Juniors, seniors, and underclassmen adjust to limited on-campus options.
By Maurion Jamison
Staff Writer
Editorial
Walking around campus this week, housing came up repeatedly. With the fall semester approaching, many students at Winthrop University are focused on classes, clubs, and roommates, but for some, where they will live next year is their biggest concern.
Juniors and seniors discovered in late January that freshmen and sophomores get first pick at on–campus housing. This means upperclassmen often must look for apartments off–campus, sometimes at higher prices than expected and with limited availability.
“I honestly think it is a big deal because upperclassmen such as myself have to now worry about if we are going to be able to pay for off-campus housing, which is expensive as a college student,” junior Shane King said. “It is stressful because you want to focus on classes, but housing becomes this huge worry.”
Many students understand the reasoning behind the priority system, but it does not make the scramble for off-campus housing any easier. “I get why freshmen should get first pick,” junior Shadrach Nvodjo said. “It is their first year. They need to feel settled. But it does make things harder for the rest of us.”
Senior Dominique Nesbitt, said it is just part of college life.
“It is kind of a scramble every year,” Nesbitt said. “You just have to start early and hope for the best. Nothing is really new here, just a little more stressful this time around.”
Some students have already found apartments, but they are paying more than expected. “I did not plan to spend this much on rent,” said sophomore Emily Rivers. “The good places near campus are gone fast. You have to grab whatever you can, even if it is not perfect.”
Sophomores, who are often given priority over upperclassmen, said the system has benefits for them as well.
“It is nice to know I will have a dorm close to campus,” WU sophomore Kendale Cooke said. “It helps me focus on school and get settled before everything else starts. I understand why it might be harder for the older students, but it is helpful for me.”
University officials say the priority system is meant to help new students feel at home and build community early in their college careers. Most students understand the reasoning, but they wish there were more options for those further along in their studies.
“I get it,” King said. “It is not about taking anything away from the freshmen. But it is still a reality for juniors and seniors. You have to be ready to move off campus, and that is expensive and stressful.”
Despite the unexpected challenges that the changes to the university housing policy have brought, some students are making the best of it.
“We are all just trying to survive college,” Nvodjo said. “If that means sharing a house with three other people or paying a little extra rent, we do it. It is all part of the experience.”
By the time the semester starts, most upperclassmen will have found a solution. Walking across the quad, there is a mix of excitement and uncertainty in the air. For many, housing is not just about a place to sleep. It is about planning, budgeting, and figuring out how to make the next year work.
“I just hope everyone finds something that works for them,” Rivers said. “It is stressful, but it is not the end of the world. You deal with it, like everything else in college.”
The housing shuffle may be challenging, but it is also a story of students adapting, prioritizing, and learning how to navigate life on their own. For freshmen and sophomores, it is a chance to get settled. For upperclassmen, it is another challenge to manage, one that is shaping their college experience in unexpected ways.
