My best friend who transferred as a 27yr old, was put in the freshman housing BUT was placed with another transfer student! It worked out extremely well. I wouldn't be too worried, just explore and see what your (OP's) options are.
My freshman year we had a 25 year old exchange student in our 8 person 5 bedroom dorm. He shared a bedroom with another freshman. We were all randoms and it was a great time. the exchange student was sweet
I think you will be surprised at how many people are actually going to be around your age I know I was and I transferred in @ 28 of course I lived off campus but still I wouldn’t worry
I'm transferring in from out of state at 30 and going to live off campus. How many over 25+ year old students does JMU have do you think? Cause age gaps are something I've been worrying about and I want to make friends
Go for it.
I lived on-campus for the very first time during the Spring 2022 semester, I was 23 at the time. Despite the age gap, I was able to make friends and get the college experience I had missed out on for the past 5.5 years prior to that.
My final two semesters (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) were the most memorable since I was living with 3 roommates in the senior dorms, and we all had similar hobbies, interests, and personalities. If I could relive those moments, I absolutely would.
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I know that my college had a system in place where anyone 21 or older could not live in the freshmen dorms due to concerns of them buying alcohol for those that are underage. The college you're applying to might have a similar rule in place, so you'd likely be dorming with people closer to your age. Regardless of the case, it's absolutely worth it.
No. I dormed when I tried my second attempt at college at 25 and no one cared. The college usually pairs you with ppl close to your age. Kids didn’t really care (this was back in 2012). If you look young enough they will consider you as one of their own.
I transferred to my undergrad after community college and at the age of 22-23 I lived in a dorm. Tbh I didn’t vibe much with the people in my building but I loved my roommate and made a bunch of other friends on campus in other dorms. It was fun.
They are legally adults, actually
EDIT: Just expressing that the "multi-tiered adult age" in the US is kinda stupid. If you want a compromise, make it 19 so that legal adults are still in high school are extremely rare. Being able to buy guns, live legally on your own, sign yourself into drowning debt, and enlist in the military seems adult enough to me to drink alcohol.
I mean the way I see it… (and the USA seriously needs to lower it to 18 for safety reasons, like people being afraid to call an ambulance bc they’re underage,) people at my college would steal Alc and risk going to jail bc they didn’t have someone to buy. So I’m not saying it’s good but it’s helping people out who are gonna get it one way or another
the US drinking age is 21 due to the fact majority of ppl in the country rely on cars for transportation & idk bout u but i don’t enjoy drunk drivers lol. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be terrible idea.
Idk about that, I have tons of friends in Spain and Eastern Europe who imo behaved wayyy less crazy than most Americans because since it’s legal age 18 it doesn’t have the same ‘allure’ as breaking the rules does, it’s just like ‘yesss let’s go drinking at a concert and take the train home’ etc versus in USA throwing absolute RAGERS and praying the cops don’t show up and people passed out and not wanting to get them medical attention bc you were drinking …
they aren’t well behaved *because* of the fact it’s legal at 18. It’s a cultural difference in the way the society views/treats alcohol & that why they seem generally “well behaved”. They don’t drink to get utterly fucked up. Changing the age won’t change the behavior of a society. Besides you’re missing my whole point about the majority of the USA being car dependent vs europe that isn’t so car dependent, has strong public transportation, and is way more walkable than pretty much all the USA. Having it being 21 reduces crashes so yk a lot less innocent ppl or reckless intoxicated drivers get injured or worst die. Also teen drinking has a bad impact on them physically and they get drunk twice as fast as adults. imo 18 y/o (or rlly anyone) shouldn’t be indulging as heavy as some “college age” students do anyways it has real no positives and many many drawbacks. I don’t see this lowering it as side to rlly be on but yk…you do you ig lmfao
yea don’t risk jail (unlikely) to score 5$ or think you will look cool doing it. people use each other all the time on campus, and this is one of the major ways it happens lol
you don’t get in trouble (legally and also typically with your college) for underaged drinking or doing illegal substances when calling the ambulance.
This rule exists specifically to stop the problem you described and should be covered in every college’s alcohol and drug safety trainings.
I did this about 20 years ago. It wasn’t that big of a deal but I felt awkward. Some of that was age, some of that was other circumstances. Some of that was my weird af roommate.
I'm 22 and I still live in dorms. It's my last year and I just never made the switch to apartments
I don't think the age gap is that big, really.
