The high-end world of student living can include jacuzzis, sand volleyball, and a more adult lifestyle
With students settling in on campuses across the country this month, it didn?t take long for "dorm goals" to become an online distraction. Images of Ole Miss freshman roommates Lindy Goodson and Abby Bozeman showing off their redecorated dorm room?filled with over-the-top style and white carpeting that resembles a pile of cotton balls?went from Buzzfeed to viral hit last week. While it may be easy to laugh, the two dorm decorators aren?t necessarily outliers in terms of making a greater investment in their campus living arrangements.
Dorm life, and college living, has experienced an upgrade over the last decade. Student expectations have risen, due in no small part to the rising cost of higher education, including an average $10,138 to $11,516 annually for room and board, according to the College Board. That can be enough for a condo or apartment near campus in many places, an increasingly common solution. This rising price tag means parents and their college-age kids are spending more on living expenses and dorm decor than ever before, while schools (and independent developers) are creating more high-tech, high-design dorms to provide a better college experience (and justify rising costs). The days of cinder block walls and drab dorms with bunk beds are making way for a style that could be described as "adult lite," with upgraded dorms on campu...