UOS Dorms or Prison?

Rumors or Truth? UOS students living in dorms complain about restrictions

As you can tell from the title, many girls that live in the dorms of University of Sharjah complain about the lack of freedom that is given to them in the dorms. There are certain rules in the dorms that spread a feeling of restriction among the girls. Dima Khalaf, a university student staying at the dorms, states that “I can stay in dorms for a month without hanging out with friends but that is because of the dorms' rules, that make me feel suffocated”. So, is the University of Sharjah’s dorms that bad? or is it just regular rules for safety purposes?

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Girls tend to face normal difficulties in the beginning as many are not used to the responsibilities that they are forced to face in the dorms or when they live by themselves. Responsibilities that may seem simple and easy, such as, cooking for one’s self, doing their own laundry, cleaning their own place or room, etc. These responsibilities may seem easy to many of us but in fact what makes them hard is finding the right time to getting them done. As the student is under so much pressure, they are also expected to get all these responsibilities under control in order to have a regular life. Another issue that many girls worry about when sharing a dorm room, or even just the bathroom, is the personal cleanliness. Many may not be comfortable with the roommate that they end up with, whether it is because of the difference in culture or even normal lifestyles, or the person’s level of cleanliness may differ as well. However, the main issue here is that most girls share the feeling of lack of freedom due to the rules. Dima Khalaf added by saying that rules should not be applied to all students since some parents are open minded and would love to give their children their freedom.

Rayan Daboul, a media student that experienced dorms for a semester, says: "I didn't feel quite restricted, maybe because I only stayed for 4 days a week; however, I believe that the rules that were put are for safety purposes and without those rules, it wouldn't feel safe.". It is the university's responsibility to protect and ensure safety and privacy for hundreds of girls. According to University of Sharjah, the university welcomes and embraces students from various countries and provides them with the opportunities to explore new cultures, meet new people, establish new friendships, and live a comfortable life in the facilities of the university dormitory. The university’s ambition is not to restrict and “bombard” girls with rules for them to feel imprisoned, yet the rules are a must for any girl staying in dorms to be protected and safe, the same way she is in her parents’ house. No parent will allow his or her daughter to stay in a place with no rules.