For some juniors and seniors, staying in the dorms is less about nostalgia and more about necessity. Rising rent, tight housing availability and the convenience of bundled costs make on-campus living an appealing or unavoidable option. Others cite proximity to classrooms, campus jobs and community as reasons to remain in university housing, even as many of their peers trade keycards for apartment leases.

For computer science senior Orlando Flounory, who has worked as a resident assistant for three years, the decision to stay on campus past his second year was born purely out of convenience.

“Being older in age, as well as my status as an upperclassman, it kind of rubs down on them and their behaviors and the vibe they come in (with),” Flounory said. “Freshmen come in fresh; they are coming from different environments. They kind of don't know what to expect to this point, so they start to pick up on the environment around them and try to replicate it just a bit.”

Since RAs receive free housing as part of the gig, Flounory said living in a dorm has been easier than alternatives like renting an apartment or house.

“Once you're out there in apartment living and you get into the finances of it, it just becomes so much more difficult because that's when you really start experiencing those real struggles as an adult,” Flounory said.

Approximately 2,200 spaces are held for juniors and seniors in halls and apartments, with 2,335 living in those spaces, said Bethany Balks, the associate director for communications and outreach for MSU’s Residence Education and Housing Services, citing data from Fall 2025.

For neuroscience sophomore Shrinidhi Pola, a resident of Holmes Hall, her positive experience with dorm life, from having a good roommate to a dining plan she’s satisfied with, has led her to choose to stay on campus next year.

“Me and my roommate actually wanted to stay in Holmes Hall next year, but they didn't have any more spaces left, so we kind of had to choose Owen Hall, which kind of worked out because it's a single,” Pola said. “The fact that it's a little bit more expensive than living in a double was something that we had to kind of deal with because there just weren't enough spots.”

As advice for incoming and current students who are thinking about sticking to the dorms, Pola said they should plan ahead of time.

“Know what all your options,” Pola said. “If you do want to have a roommate — this applies for all year — I think it's really important to know what your plan is ahead of time because if you decide not to stay on campus, being off campus is a whole other level of planning.”

Zoology sophomore Ann Joseph described her experience living on campus at MSU as “very positive,” emphasizing the convenience of on-campus housing. It was particularly helpful as an out-of-state student from New York who was unfamiliar with both Michigan and the East Lansing area when she arrived, Joseph said, which was a factor in deciding whether to continue living on campus or not.

“One of the main kinds of reasons for that really just comes down to convenience for me,” Joseph said, adding that she doesn't have easy access to a car.

Joseph said students who are thinking about staying on campus their next academic year should plan ahead of time, among other things.

“Because MSU does require you to stay on campus for your first two years, I do think you should take it really seriously in terms of where you want to live, who you want to live with,” Joseph said. “I think when you're living in a double dorm, it can really make or break your experience.”