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By Amy C. Schweigert
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 25, 1996
The alarm goes off at 7 a.m., but the student snoozes until 7: 45.With an 8 a.m. class, this is no time to oversleep. Fortunately, the student lives in a dorm, a convenient place to be if the student is in the habit of hibernating through early classes.
Molly Reuben, an undeclared sophomore who lives in Arizona-Sonora, said living in dorms is convenient, because they are right on campus.
"If you have earlier classes it's easier, you don't have to worry about traffic ," she said. "You just get dressed and go."
The University of Arizona has 17 dorms on campus. UA Residence Life also maintains Christopher City, 3401 N. Columbus Blvd., a family housing complex about three miles from campus.
James Van Arsdel, director of residence life, said the dorms' combined population is about 4,700 students. Approximately 13 percent of UA students call dorms their home away from home, he said.
The majority of students living in dorms are freshmen, Van Arsdel said.
"This is typical of most campuses across the country."
Although many freshmen live in dorms, he said about 1,200 upper classmen also live in dorms.
Sara Pretz, an accounting sophomore who lives in La Paz, the UA's newest dorm, said sometimes upperclassmen are made fun of if they are still living in a dorm. She said next year she is going to live in Alpha Phi, her sorority's house.
Although she is moving next year, Pretz said dorm life is nice because a lot of people are always around.
"You get to see your friends every day," she said.
"Dorms offer students a ready-made network of friends - that's very important," Van Arsdel said, "for students to feel comfortable to learn they need friends."
Citing ethernet connections, study rooms, and workshops, he said dorms help students succeed academically.
However, university life consists of more than attending classes, he said.
"A lot of opportunities, such as leadership and outside activities exist in dorms, for students to grow and develop outside of the classroom," Van Arsdel said.
Jen Barrow, a La Paz resident and classics/English education sophomore, said dorm life affords students with little privacy. Reuben agrees.
When asked what the worst thing about dorm life is, she said "no privacy."
"Everyone comes in (my room) without knocking," Barrow said.
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