Secondary Research: Textual Research

After researching my topic, I saw that I found a lot of great resourceful information. Being that I essentially live in my topic, it was not hard to conduct research. The most important information I found throughout my investigation of forming a community in a dorm was simply living in the dorm that I focused on. I was able to put my opinion easily into the essay along with that of others.

I interviewed someone who lives in my dorm, which enabled myself to share what others feel has happened since moving into Blanding Tower. She explained that she felt a sense of community soon after move in day and that knowing that she belongs to a group makes Blanding Tower seem more like home.

Online sources were not the best research tools for my investigation. I was able to find a bit of historical information on the University of Kentucky’s archive website. The website let me know when the first dormitory was built and the function that it served. I was astonished to find out that women accompanied men in the dorms shortly after they were built. I found out that the first on campus dorm was built directly after the Main Building and was where the students spent most of their time studying. Before I even began the essay, I was able to hear our university’s archivist speak; she even touched upon the first dorms on campus. It was neat to see a picture of what the first dorms looked like. Her speech helped me to better interpret what the purpose of the first dorms was; to have a place where students could go to study without having to live so far away.

Questions that I still have after my research are what was the name of the first dorm on our campus and whose idea was it to build a dormitory on campus? 

Primary Research: Interview

As another form of primary research I conducted an interview. I felt that it was necessary to interview someone that lives in Blanding Tower, not someone that resides in another on campus dorm. I interviewed a random girl by the name of Amanda. She lives on the 18^th floor. I first told her that the interview would be very informal and assured her that it was for an English paper. I also asked for her complete honesty to benefit my paper in the long run. Throughout the interview I asked simple questions given in the online guideline as well as a few that I made up. To make it easy, I will show word for word how the interview went:

Me: How has Blanding Tower impacted your life?

Amanda: It has been a source to meet new friends.

Me: How does Blanding Tower reflect the aspects of a community?

Amanda: Blanding Tower is a place where you and your friends can relax and spend time together.

Me: Do you feel as if Blanding Tower is a second home to you? Why or why not?

Amanda: I feel as if Blanding Tower is a temporary home for me because it is where I live and sleep and is where my personal items are kept.

Me: What are the pros and cons to living in Blanding Tower?

Amanda: Pros: It is a safe living environment and many of my friends live there Cons: There are limited hours of visitation, and you have to check a guest in every time they enter the premises.

Me: What would you change about this place?

Amanda: I would change the check in policy so that you didn’t have to check a guest in ever. I would also make the closets bigger.

After the interview, I went back and looked over what was said between Amanda and myself. I noticed that as a whole, Blanding Tower is a new, important aspect of her life. I agreed with her that the space could be bigger and that it is not always the cleanest surrounding, but it serves as a good home away from home. Most importantly the interview helped me to get another point of view about Blanding Tower as a community. She explained to me that the Tower has brought many different people together and has given her many new friendships that will last forever. 

Primary Research: Observation

The place that I am investigating is Blanding Tower. My trip is an every day occurrence, since I live in the Tower. I come and go frequently, whether going to class, the gym, or out for the night. I see many different kinds of people and know that every person who resides in Blanding Tower has their own uniqueness. My trip began August 16^th when I first moved into Blanding Tower. Because it was sorority recruitment week, not many people were moved in, but I still was able to grasp a sense of what my life would be like in the Tower. Blanding Tower is a very loud place. The walls of the dorm rooms sometime seem “paper thin” because it is easy to hear a conversation taking place in the room next door. The smell of the floor almost immediately leads you to whether it is a girls or boys floor; boy’s floors usually smell bad. Living next to the floor bathroom is nice because of how close I am, but the smell of the bathroom sometimes turns me off. Being so high in a building is often frightening. Some people say that at the top of the Tower you can feel the building sway; I try not to believe that. The people in Blanding Tower consist of resident advisors and mostly freshmen students. It is a coed dorm, but the floors are categorized by girls and boys. I often see people checking friends in and out of Blanding Tower and sometimes I even see a parent or two. I hardly ever see young children or students who are older than sophomores though. In Blanding Tower, people act just like any other college student. Some are quiet and reserved, not going out very often while others are loud and ready for the college life of partying. It sometimes gets annoying when you can’t sleep as others are up being loud in their room by playing music or just having a good time. Overall, Blanding Tower is a good place to live. It provides a community of many diverse people who are mostly just beginning their college life, exploring the world that is out there.

Primary Source: Obervation

Introduction

I am investigating dorm life. I am interested in the topic of dorm life because over the years a dorm complex has evolved into an atmosphere where students can call home. Dorm life creates a sense of community and brings people, from many different ethnicities, together as one. Being a student in a dorm, I know what the dorms offer to a new student; they create a home away from home. Being near a lot of people in the same situation makes it much easier to feel at home during your first year away.
I know that this place has its strengths and weaknesses. Although it is nice to have many people surrounding you, making you feel at home, it is difficult sharing a smelly bathroom with dozens of, sometimes, messy people. I know that living in a dorm creates a sense of community and gives college life an at home feeling.
I would like to find out, however, whether living in a dorm during your freshmen year raises the amount of returning students rather than those who live off campus their first year. I think I will have to look into this by interviewing those who live in dorms and experience the dorm life because they are the best resource for my investigation. It may be helpful to interview a Resident Advisor, knowing that an RA has lived in the dorms the previous year.
I am concerned that the results of the interviews may not be accurate since most students parents make them live in the dorms. A student may want to live off campus because they want to avoid the dorm life, but their parents may not want to pay for a higher housing cost. I am not sure if this would affect my investigation? My goal is to be able to better understand how dorm life has evolved over centuries from the first dorms up until today. Also, I want to understand what makes dorms feel like a community or a home rather than simply a place to live for two semesters or even longer.