Abroad at BC: Dorm life disparity

I was telling my friend at home where I was living this semester when I realized how different dorm life at Boston College is than in Hong Kong.

It went something like this:

"I live in a townhouse-of-sorts on campus. It's pretty cool. I have my own backyard, space to grill, a picnic table, and even a fairly spacious common room downstairs. Only the townhouse isn't really a townhouse - it's more like a shack. Our claustrophobia-inducing two-man bedrooms have light switches that don't turn anything on. We also have a one-bathroom, one-toilet, one-shower set-up, which is nothing short of bizarre. However, it's a great place to tailgate before football games and such."

Then I had to explain tailgating.

To put things into perspective, Hong Kong residence halls are something like what BU has on Commonwealth Ave - the Towers. There are security guards in the lobby who restrict access into the halls, and most rooms are either singles or doubles. These rooms are more or less private spaces, however, as opposed to social areas. Hanging out is usually confined to common areas on each floor or simply outside of the residence halls, while the rooms are reserved for studying or just sleeping.

This is a far cry from the party-hopping scene we have in the Mods, or anywhere around the BC campus for that matter. No pre-gaming in the rooms or passing around red plastic cups, no backyards to tailgate in, and no themed dorm parties for Hong Kong students.

Unlike BC students, who simply walk next door (or across the lawn) to another party when their room has been partied dry, Hong Kong students party-hop from club to club. Granted, a large part of this cultural disparity is due to different legal drinking ages, but the differences certainly run deeper than just party habits.

While there is a lack of space in the city, Hong Kong students seem to like having their own private space, even if it's only a few dozen square feet. Visitors rarely enter dorm rooms, save for the significant other. On the other hand, we frequently have BC students setting up beer pong or flip cup in their bedrooms, often playing with complete strangers whose first name they will not remember until they receive a friend request the next day.

So why the discrepancy? Partly due to their location near the city, Hong Kong universities tend to lack a cohesive campus community. Most students also have to commute for both monetary and logistical reasons. In contrast, BC abides by the old adage where the school is close enough to the city to benefit from the entertainment it presents, yet far enough to not have campus life dissolve. BC's peculiar tradition of having seniors return to campus housing for their last year speaks to the strong campus community here.

I'm not sure what I like more - my room as a private space or as a game room, as I had not given it much thought until recently. The last time I was posed with the question, I simply ticked the box next to "private space" on my BC acceptance form (I also ticked the box next to "Newton Campus," because I thought it sounded cooler than "Upper." Go figure). While I really enjoy having my own personal space that I can retreat to and catch my breath after a long day, I do certainly enjoy meeting new people - trust me, a game of You Got Served can get you acquainted with everyone else on the table very quickly.