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On-campus Housing Benefits Students

On-campus Housing Benefits Students

Nearly 70% of students live on campus at Bethel, which increases community and complements their educational experience.

Each February, returning Bethel students decide whether they’ll live in on-campus housing or experience life as a commuter the following year. Many factors—including friends, family, and finances—influence their decision.

But as students make the choice this month, staff in the Office of Residence Life are quick to highlight the benefits of on-campus housing. Associate Dean of Students Jim Benjamin and Housing Coordinator Jodie Buchholz recently sat down and listed a few:

  • Living in 24/7 community
  • Better access to campus facilities and activities
  • Campus security available 24/7, with regular patrols and services
  • Live-in staff available to meet students’ needs
  • Saving money on amenities, including Internet, laundry, and utilities
  • Conveniences, including location (especially during the winter)
  • Nine-month leases (most rentals are year-round)
  • Variety of residence hall styles, including suites and apartments

Residence life at Bethel is an integral part of students’ educational experience. As a liberal arts university, Bethel helps students develop their full potential in all areas of life. “As we seek to become whole and holy people, we understand that learning opportunities don’t just happen in the classroom,” reads the philosophy statement for residence life. “At Bethel, the residence hall is more than just a place to sleep and study; it is a place to connect with people, which is one of the most significant aspects of the college experience. It is in the residences that social, spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual life blend together as in no other campus environment.”

Nearly 70% of Bethel traditional undergraduate students live on campus. Students in their first and second years of study are required to live in on-campus housing unless they’re living with family. Third- and fourth-year students are encouraged to stay on campus but they have the option of commuting as well.

Bethel has nine full-time resident directors who live in each residence hall and help guide the residential learning experience of students who live on campus. On the residence life website, each one states the number one reason they think students should live on campus. Edgren Hall Resident Director Katie Delgado says this: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in close, intentional, transformational community with your peers. You truly do life together, from eating meals to studying late at night to playing broomball to worshipping at Chapel—and you will never forget this season.”

Find out more about residence life at Bethel on their webpage.