A Closer Look: Students Living Outside of the AUBG Campus Bianka Deyanova he AUBG Campus – a bright and shiny diamond on the crown of the American University in Bulgaria. With three Skaptopara Residence halls, gorgeous gardens and lawns, the Panitza Library, and a wide variety of student facilities, it looks like the perfect place to have a movie-like university experience. Yet, while some students are enthusiastic about living on the AUBG campus, others are ready to leave the place for good. Why do students move out? As stated in the AUBG Undergraduate Catalog, every full-time student is required to live on campus, unless they live with their immediate family locally or have permission from the Director of Residence Life to live off-campus. Kristina Stamatova, Administrative Assistant in Residence Life and Housing at AUBG, said that this requirement exists because the university is a residential institution by practice and philosophy. “We believe that living on campus and participating actively in campus life is a critical part of our educational process and is, in fact, one of the key things that positively differentiate AUBG from other universities in the country,” Stamatova said. However, for the fall semester of 2020, with respect to the COVID-19 safety precautions, an off-campus living alternative was introduced along with the full-time online education option. Stamatova explained that the first priority of the management was the America for Bulgaria Student Center and ABF Lawn, AUBG Campus. Photo courtesy of Bianka Deyanova. safety on campus. “We wanted to reduce the population density in the residence halls a little to increase social distancing, which would give us some rooms to use for quarantine or temporary isolation,” she said. After some serious conversations, the university leadership decided to offer the option to live off-campus to all students, no matter their academic standing, because according to Stamatova every individual has their own concerns about the virus. Although they had the free choice to leave the campus, a lot of AUBG students decided to stay and study as a community. Mirela Yovcheva, an on-campus AUBG student, said that she chose to stay because that way she could take advantage of all the university facilities. “Also, I am very lucky to be living with my sister, so I haven’t experienced any problems that may come with living with a stranger,” Yovcheva said. According to her, life in Skaptopara is enjoyable - the staff in the residence halls is helpful and the atmosphere is pleasant and cozy. “I think the living conditions here are great, the lack of noisiness at night helps students rest well and concentrate on their work better, and I am very glad that I don’t have to deal with all sorts of bugs every day like in other residence halls in Bulgaria,” Yovcheva said. However, having in mind that the kitchens still remain closed, the campus is left with very few options when it comes to meal alternatives. According to Yovcheva, the surprisingly small number of microwaves around the residence halls is problematic. “Given the housing fee we pay and the fact that we are not allowed to have our own microwaves in our rooms, I think there should be more of them, one per floor seems reasonable enough,” Yovcheva said. “Having to carry my meal downstairs to the hallway and back just to reheat is ridiculous.” In August 2020, shortly after it was announced that there is an option to live off-campus, many AUBG students took advantage of the presented alternative. Living independently is of great importance for Doruntinë Aliu and Boris Dechev, off-campus AUBG students, and is something that influenced their decision to move out. “You definitely have more opportunities to work, read, do assignments, and things in your own time. Also in general there’s more freedom in terms of what you’re allowed to do,” Aliu said. Dechev emphasized on the opportunity to have privacy where you live. “There’s just too many rules on campus and no privacy,” he said. “Off-campus you get to live with 6 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily Skaptopara II Residence Hall. Photo courtesy of Bianka Deyanova.
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