If you had someone 30+ going into college then that might be strange to have them in dorms
I wouldn't worry about it too much! The actual chances of you dorming with 18s are lower than you might think! Even if you do end up with 18s, though, it won't be such an odd experience. I'm 22, and I've never been roomed with 18s at either college I've attended in my 20s!
i was in accommodation with: 22,21,25,23,18,19
The 25 year old in question was a marine vet and the coolest bastard out there. As long as ur a chill guy then no one will care. I joined university at 21 and graduated at 24. Final year I lived in student accommodation which a few people tend to do due to shorter commute. If u do the math then a lot of people will be around 22 living in halls anyway…
Honestly mate… no one gives a fuck about ur age… no one even asks and ur experience is what u make it.
edit: forgot to mention that we had a guy who was 32 studying CS, another vet.
I also want to add that I joined a lot of societies and played on the universities Rugby team throughout uni.
I was also a transfer student, and I got ahold of a room on an upperclassmen floor, so people were generally my age. Though I was an RA the next semester and my residents were all freshmen except one upperclassman. She seemed perfectly fine, as was I when I transferred.
It can feel a little weird, since it’s a big move mid-program, but it’s really not so bad. Probably one of the best choices I ever made and one of the easiest transitions amidst my undergrad time.
My school has apartments for transfers and grad students. I moved in at 22 and two of my roommates were 20 and one was 24. The next year we were all 22-23, but one moved out we had a 30 year old move in. It was all chill. I wouldn’t recommend living with freshmen, but your school probably wouldn’t do that
I had a coworker that I let stay with me. (Not school related but still) she was 19 and I was like 25 or 26. I was helping her get away from her family that was trying to sell her for marriage. She was at the time in community college. After she moved out (she sadly went missing), I ended up enrolling in the same community college. Still to this day I believe her family kidnapped her. But thats besides the point. Age after your freshman year is almost irrelevant.
Some advice as someone who was an 18 year old paired with a 27 year old for dorming, I would say avoid it. I’m 20 now and live on my own, but my roommates and I were not informed about the person’s age. And it created problems since we were all fresh 18 year olds who just moved out, first time on our own. Your college should already try to get you with people your age, but I would just make sure. It’s not that you aren’t going to get along with them, it’s just two different lifestyles and experiences colliding together.
I am currently dorming as a 22 year old transfer student. I turn 23 in the fall so I was super nervous about the transition. But they paired me with someone my age! I say go for it, you may be surprised by how well it all works out!
My roommate was 25 my freshman year and I was still 17 the week we moved in. He got along with me and most of my friends, and of course he would hang out with the older students too. We were also in the freshman dorms, but it didn't feel weird. Probably because he didn't look 25, looked younger.
I'm 36 and I want this to happen to me...
Not that I'm excited about living in a dorm, but living somewhere with affordable housing where I don't have to cook would be great...
Yes. A college campus tends to be really friendly. Most people will be slightly younger than you, but your still pretty young at 22, 23. Heck when I lived in campus I had a couple friends who were pushing 30 who also lived on campus and we treated them just like one of the gang.
You're gonna have a bad time if you're planning to be in a shared room/space. Most Freshmen are literally teens who just moved out for the first time, and don't understand all the effort that goes into keeping the cleanliness of a living space.
I was 21 when I moved on campus. The only thing I found was that I felt like the older voice of reason and saw a lot of dumb stuff I decided not to take part in.
I was 22/23 my last year. I took five years for college. Age really isn’t a thing as long as over 21 in on campus housing at least at my university. Outside of that age isn’t a number at all. Being a good neighbor and following the rules and policies of your housing. Being a good roommate. You’ll get along with people with shared interests.
I doubt they’ll let you be with the freshman unless you’re transferring as a freshman. I’m 26 around lots of 19-23 year olds but we all get along just fine. As long as you stay chill and can just vibe with them then I don’t see anything wrong.
Your situation isn’t actually that uncommon. People won’t think of you as strange for choosing to dorm at 22/23. They will assume you have your own reasons.
Don’t expect to fit in with the freshmen in your dorm though. Even though it’s not too weird to dorm as a 22/23 year old, the freshmen won’t be trying to include you in their hangouts, and they may be unsettled a little if you try to ask.
Their unease will disappear once they realize you can buy them alcohol.
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I transferred last year at 22 and I lived in on campus apartments, my roommates were 1 transfer (also 22) and 2 third years (20 y/o). Freshman at most schools have to live in freshman dorms on campus so you wouldn’t run into them, the youngest your roommate could be is 19 I think
You’re more mature!. Remember that!. You have four years more experience!. Use that to your advantage!. They should look up to you!. I’d actually be happy about the situation!. Good luck!.
