{"id":4683,"date":"2014-02-28T13:02:45","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T18:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/citings\/?p=4683"},"modified":"2015-10-13T13:37:02","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T18:37:02","slug":"a-private-room-with-a-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/clippings\/2014\/02\/28\/a-private-room-with-a-view\/","title":{"rendered":"A (Private) Room with a View"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Many<\/a>
College students opt for single rooms to avoid awkward roommates. Photo by Katie Brady via flickr.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rites of passage as a new college student often involve\u00a0 wandering lost around campus, sampling the mystery meat in the dining hall, and\u00a0–\u00a0that first awkward social encounter –\u00a0meeting your roommate. At least that\u2019s how it used to be. The Atlantic shares a new trend in college life,\u00a0the single dorm\u00a0room.<\/a><\/p>\n

More and more schools are offering single room options, bypassing the awkward roommate relationship navigation that has been one of the hallmarks of college life. One university even converted its double occupancy dorms into “super singles.” Having your own room does ensure privacy, personal space, and avoidance of bad roommates, but students and experts are lamenting the loss of the college roommate.<\/p>\n

One student explains potential problems saying:<\/p>\n

With a private room, it\u2019s very easy to find yourself cut off from a social life. If you just go back to your room as soon as class is over, you\u2019re never going to meet anyone new or have any experiences beyond those in the classroom.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is more at stake than an invitation to parties; having a social life includes learning how to interact with people of many cultures and backgrounds. Learning how to navigate the social world is crucial for young adults. Sociologist and social sciences dean at New York University Dalton Conley<\/a> agrees that the loss of the college roommate could be very detrimental.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoommates simply teach us to be tolerant and adapt,\u201d Conley says. \u201cIn our increasingly customized, digitized, on-demand world, there are not many experiences that provide this sort of socialization.\u201d<\/p>\n