Single dorm rooms have become a strong possibility for the University of Wyoming to accommodate the social distancing mandates to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, some students fear this will not provide the full “college experience” and they will lack some social interactions necessary to make friends.
According to Karen Bartsch, a professor in the Psychology Department for the past 28 years, research shows that social interactions contribute to language, social and cognitive developments as children grow up. Furthermore, elderly individuals are proven to have mental and physical benefits from some social interactions. In history there have been occurrences where adults go times without social interactions, though, the consequences are not researched as much as children or elderly individuals.
“As a species, we are social by nature, born into families in which offspring are typically cared for by older family members for many years,” stated Bartsch. “We know that infants and children who don’t experience a minimal level of warm and attentive care have poorer developmental outcomes. Parents sometimes worry about children who seem isolated and don’t have many friends, and psychological research shows that having friends is positively associated with desired attributes, such as social competence and academic success. That said, people differ as individuals with regard to their satisfaction with more or fewer social interactions.”
However, due to the challenging times ahead of everyone while stores, colleges and more start to open up, new research will occur to understand how social interactions, either via in person or virtually, have effects on adults and whether or not social distancing has effects as well. There have not yet been evident consequences for wearing a mask or staying six feet apart in regard to someone’s mental health, but Bartsch believes that college students especially will be capable of compensating for the lack of interactions through social media and other technologies.
“Social distancing is not natural for most humans and may be especially challenging for adolescents and emerging adults who are typically becoming more independent from family even as they search out new social connections,” stated Bartsch.
Bartsch also speaks on the single dorm room possibility and how that could possibly affect incoming freshman. She states that she had two children go through college hoping for a single room when they were picking out dorm rooms as opposed to having a roommate, as Bartsch had done as well when she was going through college. Bartsch explains that sharing a dorm room can be a surprising challenge for students who had never before shared a bedroom especially in such small quarters. However, she also states that having roommates is a great way for freshman to start making friends but knows people can be very adaptive when necessary.
“I think the talk about going to single dorms is scary because I have never lived completely alone,” stated incoming freshman Madeline Bane. “Especially since I will be training and going to class with the same people, it is sad that we couldn’t just room together as well.”
Bane comes from Lewis Palmer in Colorado, plans on studying Kinesiology due to her fascination with the human body, and chose the University of Wyoming for a couple reasons. First, she loves the swimming program and the team, and she is excited to start training with them. Also, she loves the atmosphere of the college with the down to earth people here in Laramie. However, Bane expressing some concern in being able to get to know those down to earth individuals now that social distancing via single rooms is being talked about.
“I think I can still make friends, but I am usually a little bit shy so having a roommate would have pushed me to get myself out there and get to know someone,” stated Bane. “Now I have to find ways to engage without that initial foundation or connection.”
An important part of the first couple of weeks as a freshman is finding friends to socialize, share meals with, study with and much more. For most freshman, their roommate is their first friend or floor mates become first friends. With single rooms and other social distancing requirements, how are students supposed to make those necessary friendships to carry them through college?
Everyone is having to step up and step out of their little bubbles in order to maintain healthy habits concerning social distancing and hand washing, and healthy habits concerning social interactions for mental stability. The incoming freshman at the University of Wyoming, and any other college that will have single dorm rooms, will have a harder time than past classes in getting settled and making friends.
