During the academic year, over 800 students are housed on campus at Grand View University (GVU). From local to international students, GVU residence halls are filled. Then the question arises, what happens in the summer time? The campus gets quieter, feels slower but students have the option to stay on campus if they choose.
GVU offers a range of housing options during the summer for different price points. From $13 a day in a traditional dorm, to $22 a day in the apartments, there are options for anyone who chooses summer living. Students can also choose the duration of their stay and are not committed for the whole summer. This is why the rate is by day to make it easier to be flexible.
There are many reasons why students may choose to live on campus in the summer. Some have internships, summer classes, jobs or are simply wanting more independence. This is very convenient for students who have commitments on campus but do not live close. This cuts out trying to find a three month lease for the summer and moving all your things back and forth constantly.
While on campus students still have access to many of the same things they have during the school year. The essentials like internet and laundry of course. Students also receive a declining balance to use in the GV Express depending on the duration of the stay. In addition they also have access to the wellness center facilities during this time.
Another nice thing about summer living is that housing does their best to put you into the room you will be in for fall, so you do not have to go through the trouble of moving, when the fall semester rolls around. This is especially nice if you live on campus starting directly after the last school year so you never have to haul everything home and back.
GVU housing director, Jaquelin Alberto has only been in this role for five months.
“I think that there are a lot of opportunities on campus for work study to do over the summer. I mean, Des Moines, you’re in the city, you get to have other opportunities to make money around the area. So it’s a really nice area to be able to commute to and I think it’s just a good area to kind of be at home base,” Alberto said.
Summer housing is also a fantastic opportunity to experience truly living on your own and working. There are not any events happening, no classes to go to and not the usual crowd. Students are living on their own and doing whatever commitments they have whether that is work or an internship. It is experiencing true independence.
This allows students to gradually transition into what post grad life may look like while still having the support of being on campus. Hannah Brandt has lived on campus for a summer and is returning for this summer.
“I also like staying here because I like to keep my independence from being at home. Also get new connections with the interns that move in,” Brandt said.
You make your own schedule and free time is spent on whatever you want rather than school or sports. It is also a great opportunity to just explore Des Moines and enjoy it.
When it comes to roommates, there are many different opportunities. Students can choose a roommate or may be paired with a random GVU student or local intern. Local businesses and companies offer many internship opportunities over the summer in Des Moines.
Alberto said, “We partner with a lot of businesses in the Des Moines area.”
These internships are often advertised to include housing accommodations and that is where GVU comes in. These businesses reach out to campus and partner with them to house their interns since there are many open rooms during the summer. If students choose campus living with no chosen roommates, there is a good chance that they will be placed in a unit alongside one of these interns. It is up to students to either make friends with them or to stay civil roommates.
“At first you get your own space and then an intern moves in and they’re really nice,” Brandt said.
Living on campus in the summer is less about the traditional college experience and more about transition. It is a space between semesters and even stages of life. It offers independence without isolation and structure without pressure. By the time August comes and the campus begins to fill again, it will feel more like home and it will be time to conquer another school year.
