Pros and cons of coed dorms
Living and studying in a boarding school can be a daunting task for students. One of the most challenging, and oftentimes confusing and scary, situations is the opposite’ sex presence in a dorm room. Most boarding schools do not let the genders mix in, specially in the dorms, but some of them do and not to mention college where everything is so much scarier and much more confusing. But that doesn’t mean that being in a coed boarding school dormitory is all bad, there are a few good things too. Here is a list of the pros and cons of living in a coed dorm:
PROS:
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You get to live and socialize with members of the opposite sex. For many students (at least the heterosexual ones), this is an irresistible option.
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It’s a helpful “real life” experience because the world isn’t separated into same-sex spheres. Men and women need to learn to relate to each other, especially in the workplace, and a dorm can be good practice.
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Living with familiar men around can be a safety advantages for female college students — or at least can make them feel less vulnerable.
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Coed dorms may offer students more housing options. On some campuses, only a limited number of residence halls are same-sex.
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Living in an all-girl or all-guy environment isn’t for everyone. Some college girls find other women to be catty and would prefer not to live with a whole dorm full of them.
- Many students who live in coed dorms argue that it’s not that big of a deal. Dorm life is not one big college sex party. Male and female students have the same basic housing needs– sleeping accommodations, a place to study, and companionship. Why separate people with the same needs? After all, students are adults.
CONS:
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Having guys in the dorm may offer safety advantages to college girls, but this also poses safety problems. College girls find themselves living in close quarters with dozens of young men.
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Sexual harassment can be a big problem in coed dorms. College girls can find themselves the victim of pranks and “locker room talk” that crosses the line. Even if sexual harassment isn’t going on, some college guys make girls uncomfortable with vulgarity and lewdness.
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For modest students, coed dorms are not a good idea. No, people don’t walk around the hallways naked, but they do walk around in bathrobes and boxer shorts.
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Coed dorms provide lots of dating opportunities. Unfortunately, dating someone in your dorm isn’t necessarily a good idea. It’s kind of like living together after the first date, since there’s no getting away from each other. Everyone in the hallway will know your drama, and if you break up, you’re stuck with each other. There are many places on a college campus to meet dating prospects, and living in a same-sex dorm isn’t going to take those away.
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A same-sex dorm can be a fun and supportive environment. Both males and females sometimes feel more like they can be themselves when there aren’t people of the opposite sex around. Freshman year can be stressful enough, so if a same-sex environment sounds more relaxing, it’s probably a better option.
- Some students (and their parents) have religious or moral reasons for not wanting to live in a coed dorm
