Are you a 21st century college student? Or you have been done with school since the 90s? Here are 14 interesting observations that both old and new students agree with:

  1.  Campuses are impressive for a reason.The look of the campus and its facilities are big selling points for many colleges: hotel-like swimming pools, state-of-the-art fitness centers, restaurants, movie theaters, game rooms, etc. Think resort features more than ivy-covered libraries and study halls.
  2. Graduation requirements are tougher. While you may be saving for four years of college, many schools have increased their graduation requirements so that five years is becoming the norm for some majors.
  3.  More girls go to college than boys.This is reflected in school populations where women are often the majority. 775,000 male students enroll in college each year; 1,575,000 female students enroll each year. While it’s nice to see the gains women have made, unfortunately, it can mean preferential treatment for men. If two applicants are equal, and one applicant is female and the other male, the school is more likely to choose the male applicant to try to even out the campus population.
  4. College is expensive.Really expensive. And you can’t just figure in tuition. You have to include cost of accommodation, meal plans, books, fees and more. 
  5. Dorm rooms are still ugly.Although most dorm rooms are still small and unimpressive, they almost all include microwave ovens and fridges. Most dorms also have full kitchens in their lounge areas as well as big screen TVs with cable. And the newer dorms, or those renovated within the last 10 years, tend to have bathrooms shared by suites of students, as opposed to one mega-bathroom for the whole floor to share. 
  6. Food is available on most campuses 24/7. Instead of the limited dining hours that college cafeterias used to adhere to, you can now find food service around the clock. And you can get your meal to go, if you’d like. Plenty of food choices too. It’s more like being on a cruise ship.
  7. Food franchises abound.The typical food franchises you expect to see in any densely populated area were once restricted to operating off campus. Not anymore. The most popular franchises now have locations right on campus and in the school cafeteria! 

(…to be continued next week)

Culled from Susan Green Copywriter