University Housing Mandatory?

[stubuzz]

My daughter has enrolled in the local university (10 minutes from home), but their Faculty of Education is on another campus 15 minutes away. However, there is a shuttle bus to and fro several times a day. Now, she has been told that as she is a first year she has to stay in the university housing on the Education Campus. The only reason the teacher can provide as to why, is that sometimes there are activities that go on until late.

As our home is only about 12km away from the Education Campus, I am calling BS on this and I think it is just a money grab.

[Crossy]

10 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

and I think it is just a money grab.

 

It may well be, but it's also a good opportunity for her to bond with her course-mates and be a good grounding in "independent" living.

 

Is the cost really that prohibitive?

 

 

[stubuzz]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Is the cost really that prohibitive?

No. I am annoyed at Universities' inability to give any logical reason as to why dormitories are mandatory and to only mention it after the fees are paid.

[Crossy]

This ^^^ I understand 100%.

 

Long, long ago when I was at uni. I would go home each weekend; it was only an hour on the bike (Suzuki GT250 - did I say it was a while back).

 

After a few months it became, every other week, then once a month, then mum would call and ask if I was coming home this year!

 

 

[Callmeishmael]

I lived 5 miles from the University I attended and could get to school easily by motorcycle or even bicycle.  However, all freshmen were required to live on campus.

[JimHuaHin]

I agree with the earlier comment on making friends and bonding.

 

However, ... my ex-Thai gf's daughter was accepted into a university about 800 kms away.  Soon after being accepted she joined a Facebook group of other "new" students, and by the time we (ex gf and I) took her to the university, and dormitory, she had about 200 FB friends.

 

My ex-gf was told by a university official that it was policy that all first year students stay on campus.   I asked why - it is policy, replied ex-gf; no more discussion was permitted.

 

After a few months in the dormitory, she (the daughter) and two gfs moved into an apartment, as did many of her friends.

[KhunLA]

Agree with OP, if policy, then probably a money grab.   Daughter applied/accepted to a few, and no such requirement.  Or was there even enough housing for all.  Some of housing was disguising, and she wouldn't even consider staying there.  I don't remember her liking any of the dorms that she saw.

 

When at Uni, she visited the housing and as expected, party party, drugs & alcohol, which she was not into at all.

[stubuzz]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Some of housing was disguising, and she wouldn't even consider staying there.  I don't remember her liking any of the dorms that she saw.

 

When at Uni, she visited the housing and as expected, party party, drugs & alcohol, which she was not into at all.

This is one of my concerns.

 

2 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

My ex-gf was told by a university official that it was policy that all first year students stay on campus.   I asked why - it is policy, replied ex-gf; no more discussion was permitted.

As I am not Thai, I would not have accepted this response and would have questioned the official myself. I am not worried if they lose face.

 

Furthermore, when my daughter questioned the "teacher" about staying in the dormitory, the first question she asked was "Where do you live now?". Asking this leads me to believe that campus housing is not mandatory.

[stubuzz]

I have just spoken to the idiot teacher about the faculty accommodation. I told her that the accommodation is not acceptable as it is like a prison cell with metal bunk beds- four to a room. Then, she told me that 1st-year students must stay on campus because sometimes they have to stay late for activities like "Wai Phra". I told her not to worry as my daughter is a Christian. Furthermore, she could not tell approximately what time the activities finished. I reminded her that there is a shuttle bus from the campus to the city center all day and into the early evening. 

I then asked if we could find a room outside of the campus to which she replied "Yes.". This destroys the idea of staying in the dorm as mandatory. 

[roo860]

3 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

I have just spoken to the idiot teacher about the faculty accommodation. I told her that the accommodation is not acceptable as it is like a prison cell with metal bunk beds- four to a room. Then, she told me that 1st-year students must stay on campus because sometimes they have to stay late for activities like "Wai Phra". I told her not to worry as my daughter is a Christian. Furthermore, she could not tell approximately what time the activities finished. I reminded her that there is a shuttle bus from the campus to the city center all day and into the early evening. 

I then asked if we could find a room outside of the campus to which she replied "Yes.". This destroys the idea of staying in the dorm as mandatory. 

Well done!!! Too many Thai parents accept these rules from these 'teachers'.

[DavisH]

On 2/24/2024 at 5:11 PM, stubuzz said:

No. I am annoyed at Universities' inability to give any logical reason as to why dormitories are mandatory and to only mention it after the fees are paid.

Good luck with that! We can't get any kind of reasoning out of our school for whatever inane rules they can come up with. Asking questions that start with "why" are not dealt with well by most Thais. 

[youreavinalaff]

1 hour ago, DavisH said:

Good luck with that! We can't get any kind of reasoning out of our school for whatever inane rules they can come up with. Asking questions that start with "why" are not dealt with well by most Thais. 

It depends how you approach it.

 

Do you ask the questions yourself? Do you speak Thai? If not, do you ask your wife to ask?( Thais generally don't like to question officialdom).

 

Throughout my daughter's time at school, she always attended Thai government schools, there were a few instances where I had to question the process. 

 

I went in by myself, spoke Thai and was firm but polite. I always got a result.

 

The way to do it is to question, give alternative ideas and then proceed to turn the tables and convince the teacher/official your idea was their idea all along. Job done.

[Rhys]

 At a certain Southern University, it is a joke with student housing and policies..