Tuition for the 2014-2015 school year will once again increase and the price of room and board along with it. Next year, typical room and board is said to cost $11,000, according to the university’s website. The news brief sent to campus indicated that room and board would rise 2.5 percent from this year.
Fortunately, I will be out of the dorms next year, so I do not have to worry about this too much. However, when I look at the dorms around campus, the price of living is simply too high.
Last year, as a freshman, I lived in the ever so infamous McCormick. Before moving into the building, everyone knows what it will be like. It is going to be loud, crammed and social. The building itself is obviously not in the best of condition, but a double room still costs $10,850. The overall functionality of the building was less to be excited about, mainly because you could hardly move.
Like most of my friends and classmates, I wanted to live in Schroeder my sophomore year. After a brief stint in Carpenter, I made my way to Schroeder. With each move I make, I’m continually frustrated by every building.
If you look at prices of residence halls at universities around the Midwest, you will find that Marquette has some of the highest. Take Northwestern. The highest price of living is $10,020 per year, and that room is a single with a private bathroom. Marquette’s most expensive housing option is a single in Carpenter, which cost $12,460 this year.
As I look to next year, I am excited not to have the Gatorade machine eat my money, not have to run down eight flights of stairs because the elevator is broken and not to share a bathroom with dozens of people. However, next year will not be all better.
I will no longer live with all of my best friends. I am assuredly living with great people next year, but when you live in a residence hall, you experience something that can never be replicated.When else are you going to live with 700 people? Besides the constant access to food, residents in the dorms can see anyone they want without leaving the building.
Living in the dorms has been great and I think they shaped a large part of my experience at Marquette. The problem is students do not have many options. A majority of people want to live in McCormick or Schroeder, but the fact is not everyone can. Therefore, prices tend to be higher for those people as rooms are at a premium.
The university needs to actually put the money students and their families spend on room and board to support the longevity of the residence halls. In addition, the promised amenities of each building need to be looked after carefully for students to get the bang for their buck and really enjoy the experience.
