The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
As American University mandates on-campus residency for all freshmen and sophomores starting in the 2025 cohort, I reflect on how living off-campus has empowered me and my roommates to make the best decisions for our growth. I am a sophomore who currently lives off campus. I live in a two-bedroom apartment close to a mere seven-minute walk from campus and share it with three other girls. This decision didn’t come lightly when considering whether to live off campus.
My decision to live off campus originally started from a selfish desire to fit in with many of my friends attending “Big Ten” schools, where it automatically becomes the status quo to live off campus after your freshman year. When I realized that was not the case for the sophomores at AU, I started to question if my want to live off campus was warranted. Being 19 years old and responsible for your own apartment is a scary feat. However, it comes down to each person's situation. For me, it came down to the cost and the kitchen.
Certain fixed costs, like housing and meal plans, can make living on campus more expensive. When living off campus, we control the amount we spend on groceries. While rent is a controlled price, my roommates and I negotiated it to ensure it was the price we were most comfortable with. This financial control is a significant advantage of off-campus living.
Then, a kitchen was necessary for us. Each of my roommates and I have dietary restrictions ranging from allergies to personal preferences. Our own kitchen allows us to not rely on the Terrace Dining Room and gives us more options than we would otherwise have on campus. While not every student will have these same considerations, the University should consider them when it looks at why students may choose to live off campus.
The University considering this change to require housing for freshmen and sophomores is frustrating, as many students already have difficulty finding housing on campus — enduring the Hunger-Games-like process of getting into the “top dorms” and being left devastated if they don’t get into East Campus or Cassell. Many of my sophomore friends who intend to live on campus for the 2025-2026 school year are already frightened about the difficulties of the number of housing options, especially if the 2028 class is required to live on campus for two years. I believe it would make dorms like Nebraska and Frequency, which are often reserved for upperclassmen, harder to get as the number of dorm rooms stays the same
AU has an issue with fostering community. Increasing the requirements for housing on campus may encourage further community. I can relate because I, as an off-campus student, can attest to the lack of time I spend on campus, and if I lived on campus, that would change.
However, that reason for the change isn’t fair because even as an off-campus student, I see my friends in classes and we make time to hang out. Simply spending time on campus for classes, library study sessions or social events encourages a sense of belonging. Further, AU has plenty of options for clubs and other activities, where, if I want, I can make new friends and create a larger community.
Mandating on-campus residency for freshmen and sophomores at American University could inadvertently stifle student independence and growth. While the intention may be to strengthen the campus community, it’s essential to recognize that students’ diverse needs and circumstances must come first. The off-campus living experience has provided me and my roommates with practical benefits like cost control and dietary flexibility while also encouraging us to develop crucial life skills.
Instead of enforcing residency requirements, the University should explore ways to support both on-campus and off-campus living arrangements, allowing students to choose what aligns best with their personal and academic lives. Ultimately, a thriving university community embraces varied experiences, and students should be empowered to make choices that reflect their own paths.
Ritika Shroff is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella and Nicole Kariuki.