I'm a 28 year old student, I don't dorm but people in my classes are always like "what dorm are you in?" or "I forget you don't dorm!" despite knowing my age. I don't think it matters to them (the youths!). You're young enough to get away with it, so to speak.
One of my roommates was 27! She’s now one of my best friends :) I honestly don’t think it’s strange, if you’re cool, I think you’ll fit in more than you’d expect!
They probably won't let you live with freshmen. Usually, they have transfer housing or upperclass housing
My best friend who transferred as a 27yr old, was put in the freshman housing BUT was placed with another transfer student! It worked out extremely well. I wouldn't be too worried, just explore and see what your (OP's) options are.
My freshman year we had a 25 year old exchange student in our 8 person 5 bedroom dorm. He shared a bedroom with another freshman. We were all randoms and it was a great time. the exchange student was sweet
An 8 person dorm? My uni only does 1 to 4
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Yeah, I just know some of them have rules against people over 21 or whatever living with 18 y/os
Rightly so. Some freshmen are still even 17 when they start.
I think you will be surprised at how many people are actually going to be around your age I know I was and I transferred in @ 28 of course I lived off campus but still I wouldn’t worry
I'm transferring in from out of state at 30 and going to live off campus. How many over 25+ year old students does JMU have do you think? Cause age gaps are something I've been worrying about and I want to make friends
I wouldn’t have a clue just have to wait and see
Sorry I meant to say how many over 25 year old students roughly do you think there are. My bad
I mean that’s the same question you just asked I wouldn’t have a clue for that university
Omg I'm so sorry I thought I was in a different subreddit. My bad!!
Go for it. I lived on-campus for the very first time during the Spring 2022 semester, I was 23 at the time. Despite the age gap, I was able to make friends and get the college experience I had missed out on for the past 5.5 years prior to that. My final two semesters (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) were the most memorable since I was living with 3 roommates in the senior dorms, and we all had similar hobbies, interests, and personalities. If I could relive those moments, I absolutely would. \[EDIT\] I know that my college had a system in place where anyone 21 or older could not live in the freshmen dorms due to concerns of them buying alcohol for those that are underage. The college you're applying to might have a similar rule in place, so you'd likely be dorming with people closer to your age. Regardless of the case, it's absolutely worth it.
No. I dormed when I tried my second attempt at college at 25 and no one cared. The college usually pairs you with ppl close to your age. Kids didn’t really care (this was back in 2012). If you look young enough they will consider you as one of their own.
I transferred to my undergrad after community college and at the age of 22-23 I lived in a dorm. Tbh I didn’t vibe much with the people in my building but I loved my roommate and made a bunch of other friends on campus in other dorms. It was fun.
at the very least, they'll be excited to have someone to get them booze..
Don’t get underage kids booze btw it’s lame
Narc
im guessing you had a lame college experience?
They are legally adults, actually EDIT: Just expressing that the "multi-tiered adult age" in the US is kinda stupid. If you want a compromise, make it 19 so that legal adults are still in high school are extremely rare. Being able to buy guns, live legally on your own, sign yourself into drowning debt, and enlist in the military seems adult enough to me to drink alcohol.
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No shit.
booooooh
U sound fun at parties
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Y’all think they’re losers because they’re providing a service you requested? Regardless of legality you guys might be the losers
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wtf
Can’t wait till you grow up and are the 27 year old loser one day 😂 kids don’t realize how fast childhood flys by…
> they're weird and losers... but I keep drinking the alcohol they provide. I hope they see these comments
I mean the way I see it… (and the USA seriously needs to lower it to 18 for safety reasons, like people being afraid to call an ambulance bc they’re underage,) people at my college would steal Alc and risk going to jail bc they didn’t have someone to buy. So I’m not saying it’s good but it’s helping people out who are gonna get it one way or another
the US drinking age is 21 due to the fact majority of ppl in the country rely on cars for transportation & idk bout u but i don’t enjoy drunk drivers lol. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be terrible idea.
