Livin&#39; the [Campus] Life

Posted by Valerie

Speaking as a lifelong Alaskan, living in Alaska is HARD. Fairbanks, with its extremely cold temperatures, is no exception. Living on campus is super convenient for students! Living on campus is also a part of the college experience for a ton of college students! At UAF, living on campus makes day-to-day life a little easier and provides a fun community.

Some of the perks include:

You don’t need a car, meaning you don’t need to worry about plugging your car in at 20 below, or your car not starting, or waking up 20 minutes earlier to allow your car time to heat up. Also, no parking! And just think how much you'll be reducing carbon emissions!

Not what you look forward to in a daily commute. Photo from carpediammag

The amazing community that surrounds you, always. When I came to UAF as a freshman, I knew very few people. Within a few days, though, I had met a ton of excellent people, and I attribute that mostly to the programs and atmosphere of living in the dorms. Lounges provide a good place for people to meet and talk. Resident Advisors are accessible and plan programs for their residents, like group sledding, Casino Night, or movie nights—No matter who you are, you will be able to find a group of people who enjoy similar things! And living in the dorms means that each time you walk in the doors, you see the bajillions (I’m not exaggerating. I promise) of fliers letting you know what’s going on!

Some friends I met in the first week of school.

The Tilly, which is the source of sustenance for most on-campus dwellers, is literally less than 5 minutes away, from whichever dorm. And if you sled down the hill from the MBS complex, you can cut that time in half!

Need help with schoolwork? Peer Mentors are tutors that literally live next door to you. They are super awesome and help you with all your homework needs.

If it IS 40 below and too ridiculously cold to show your face outdoors (and believe me, we all reach that point sometime), the UAF shuttle can pick you up and deliver you from anywhere on campus to your dorm sweet dorm. The shuttles are heated guys. Do not underestimate the power of a warm shuttle.
The drivers are friendly too! Photo from UAF Cornerstone

Things like electricity, heat, and internet are provided for. You don’t have to worry about monthly bills because these, as well as food, are included in your bill for the semester. It’s pretty nice not to worry about going over your hot water budget for the month or trying to figure out if the fall in outdoor temperature is going to be bad news on your heating bill. Also, food is prepared hot and close, and you don’t have to cook it.