Art by Ally Armstrong
After sophomore year, students are able to pick between housing on- and off-campus for their junior year. Some students say that living away from campus is better, but when it comes down to it, there are more advantages to living on-campus. When taking housing into consideration for next year, students should look at living on-campus, as the residence halls provide close community, cut commuting time and allow students more time to study.
Pepperdine just opened the Seaside Residence Hall, where up to 458 students can live with a great view of the ocean and a short walk to classes. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can live together, creating a community that they would otherwise not experience off-campus. Though Seaside’s suite-style layout is similar to a freshman residence hall, the building has newer amenities such as a modern kitchen space, workout room and updated bathroom facilities.
Living on-campus allows students to connect more easily with each other and expand their reach on-campus. Not only can students meet new friends and support groups in their residence hall, but they have easier access to clubs, activities and opportunities through the university.
Staying on-campus increases the likelihood that students will attend these events, taking advantage of more connections Pepperdine is providing them. “The wide variety of cultures and backgrounds lends itself to a unique student community that’s difficult to reproduce off campus,” according to the article “The Benefits of Living on Campus,” published July 26, 2011 by Study.com.
Students who live on-campus do not need to worry about commuting to class. Though the distances off-campus students have to travel varies, the time spent coming to class is longer than someone on-campus, taking away time that these students could be spending doing other things.
More than 300,000 commuters travel through the canyon every day according to Kelly Rodriguez in her article “Understanding Car Crashes on Malibu Canyon Road,” published March 14 by The Graphic. Los Angeles traffic is an unpredictable thing, and as of last semester, more accidents occurred on Malibu Canyon Road than in previous semesters.
Students who live on campus are also more likely to have a higher GPA than those who do not. “Those students living off-campus … had the lowest grades, indicating that perhaps their living situation prevents them from focusing on their studies as much as on-campus students,” according to Ashley Holland in her study “How Residency Affects The Grades of Undergraduate Students,” published on May 10, 2014 by the College of Brockport: State University of New York.
Staying on-campus allows easier access to facilities such as the Payson Library and Student Success Center, giving students excellent on-hand resources that can help improve their academic performance.
Housing isn’t something to take lightly. Scrambling to find roommates and setting up a housing plan is stressful, but know that there are enough living spaces on campus because of the new addition of Seaside. Students can feel more confident in getting the housing they would like at Pepperdine. Next semester when the Housing Portal opens, think about the on-campus community and consider joining the residence life.
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