Dorming at Bloomfield College: A Taste of Freedom

Editor's note: Bloomfield College Beat is a weekly feature written by BC students focusing on life on campus. This week's column is written by senior broadcast journalism major Wilson Pilarte.

For many college students, dorming is a first step toward living away from home. Your parents or guardians are not there to supply meals, clean laundry, or supervise your every move. It’s the first time you are actually free.

It's an extreme challenge for most new college students, and it isn't always an easy transition. My first college dorming experience wasn’t at Bloomfield College, but my journey transferring to school here and dorming was a challenging move.

The dormitory provided at BC consists of three dorms, nine houses, and off-campus apartments. Clee and Schweitzer Hall are for incoming freshman and transfer students. The newest addition to housing on BC’s campus is 225 on Liberty Street. The houses that are located on Austin, Freemont, Oakland, and Spruce streets are for upperclassmen. The University Centre is off-campus apartments with shuttle transportation to and from campus, just a 20-minute ride.

Luckily for me when I transferred to Bloomfield, Ryan Rodrigues, one of my closest friends from high school that I grew up playing basketball with, decided to come here, allowing us to play together once again. We lived on the lower level of Schweitzer Hall with other teammates - the best part was living on a co-ed floor. With women living right across the hall, we weren’t restricted like other schools. We quickly adapted to our new home and soon became a family.

The following year I resided in 225, which was the first year being part of the campus, so it was awesome. Everything was brand new; it was definitely an upgrade from Schweitzer. I went from living in a little room to a spacious, central-air suite. Living in 225 was a privilege because everybody wanted to hang out there and we threw a lot of get-togethers. I didn't have to share a bathroom with the whole building because we had our own bathrooms - the biggest plus for me. My time spent in 225 is certainly a time I’ll remember.

This year I live in one of the houses provided as dormitory. Being my senior year at BC, I decided I wanted to live in a single room. Living in a single on campus is a different experience because you don't have to be considerate of a roommate. You have fewer distractions because you don’t have to share your space. If I want I can blast the music at anytime or as loudly as I want - I don’t have to worry about my roommate sleeping or studying. The best part about having a single is the privacy and being able to have guests over whenever I please.

The whole dorming experience in college has been phenomenal. It has allowed me to make a lot of new friends and has given me a taste of what living on my own will be like. Most importantly, the whole experience has molded me into a responsible, mature young man.