As an upcoming junior, I’ve had my fair share of annoyance and irritation with Goshen College’s housing requirements.
I understand why they keep students in the dorms, and really, the dorms are not that bad of a place to be. I’ve enjoyed being able to walk down a flight of stairs or down the hall to my friends’ rooms, or have fleeting conversations with random people about the burnt popcorn smell that seems to linger in the lounge. But, after almost two years in Yoder, I’m ready to move on.
Goshen College is making it increasingly difficult to live anywhere but the student apartments. Yes, the apartments are nice and a wonderful place to be, but personally, I feel like they’re a little too isolated from the main part of campus. There are a few other options: living in Kulp, in a house, or in the dorms for another year. The options are slim, especially because the majority of Kulp is single dorms.
With only three small-group houses available (or should I say two, because who wants to live in East Hall anyway? It’s practically the dorms), the competition is steep. So, Kulp seemed to be the best option and by some miracle, I’ll be living in Kulp South next semester.
I clearly remember the uproar from last-years sophomores and juniors when the announcement was made that three, instead of six, houses would be available in the coming year. Furthermore, I do understand why the number of small-group houses was cut down, but I also wish they would open more up. From what I’ve heard around campus, students would much rather live in small-group houses than anywhere else.
Goshen College’s housing requirements are incredibly strict. I have multiple friends at other schools that can live in apartments or houses as a sophomore, and there seems to be endless options for them; I cannot help but feel envious at the Facebook pictures of their houses or apartments.
The requirements for housing get even more strict as I look towards living off-campus my senior year.
Because it’s so much cheaper to live off campus, Goshen makes it unbelievably difficult. To live off campus, you have to be married, 23, commuting, or have 112 credits. After calculating my credits, I’ve discovered that I’ll have 107 at the end of my junior year, and I’m scrambling to find five extra ones from God-knows-where.
If you do not come in with extra credits from AP courses or do SST in the summer, it’s practically impossible to reach 112.
However, for some students, paying for room and board is financially impossible. Goshen College forces students to stay on campus because it benefits them, but I feel like they should be more aware of how expensive it really is.
I’m sure that Goshen’s housing policy will stay the same but, if I can make one suggestion that I hope Goshen College takes very seriously: give Neal East Hall. No one wants to live in it, and he deserves something bigger than the apartment he has now.