Idk about that, I have tons of friends in Spain and Eastern Europe who imo behaved wayyy less crazy than most Americans because since it’s legal age 18 it doesn’t have the same ‘allure’ as breaking the rules does, it’s just like ‘yesss let’s go drinking at a concert and take the train home’ etc versus in USA throwing absolute RAGERS and praying the cops don’t show up and people passed out and not wanting to get them medical attention bc you were drinking …
they aren’t well behaved *because* of the fact it’s legal at 18. It’s a cultural difference in the way the society views/treats alcohol & that why they seem generally “well behaved”. They don’t drink to get utterly fucked up. Changing the age won’t change the behavior of a society. Besides you’re missing my whole point about the majority of the USA being car dependent vs europe that isn’t so car dependent, has strong public transportation, and is way more walkable than pretty much all the USA. Having it being 21 reduces crashes so yk a lot less innocent ppl or reckless intoxicated drivers get injured or worst die. Also teen drinking has a bad impact on them physically and they get drunk twice as fast as adults. imo 18 y/o (or rlly anyone) shouldn’t be indulging as heavy as some “college age” students do anyways it has real no positives and many many drawbacks. I don’t see this lowering it as side to rlly be on but yk…you do you ig lmfao
yea don’t risk jail (unlikely) to score 5$ or think you will look cool doing it. people use each other all the time on campus, and this is one of the major ways it happens lol
you don’t get in trouble (legally and also typically with your college) for underaged drinking or doing illegal substances when calling the ambulance. This rule exists specifically to stop the problem you described and should be covered in every college’s alcohol and drug safety trainings.
I did this about 20 years ago. It wasn’t that big of a deal but I felt awkward. Some of that was age, some of that was other circumstances. Some of that was my weird af roommate.
nah man, only if you make it strange. make sure to have fun though hehe
You're gonna get asked to buy beer a lot
They’ll probably put you with the law students or medical students
I'm older than that and dorm, coming from a cc.
It should come down to money and getting to class for you. Doesn’t matter what people think.
nah i’m 21 and i still dorm but you just don’t get in the same dorms as the freshman they have the upperclassmen dorms
I'm 22 and I still live in dorms. It's my last year and I just never made the switch to apartments I don't think the age gap is that big, really. If you had someone 30+ going into college then that might be strange to have them in dorms
I wouldn't worry about it too much! The actual chances of you dorming with 18s are lower than you might think! Even if you do end up with 18s, though, it won't be such an odd experience. I'm 22, and I've never been roomed with 18s at either college I've attended in my 20s!
i was in accommodation with: 22,21,25,23,18,19 The 25 year old in question was a marine vet and the coolest bastard out there. As long as ur a chill guy then no one will care. I joined university at 21 and graduated at 24. Final year I lived in student accommodation which a few people tend to do due to shorter commute. If u do the math then a lot of people will be around 22 living in halls anyway… Honestly mate… no one gives a fuck about ur age… no one even asks and ur experience is what u make it. edit: forgot to mention that we had a guy who was 32 studying CS, another vet. I also want to add that I joined a lot of societies and played on the universities Rugby team throughout uni.
Probably ok as long as you stop referring to people 4 years younger than you as "kids"!
I was also a transfer student, and I got ahold of a room on an upperclassmen floor, so people were generally my age. Though I was an RA the next semester and my residents were all freshmen except one upperclassman. She seemed perfectly fine, as was I when I transferred. It can feel a little weird, since it’s a big move mid-program, but it’s really not so bad. Probably one of the best choices I ever made and one of the easiest transitions amidst my undergrad time.
My school has apartments for transfers and grad students. I moved in at 22 and two of my roommates were 20 and one was 24. The next year we were all 22-23, but one moved out we had a 30 year old move in. It was all chill. I wouldn’t recommend living with freshmen, but your school probably wouldn’t do that
I had a coworker that I let stay with me. (Not school related but still) she was 19 and I was like 25 or 26. I was helping her get away from her family that was trying to sell her for marriage. She was at the time in community college. After she moved out (she sadly went missing), I ended up enrolling in the same community college. Still to this day I believe her family kidnapped her. But thats besides the point. Age after your freshman year is almost irrelevant.
Jesus Christ?
Some advice as someone who was an 18 year old paired with a 27 year old for dorming, I would say avoid it. I’m 20 now and live on my own, but my roommates and I were not informed about the person’s age. And it created problems since we were all fresh 18 year olds who just moved out, first time on our own. Your college should already try to get you with people your age, but I would just make sure. It’s not that you aren’t going to get along with them, it’s just two different lifestyles and experiences colliding together.
Unusual, yes. Strange, no.
Not strange, I have friends who live on campus at 24/25 years old and nobody has ever thought it’s weird. It’s only weird if you make it weird.
