(Photo: Interstate Guide)
By: Jack Adams, Staff Reporter
When I first imagined what the surrounding area of a college campus would look like, I pictured bars and restaurants with school memorabilia hung everywhere: a vibrant community of alumni and students and a “college town” with an assemblage of students wandering the streets every night. Regis, however, like many other urban colleges nestled in cities across the United States, has a much more casual and metropolitan vibe to the surrounding area than traditional college campuses.
Fortunately, Regis is only a short drive from downtown Denver and is near a number of local concert venues and event centers. Students attending Regis University are in the perfect location to enjoy all Colorado has to offer, and the University’s website provides some great suggestions for activities.
Much like many other urban college students, Regis students encounter some setbacks when trying to find affordable housing in one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Regis is nestled between neighborhoods like the Highlands (where houses are going for upwards of a million dollars) and other local neighborhoods, like Lakeside, where some housing is slightly more affordable.
While housing prices in the Denver area continue to climb, many frustrated students (like myself) are resorting to living in more affordable housing, further from the campus. The amount of non-traditional and commuter students will undoubtedly increase in the coming years, as the student population at Regis continues to grow and housing near campus becomes more scarce.
Commuting to school definitely has some appeal, at least for me, since I am able to spend less money on housing, I can work near my house in Littleton, and I am not bound by any campus housing restrictions.
However, commuting to school can also be extremely infuriating when traffic is heavy and I have to get to class on time. Non-traditional and commuter students may also feel they have less opportunity for involvement in campus activities because they are not on or near campus as often as traditional students.
Thankfully, Regis provides a number of resources for commuter students: resources to help them become more engaged with other students on campus, find parking near campus more easily, and even providing a commuter lounge on campus! Personally, I love commuting to Regis, and thoroughly enjoy all of the amenities the campus and the surrounding Denver area has to offer students!