ran out of the pan. He comes into the kitchen, and I'm standing in the way of his Chinese soup. Almost teared up, darling.
Or you return after class to the hostel. December evening in New York. You can't travel to Manhattan from our island every day. You take tea, cookies, write to your girlfriend from Arabia in WhatsApp: “Are you in a hostel? Would you like to have a cup of tea?" "Of course," she replies. "Meet you in five minutes." I go into the kitchen, put on an old-school kettle. The stove in the hostel is electric. On the shelf are stocks of students. Seasonings, nut butter, jams. Cooking utensils set. There are no eating utensils. And most importantly - there is no refrigerator. Nothing, I learned to store cheese on a thin window sill.
On the table nearby - noodles, quick soups, disposable plates. Microwave and rice cooker. The lion's share of the students of the school in New York are Chinese and Koreans.
I sit on the sofa in the dining room.
There is a TV in the dining room. The main channels are sports, but you can also catch movies.
A friend arrives with her hibiscus tea, three types of biscuits and chewing marmalade. We find a movie about racing, look out of the corner of our eye and chat about our own. A friend came to America under the state program of her country. She graduated from a medical school in her country, and is going to continue her education here. He misses his family, watched absolutely all the films in the cinema in the mall nearby. On weekends, he sometimes goes to a cafe with rare friends, and spends all evening weekdays in a hostel. Well, it’s not for her to go to Manhattan alone.
On the wall behind us are the rules. "Do not drink alcohol in the lobby", "The presence of more than 82 people is unsafe and illegal."
A Chinese couple pulls up to cook their noodles. To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine 82 people here. I have never seen more than three at once. But my friend got lucky. In November, a group of English teachers from Brazil studied at the school for a month. Such an impressive group. Brazilians organized parties in the hostel almost every day - with mass cooking, beer, dancing. Even a non-drinking, puritanical girl in a scarf recalls these evenings with a veil in her eyes. Of course, Alena did not arrive on time, as always.
We watch a movie and go to our little rooms. She shoves marmalade at me: “I noticed you liked it!”
She also helps me with laundry. For washing there is a special room - with washing machines and dryers. Girls use liquid Tide for laundry, you can buy it at a frozen food store or borrow it from a friend. Boys wash without liquid, just in water. Girlfriend laughs at them. In the same room - an impressive supply of toilet paper.
Residents throw garbage into such boxes, they are all over the hostel.
Only once I saw all the inhabitants of the hostel at once - during a fire drill. Almost died of fright when one evening a deafening siren wailed over my head. I grabbed my passport and wallet, threw on my coat, put on my boots (tru-frost!) and went out into the street. The Chinese came out in flip flops and T-shirts, it was minus outside. We were herded into the lobby of a nearby building, and it was the busiest dorm party I've ever seen. Everyone turned their heads to their phones and sat hunched over for ten minutes.
Our dorm was surprisingly quiet. I was afraid that the students would interfere with my sleep. There was also a block right next to the hall. But the air conditioner killed everyone, even if the Chinese raised their voices. Which I personally doubt very much.
In short, I never had a chance to taste a real communal life. However, all is well on time. Have you ever lived in a hostel? How are the memories?
