Dorms. Without a doubt, they represent an innate part of a university student’s life. From crazy all-night parties to crashing instantly on a weeknight, dorms are the place where memories are made.
Like all other major campuses across Canada, dorms are a big part of the SFU community and the dorm residents continue to be the core of this enthusiastic and thriving campus. But despite all this, the SFU res often gets a bad reputation.
It is often portrayed as a collection of unsocial community buildings where the people aren’t interested in meeting or communicating with the next person. I heard one of my friends even going so far as to compare the residences to a Soviet-era labor camp. But that is simply not true.
A person’s willingness to communicate and meet new people is a completely personal matter, which frankly has nothing to do with the university or its dorms. You shouldn’t be dissuaded from living on residence for social reasons, nor should you feel like it’s impossible to reach out; the environment is welcoming and a great place to connect.
Often people argue that the strict “no roommate” policy of the Res buildings contributes to a (largely) unsocial atmosphere. But compared to the complexities that one might face with a potentially unwelcoming and inconsiderate roommate, singular occupancy seems perfectly logical. If you decide to send welcoming vibes to your various other peers, you won’t miss a roommate.
Furthermore, although all the buildings have single-occupancy rooms, they also have active community spaces like shared kitchens and the common rooms. There’s always something going on in one of the common rooms and weekly floor meetings are held on a regular basis. Each of these community spaces give people a place to unwind after a hectic week, and often spark the best of friendships. In fact, I had my first social interaction in Canada in my dorm’s common room.
Alone in a place far from home, surrounded by snowfall, the vibe of an isolated campus on a mountaintop was pretty disheartening. But I met a guy who’d end up becoming one of my best friends on campus as we sat down to watch the finals of the Australian Open in the common room — the rare sort of best friend that I can completely trust, and not the last I made on res, either.
Do the dorms have problems that can be addressed and fixed? Certainly. Should there be more fun and engaging community activities for the residents to participate in? Absolutely. But does that mean that the SFU residences are “dead” and the people living there are “socially awkward?”
No, nothing could be further from the truth. The friends we make in res are, at the end of the day, the friends we go back to, and with whom we’re constantly in touch. They’re literally a door-knock away. If you want to have dinner or explore the campus or even party, you call them. True, SFU might not be known as a hardcore party place, but it won’t let you down on a Friday night.
If you ask me, if you are studying at SFU and you don’t live on campus, then you are missing out on your share of experiences.