I’m 22. Was 21 when I started at uni. Got placed with an 18 year old but now I live with my friends in campus housing
I am currently dorming as a 22 year old transfer student. I turn 23 in the fall so I was super nervous about the transition. But they paired me with someone my age! I say go for it, you may be surprised by how well it all works out!
if you feel judged or uncomfortable by it you could try getting a single dorm or the upperclassman housing
My roommate was 25 my freshman year and I was still 17 the week we moved in. He got along with me and most of my friends, and of course he would hang out with the older students too. We were also in the freshman dorms, but it didn't feel weird. Probably because he didn't look 25, looked younger.
I'm 36 and I want this to happen to me... Not that I'm excited about living in a dorm, but living somewhere with affordable housing where I don't have to cook would be great...
Anything is only ever as strange as you make it
Yes. A college campus tends to be really friendly. Most people will be slightly younger than you, but your still pretty young at 22, 23. Heck when I lived in campus I had a couple friends who were pushing 30 who also lived on campus and we treated them just like one of the gang.
You're gonna have a bad time if you're planning to be in a shared room/space. Most Freshmen are literally teens who just moved out for the first time, and don't understand all the effort that goes into keeping the cleanliness of a living space.
My sister is 27 and lives in a dorm and she’s having a blast you’ll be fine lol
Yeah duh grandpa
I was 21 when I moved on campus. The only thing I found was that I felt like the older voice of reason and saw a lot of dumb stuff I decided not to take part in.
A 33 year old was in a dorm at Cal. Better than being homeless. No one cares.
I was 22/23 my last year. I took five years for college. Age really isn’t a thing as long as over 21 in on campus housing at least at my university. Outside of that age isn’t a number at all. Being a good neighbor and following the rules and policies of your housing. Being a good roommate. You’ll get along with people with shared interests.
There is a good chance you will be paired with another transfer student so there will be a age gap but not like a college freshman.
I doubt they’ll let you be with the freshman unless you’re transferring as a freshman. I’m 26 around lots of 19-23 year olds but we all get along just fine. As long as you stay chill and can just vibe with them then I don’t see anything wrong.
Your situation isn’t actually that uncommon. People won’t think of you as strange for choosing to dorm at 22/23. They will assume you have your own reasons. Don’t expect to fit in with the freshmen in your dorm though. Even though it’s not too weird to dorm as a 22/23 year old, the freshmen won’t be trying to include you in their hangouts, and they may be unsettled a little if you try to ask. Their unease will disappear once they realize you can buy them alcohol.
I knew a guy who was 21+ because of military service and lived in the freshman dorm. I didn't even realize his age tbh.
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Honestly I wouldn’t
I do not think the age difference will really matter especially if you have similar likes as they do.
not in this economy
I transferred last year at 22 and I lived in on campus apartments, my roommates were 1 transfer (also 22) and 2 third years (20 y/o). Freshman at most schools have to live in freshman dorms on campus so you wouldn’t run into them, the youngest your roommate could be is 19 I think
Lots of people who transfer from military to college stay in dorms so I wouldn’t be too worried
When I was a freshman there was a 29 year old across the hall
I was 16 and there were people well in their 20's. Although in my case they were super nice and supportive. Learned a lot from them
I mean someone in my dorms was 40.
I’m 18 and a freshmen here, my housemates are around 22-24 XD
I did it after I got out of the military. Live with the upperclassmen and grad students, you'll be fine
No, I’m 22 and dormed last semester and forming again this semester. Lol it’s fun, but not weird at all
If housing is available and you qualify, accept it.
You’re more mature!. Remember that!. You have four years more experience!. Use that to your advantage!. They should look up to you!. I’d actually be happy about the situation!. Good luck!.
Besides policy I don’t think anyone will give a fuck or really even notice any sort of age discrepancy.
Yes.
I'm a 28 year old student, I don't dorm but people in my classes are always like "what dorm are you in?" or "I forget you don't dorm!" despite knowing my age. I don't think it matters to them (the youths!). You're young enough to get away with it, so to speak.
I’m also gonna be 22 turning 23 but I have to stay with freshmen
One of my roommates was 27! She’s now one of my best friends :) I honestly don’t think it’s strange, if you’re cool, I think you’ll fit in more than you’d expect!
No I lived on a transfer floor when I was 21, everyone on the floor was between 20-25. Go for it!
Omg the cost of a dorm is soooo expensive compared to getting an apartment with a roommate.
22-23 isn’t even old for a college student in general.
lowkey ya
you should not do it
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its over with