Staying in college dorms may turn out to be troublesome for you as an individual sometimes especially if you have not had to live with another person in the same room. You may want to have a single college dorm room to yourself but this is always hard but not impossible to achieve.
Also do not worry about the dorm experience of not having to live with a roommate because you still have the hall and floor to meet and interact with other students in the dorm.
If you are looking for how to go about getting yourself a single dorm room, as you’re preparing to resume to college or return for the semester.
Then you’re at the right place, we would be showing you ways to go about your request for a single dorm room from the authorities of your school.
Reasons For Requesting A single Dorm Room
Requesting for single dorm rooms is not standard practice therefore institutions of higher learning that offer single rooms have only a few of them. And as such will do a thorough check and ask questions to the students who would apply for the single dorm rooms.
Note that because of the limited number of single dorm rooms not every reason advanced by students would be considered favorably.
Therefore students have to provide cogent reasons why they should be given single dorm rooms. Some of these cogent reasons to give to increase your chances of getting a single room include:
- Say you have dust allergies or other allergies and submit a doctor’s report to support this claim
- Say you have frequent Sleepwalking issues
- Say you have Insomnia
- Say you’re a bet wetter
How To Get A Single Dorm Room In College
If you want to get a dorm room for yourself you need to bear in mind that a single dorm room will cost you more in fees. Some ways to get a dorm room to for yourself in college include:
- Make sure your school offers single rooms
- Apply for a single room early
- Explain if you have a special circumstance
- Become a resident assistant
Make sure your school offers single rooms
Check your school’s dorm floor plans and with the school authority if the school has provision for singles rooms. This is the first step to a solo room in college, but it’s also the most important one. You can’t get a single if there aren’t any available.
Ask your college housing office, if you’re not sure whether you have options for choosing single rooms or not. You can also call or email your university’s housing department and ask them about this directly.
They should be able to tell you whether there are any single rooms available for incoming students and how long those spots will be open (and therefore how much time you have left).
Ask current students, a lot of times, upperclassmen are looking to move out of their individual rooms because they want more privacy or because they’re ready to have their own apartment off-campus.
Asking them where they found their new dorms might give you some insight into what options are currently available through housing services on campus although keep in mind that some schools may give priority to returning students when allocating rooms at this point in the year so don’t expect too much if you are a new student in such schools.
Apply for a single room early
After verifying that your chosen school offers single dorm rooms even if on a limited basis. Then you should endeavor to apply for the single dorm rooms early because most schools will allocate them on a first come first serve basis.
Given that there are usually a handful of single room dorms, applying early will boost your chances of getting one allocated to you if you meet the criteria for getting assigned a single room.
And once you are assigned a single room endeavor to pay for the room fast to avoid losing it to another person if you do not meet the deadline for payment. The application process for single dorm rooms varies from school to school. Some universities allocate them based on seniority, while others use a lottery system.
Explain if you have a special circumstance
If you have a medical condition that requires you to stay in a single dorm room, explain the situation to the dorm allocation board in your application for a single room.
If you’re a senior and need to live alone for other reasons (for example, because of previous hearing or seeing issues that make living with roommates unsafe), say so.
If you are transferring to another university and need to move right away, or if you’re an athlete who will be traveling back and forth between games and practices, let them know.
In as much as we implore you to state your special circumstances do not go making up stories of why you want to stay alone in a single dorm room. If all else fails: ask what they can do for YOU. Some universities offer single dorm rooms at no additional cost; they just might not advertise it very well in their marketing materials most times because of the limited number of single dorm rooms.
Become a resident assistant
You can get a single dorm room for free if you become a resident assistant (RA). An RA is a student who lives in the dorm and is responsible for looking after it, as well as helping students with their problems.
You will get your own room and share the bathroom with other RAs, but you don’t have to pay rent or buy food (though most colleges require RAs to work an average of 20 hours per week). These jobs are highly sought-after because they allow students to live on campus while saving money, so be prepared to compete with others who want the same thing.
Before applying for the resident assistant ensure you are prepared for the job because you have to look after the well being of other students.
Choose your college wisely
In order to get a single room, you will have to choose your college wisely. There are several factors that can impact whether or not you get a single dorm room. If possible, choose a college that offers single rooms.
Many colleges offer both coed and single-sex dorms but this is not always the case. For example, if you’re female and looking for a single room in college, it might be best to avoid schools like Harvard University which only offers coed housing options (for now).
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FAQs
Is it possible to have your own dorm room?
Yes, it is possible to have your own dorm room in college. This will be possible only if your college has available single dorm rooms.
Are single dorms more expensive?
Single dorms are more expensive in most schools, but there are exemptions for the resident assistants who do not pay for their single dorm rooms.
Is a single room worth it in college?
Yes, a single dorm room is totally worth it especially if you love to have your space to yourself. If you live in a single dorm room, you have the opportunity to arrange and decorate your dorm room how it pleases you. You also get to use the dorm room how you want if you live in a single dorm room.
Can you share a dorm with the opposite gender?
Yes, you can share your dorm room with the opposite gender if your school offers gender neutral dorm room accommodations.
Can I get a single dorm because of anxiety?
If you have anxiety that is verified by a doctor you will have a better chance at getting assigned a single dorm room. This is because typically students that return a positive result to anxiety diagnosis, request for single room dorms, because anxiety is a universal human experience.
Can you live in a college dorm at 17?
Yes, you can live in a college dorm at 17 if you have gotten admission into the college and desire to live in the college dorm. Schools do not discriminate on giving dorm room spaces to their students based on their age, provided that the school admitted such students.
Can my boyfriend stay in my dorm?
This is possible if your school operates gender neutral dorms, many schools are beginning to offer gender neutral rooms, where people can choose to live with the opposite sex. And in such schools you can stay in your dorm with your boyfriend.
Can a guy and a girl stay in the same room together in college?
Yes, a girl and a guy can stay in the same dorm room, but this depends on if the school in question allows for non gender biased dorm rooms and accommodations.
Conclusion
Getting a single college dorm is desirable by many students no doubt, but the truth is that not everyone will get a single dorm room in college. This is so because there are usually a handful of single dorm rooms. Therefore your chances of getting assigned a single dorm room will be increased from your strategy deployed in the application for a single dorm room.