Whether university students, who are already adults, should be allowed to live in rented flats out of campus has been debated for some time. Recently the Ministry of Education has issued a formal document in which it expressed its approval. This naturally intensifies the debate. In my opinion, living on campus is much better than living away from universities because it helps students with their study, their life as well as their understanding of the society.
First of all, living on campus can help students study better. Those who prefer to live off campus usually say that living in a rented flat means that they can manage their own time without interruption from others, and this can help their study. These may be true; but by living on campus, students can stay closer to study facilities such as the library and language lab, thus getting more information and training. Besides, they can have more discussion and group activities, and this is very important to put knowledge to use.
Secondly, living on campus can help students live a richer life. Students who live off campus say that they can stay closer to shopping centers or cinemas, so they can enjoy a colorful life rather than the boring life at school. But this is wrong. Shopping or seeing movies is not the lifestyle suitable to students because they are distractive, time-consuming and expensive. On the other hand, there are a lot of facilities on campus which promise a colorful life. For example, on most campuses students can find cinemas, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. These facilities are less expensive or even free. Besides, there are usually some clubs on campus where students can learn from each other, but students can seldom do so if they live off campus.
Lastly, living on campus can help create real friendship. Students who prefer to live away from school argue that they can stay closer to society, meeting different kinds of people, and become more mature. But this again is a misconception. On the one hand, they cannot spend enough time on these people, therefore cannot really know them well enough. On the other hand, as university students are young, they should first learn to stay with people of similar age. By living in the same place for four years, students can learn to observe, understand, and deal with different kinds of contemporaries, and build real friendship with some of them. This is more important than staying with various residents in the same building.
There is no denying that university students are adults, and their freedom and rights should be respected. The recent decision of the Ministry of Education is exactly a case to the point. But considering the benefits on students' study, life and understanding of the society, I strongly suggest those who plan to live off campus to think before they leap. Anyway, for university students, university is their home, and as the saying goes, "East or west, home is the best".
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