Since the program’s launch in May 2014, Boston University students have expressed an increased interest in the 12-month long housing option that allows students to remain on campus during breaks from the academic year.
Nishmin Kashyap, the director of housing at BU, said the yearlong housing program, found at 90 and 92 Bay State Road did not originally attract a lot of students during the room selection process but gained popularity as the 2014-15 school year wore on. Applications to live in the yearlong housing for the upcoming May-to-May cycle were released in February, according to the BU Housing website.
“Last year, we didn’t have a whole lot of interest during the room selection process, but we had more and more interest as the year went on, and we have those who are interested in committing for next year as well,” she said. “This year for room selection, we have about 16 applicants so far, and 11 of them were international and five were domestic.”
Students living in the Bay State Road yearlong residences may remain on campus during summer sessions until the beginning of the school year and during Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks, The Daily Free Press reported.
The residences include a common area kitchen to use when dining services are unavailable during the breaks, but students are still required to sign up for a dining plan, the FreeP reported.
Carlos Echeverri Solis, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences currently in the yearlong housing program, said he appreciates both the ability to remain on campus during breaks and the amenities provided in the residence.
“I chose the option so that I can stay here for the breaks in case I need to,” he said. “I also had an extra comfort compared to the dorm life because I have a kitchen to cook if I want to, but I’m also close to the dining hall and the CAS classrooms. Also, all of the people around this area are really nice to me.
Kashyap said the housing option was created primarily for those students who are not able to leave campus for vacations. The majority of students living in these residences are international students, she said.
“In the fall of 2014, we had 23 international students and 10 domestic students,” she said. “For the spring of 2015, we have 22 international students and 11 domestic, so it is trending more towards international students.”
Approximately 20 students have indicated interest in yearlong housing for the upcoming year, and there are 35 spaces available, Kashyap said. Further expansion of the option may not be necessary because there is sufficient housing for those interested.
“We didn’t see a lot of students wanting it beyond the spaces that we had, so we did not want to put yet another restriction on other students during room selection,” she said.
Kashyap said one reason yearlong housing is seeing a slow increase in popularity is because of the commitment students have to make to live there.
“They have to be able to see far into the future to make it because the commitment starts at the beginning of the summer into next year,” she said.
Katelyn Brunner, a senior in CAS also in yearlong housing, said while the brownstone has not always been in the most convenient location, the option was helpful during the summer.
“It’s working out well,” she said. “I had an internship over the summer, and it was really helpful for that because I didn’t have to find an apartment for three months.
The 2015-16 school year will be the first year that all BU dormitories will remain open during Thanksgiving and spring breaks, the FreeP reported on Feb. 19. The BU Housing vacation housing policy change is designed to accommodate students who have trouble going home during the recesses, according to a Feb. 12 email from Kashyap to students.
Kashyap said the yearlong housing and the new Thanksgiving and spring break policy change helps international students greatly.
Felicia Lu, a freshman in CAS, said though the temperature in her room is difficult to regulate, she has really enjoyed living in the building.
“I do like it here because it’s quiet, and I love my room because it’s so big,” she said. “The only thing is that the house is very old and heat cannot come up because I live on the fourth floor, and in the summer, we don’t have any air conditioning, so it’s very hot, but I do like it here.”
Brunner said although students can potentially live in the residence for 12 months, longer than students typically stay in on-campus housing, relationships among the residents are not always easy to make.
“One thing I will say about year-round housing is that, since it’s so many people who, for logistical reasons, shouldn’t go home, it’s very internationally segregated,” she said. “I don’t know if I would do it again, but it’s been really helpful.”
