It’s your first year of university! You’re moving out of your parents’ house and into a dorm room, but when you’re choosing a residence to spend your entire first-year experience, you may feel conflicted about the sudden influx of choices. Do you want a single room? Double room? Suite style? Do you want brand new social opportunities? Or privacy to binge all the Netflix shows without judgment? There’s a ton to ask yourself before making this decision. 

But here’s what you need to know about the different types of dorm rooms.

Traditional-Style Dorms

Firstly, these dorms usually have a common area for the entire floor to get together. Sometimes this common room is available for multiple floors. At Western’s Saugeen Hall, we used this common room for Glee nights back when Glee was super popular.

glee gif

But when considering traditional-style dorms, there are three options to think about:

  • Single Dorm Room

  • Double Dorm Room

  • Triple/Quad Dorm Room (this one is rarer)

Basically, do you want a roommate? Here’s a list of pros and cons. 

Pros

  • Potential friendship

  • Less likely to feel lonely

  • Share food

  • Save money

  • Improve your people skills

  • A friend to binge Netflix with before bed

  • Learn about new events and hangouts

  • Broaden your social circle

Cons

  • Potential enemy if it’s a bad match

  • Sleep deprivation, depending on their habits/schedule

  • They could steal… 

  • Lack of privacy

  • Compromises need to be made

  • It’s a give-and-take relationship

  • Sharing food 

joey doesn't share food friends

There are pros and cons to everything in life. If it helps, create a list and weigh the pros and cons for each option to help you decide! 

Traditional residences include: 

  • Saugeen Hall (Western University)

  • Village 1 (University of Waterloo)

  • Royal Victoria College (McGill University)

  • Chestnut Residence (U of T)

  • Pitman Hall (Ryerson University)

Keep in mind that the majority of traditional residences contain a mandatory meal plan. However, you may have more options with suite-style.

Suite-Style Dorms

Most suites are single-gender, even if the floors are co-ed. Likewise, think about Rory’s experience with her Yale dorm in Gilmore Girls. These are multiple single rooms that connect to a shared common space. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have a kitchenette too. Typically shared between two to four people per suite, you get the privacy of having a single room with the social benefits of living in a shared space.

rory and paris gilmore girls dorm room

Suite-style residences include:

  • Elgin Hall (Western University)

  • Mary E. Keyes Residence (McMaster University)

  • Mackenzie King Village (University of Waterloo)

  • Prescott House (Carleton University)

Furthermore, some residences such as Ban Righ Hall (Queens University) and Loretto College (U of T) are “Female Only”, but there are predominantly co-ed residences out there. Some traditional residences are reserved for first-year students while some suite-style residences are reserved for upper years. So, make sure you do your research!  

If you’re looking for some ideas to spruce up your dorm room, check out how to decorate your living space.