The living group is a highly positive aspect of the MIT experience for most students. This was reported in the 1994 Senior Survey. (1) It is also evident in the freshman survey: eighty percent were "generally" or "very satisfied" with their freshman year living group experience, and only 12 percent were either "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied." "Friendships" and "my living group" were frequent responses to the open-ended question, "What was the most gratifying or rewarding part of your freshman academic experience?"In response to the question about living group characteristics, three-quarters noted there were "supportive upper-class students" in their living groups, strong evidence that freshmen value and benefit from living with students in other classes. Seventy percent said their living group was a place where they were able to make close friendships. Three-fifths to two-thirds indicated their living group was characterized by a sense of community and a good social life. Approximately half said their living group was a good environment for studying and intellectual stimulation. (See figure 3-1.)
Dormitory Residents Compared With Independent Living Group and Fraternity Residents
Like the seniors who responded to the Class of 1994 Senior Survey, students in Independent Living Groups (ILGs) and fraternities were more likely than those in dormitories to say they were satisfied with their living group. (2) (See figure 3-2.) They were also more likely to say it provided a sense of community, close friendships, a good social life, supportive upperclass students, a good study environment, and intellectual stimulation. (3)(4) (See figure 3-3.) There were no differences by gender.
Satisfaction with the living group experience was most highly correlated with sense of community, close friendships, a good social life, and supportive upperclass students -- a pattern identical to the one seen in the Class of 1994 Senior Survey.
(1) In the Class of 1994 Senior Survey 82 percent of the seniors indicated satisfaction with their living group experience while only 6 percent were dissatisfied.
(2) The 1994 Senior Survey indicated that 64 percent of the seniors in ILGs/fraternities were "very satisfied" with their living group experience compared with 30 percent of those in dormitories.
(3) Similar patterns were evident in the 1994 Senior Survey.
(4)Good study environment: twice as many students in dorms as in ILGs/fraternities said "not at all/slightly" (29% vs. 14%, Chi-square = 12.56, 2df, p<.01, Cramer's V=.17).
