1. Residence Hall Life
Jessie Booth

2. Context
According to the housing website of The Ohio State University, “Living on campus offers many advantages and has been proven to enhance students' success at Ohio State” (“Housing”, 2016).
Some universities need to pay more attention to what can effect the success of their students.
Living in a residence hall can be very beneficial to a student if the universities occasionally make changes in them to help their students be successful.

3. Learning communities
A learning community “a group of students who live together on a residence hall floor with common major, career and/or personal interests” (“Learning communities,” 2016).
Universities might want to consider incorporating a learning community into all residence halls so all students have access to some of their benefits

4. Learning Communities
There are “no significant differences between students living in L/L buildings and those not in L/L buildings on their intellectual growth” (Longerbeam, Inkelas, & Brower, 2007).
A dyad concept could be implemented, which “places two students in a position to work together to achieve predetermined goals and objectives within each resident hall wing” (Murphy & Eddy, 1997).
If there isn’t a major effect on intellectual growth, universities should not advertise them as helping the students greatly, there are a few positive impacts
The dyad concept could offer some similar benefits as a learning community but may be easier to implement in all residence halls

6. Counterargument
Some people may object to making changes to learning communities since they can have a positive effect on the student’s success.
According to housing.osu.edu, learning communities offer a “direct connection to the classroom experience” and staff members that are dedicated to make sure students are successful (“Learning Communities”, 2016).
Some students, apply to live in these learning communities and still aren’t placed in them. This isn’t fair to the students who want to try to be more successful by being involved in one of these programs.
Why would universities not want the connection to the classroom experience and staff members in all residence halls? Don’t they want all students to have the opportunity to be successful
Shouldn’t any student who wants to be successful have the opportunity to do so?

7. Students should wait to live in fraternities/ sororities
Ikea Tucker, a hall director at the Ohio State University, said that she feels that students need to be given more time to mature before they should be able to join a fraternity or sorority (I. Tucker, personal communication, March 24, 2016)
According to a study done by Larry D. Long, students were more satisfied with the living conditions of residence halls because they felt safer and more secure within them (2014).
Students in fraternities and sororities are given more freedom, but this may not be good since college is often a students first time on their own, they can move into the sororities and fraternities once they are more mature and ready to fully be on their own
It may be more safe and an easier transition from home to live in a residence hall
Not everyone can just walk into a residence hall and the doors of dorm building are often locked and only student can get in.

8. Students should wait to live in fraternities/ sororities
Both males and females living in a fraternity or sorority have a lower GPA than students living in residence halls (Long, 2014).
Residence halls often offer a few study spaces for students where it is more quiet so they can focus on their studies.
Students who are members of a sorority or fraternity are also more likely to binge drink and consume alcohol more frequently (Long, 2014).
Residence halls often offer a few study spaces for students where it is more quiet so they can focus on their studies.
Students in residence halls are often closer to resources on campus and if they are close students may be more likely to use them.
College is much different than high school so a student may have to learn new study methods. As time goes on, student learn what study methods work the best for them.
Bad drinking habits could keep students from getting their work done in a timely matter or keep them from putting as much effort into their work

10. Counterarguments
Some people feel that students should not have to wait to join a fraternity or sorority because they have many benefits.
Members or sororities and fraternities tend to have a “reported a higher degree of peer interaction” (Long, 2014).
Students living within fraternities and sororities seem to enjoy the programming provided to them more than students living in residence hall (Long, 2014).
Universities could do more to encourage more peer interaction in residence halls.
This is because members of fraternities and sororities are normally responsible for putting these programs together. Residence halls could give students more of an opportunity to put together their programs.
There are many benefits that can come from being in a sorority/ fraternity, students should just have to wait and mature before they can join one.

11. Conclusion
Learning communities should be implemented in all residence halls and students should wait to join fraternities or sororities and live in residence halls instead.

12. Sources
Housing. (2016). Retrieved from
Learning communities. (2016). Retrieved from
Long, L. (2014). Does it matter where college students live? Differences in satisfaction and outcome as a function of students’ living arrangement and gender. Journal of College & University Housing, 41(1), 66-85
Longerbeam, S., Inkelas, K., & Brower, A. (2007). Secondhand benefits: Student outcomes in residence halls with living-learning programs. Journal of College & University Student Housing, 34(2),
Murphy, S., & Eddy, J. (1997). College resident halls research study: Student perceptions of resident assistants, fellow… College Student Journal. 31(1), 110.
Yongyi, W., Arboleda, A., Shelley II, M., & Whalen, D. (2004). The influence of residence hall community academic success of male and female undergraduate students. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 33(1),