Students who perform better academically and have a six per cent greater chance of successfully graduating from university. What do they have in common? They live in residence in their first year.

As a student housing professional, working in the field for more than a decade, I have seen the advantages of living in residence first-hand. The residence experience, particularly at Trent University, where living and learning are intertwined, results in a tangible and positive impact on how well students do in their courses in first year and sets them up for success throughout their time at university and beyond.

After months of being locked in to online learning at home and lots of quality time with their families, many students will be eager to branch out, leave home and fully immerse themselves in their first-year university experience this fall. And when combined with the academic benefits, the enriching atmosphere that residence life offers for students, grants parents the confidence to embrace this milestone moment as you support your student on this new chapter (perhaps while you also eye up that newly vacant bedroom for a new home office).

At Trent, our residences are built around collegiate communities – spaces and places where living and learning purposefully intersect. The new residence at our Durham GTA campus in Oshawa continues this long-standing tradition, built with student engagement and success in mind. Here, bright and spacious residence rooms, with all of the modern amenities, are just steps away from state-of-the-art academic spaces and areas designed specifically to encourage collaboration and connection, with fellow students as well as leading profs.

A place to live and learn    

Ask any residence life staffer, or former first-year student, and they will all say the same thing – in addition to the academic benefits and added convenience of living on campus, the residence experience is all about making friends, trying new things and finding your place in a welcoming and caring community. It is also a place to thrive and develop tenacity and life skills, as well as life-long memories and friendships.

For me, residence was also where I met my partner in life. Ten years later, we now have a wonderful family because of the opportunity to meet and grow, together, in residence at university. So, personally and professionally speaking, I can’t recommend residence enough.

The convenience factor

For parents who are keen to keep their students close, Trent Durham’s new residence offers the best of both worlds. For local students, our convenient location means weekend visits and home-cooked meals are close at hand. As an added bonus, with Trent’s all-in-one residence contracts, all amenities are included, meaning loads of laundry are done for free on campus (and not lugged home to mom and dad).

Join us on campus this fall

Applications are now open to live and learn at Trent Durham this September. Visit trentu.ca/housing/durham-residence to learn more about the benefits of living on campus, including special pricing on all single or double rooms for the 2021/22 academic year. Apply by June 1 to guarantee your room.

Shaun McCracken is the assistant director of Residence Operations and Services at Trent University.

This article originally appeared in Metroland Durham.