(05-08-2013 04:32 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Then you're an idiot HJ, I just can't respect you in any way with comments like that. If I drive out nice suburbs all day, I'm sure I would think the recession was just a dream too. Of course some people are doing well. What matters is what people on average are doing though when you're talking about things like this. Particularly average middle and lower class folks, since that's who applies to NIU.

The facts are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like them, but you can't just put your head in the sand and deny what's happening. Unfortunately for you, the school is getting their money from people who live in the real world, not Huskie John's fantasy world. So those numbers are important. And forcing kids to pay for a dorm which is more expensive should give people pause.

BUT THEY ARE NOT! NIU still offers lower cost dorms which are open. You totally missed the original point to go off on your economic disagreement.

Douglas and Neptune are still open as the lower cost alternatives.



and seriously if you think Glendale Heights a nice suburb...then I get why you think things are still in trouble.

(05-08-2013 04:35 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:32 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Then you're an idiot HJ, I just can't respect you in any way with comments like that. If I drive out nice suburbs all day, I'm sure I would think the recession was just a dream too. Of course some people are doing well. What matters is what people on average are doing though when you're talking about things like this. Particularly average middle and lower class folks, since that's who applies to NIU.

The facts are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like them, but you can't just put your head in the sand and deny what's happening. Unfortunately for you, the school is getting their money from people who live in the real world, not Huskie John's fantasy world. So those numbers are important. And forcing kids to pay for a dorm which is more expensive should give people pause.

BUT THEY ARE NOT! NIU still offers lower cost dorms which are open. You totally missed the original point to go off on your economic disagreement.

Douglas and Neptune are still open as the low cost alternatives.

More expensive than apartments. Sophomores previously moved out of the dorms into much cheaper apartments, now they aren't able to do that based on the new rules put in place.

Douglas and Neptune are most certainly more expensive than apartments in DeKalb.

(05-08-2013 04:37 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:35 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:32 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Then you're an idiot HJ, I just can't respect you in any way with comments like that. If I drive out nice suburbs all day, I'm sure I would think the recession was just a dream too. Of course some people are doing well. What matters is what people on average are doing though when you're talking about things like this. Particularly average middle and lower class folks, since that's who applies to NIU.

The facts are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like them, but you can't just put your head in the sand and deny what's happening. Unfortunately for you, the school is getting their money from people who live in the real world, not Huskie John's fantasy world. So those numbers are important. And forcing kids to pay for a dorm which is more expensive should give people pause.

BUT THEY ARE NOT! NIU still offers lower cost dorms which are open. You totally missed the original point to go off on your economic disagreement.

Douglas and Neptune are still open as the low cost alternatives.

More expensive than apartments. Sophomores previously moved out of the dorms into much cheaper apartments, now they aren't able to do that based on the new rules put in place.

Douglas and Neptune are most certainly more expensive than apartments in DeKalb.

You are talking about hundreds of dollars difference per semester.

On top of that the dorm improvements were constantly being asked for by the students.

(05-08-2013 04:33 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:27 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  For months I couldn't go a day without seeing someone wearing a North Face jacket. Those things aren't cheap - I know, I bought one myself. Lots of people in bars buying beer - expensive beer. People buying new smart phones. Everyone has cable except me.

In any case, there are lots of people that are apparently not hurting.

I am not talking about those Naperville people though. ;-)


My comparison was my neighbors in Glendale Heights any my Wife's parents neighborhood in Justice which is as typical lower middle class NIU family as you could get.

As much of a hick as I am, I do occasionally leave Naperville! :-)

Also, if anecdotal evidence isn't good, most of the statistics that are thrown out there are dubious as well.

(05-08-2013 04:39 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:37 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:35 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:32 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Then you're an idiot HJ, I just can't respect you in any way with comments like that. If I drive out nice suburbs all day, I'm sure I would think the recession was just a dream too. Of course some people are doing well. What matters is what people on average are doing though when you're talking about things like this. Particularly average middle and lower class folks, since that's who applies to NIU.

The facts are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like them, but you can't just put your head in the sand and deny what's happening. Unfortunately for you, the school is getting their money from people who live in the real world, not Huskie John's fantasy world. So those numbers are important. And forcing kids to pay for a dorm which is more expensive should give people pause.

BUT THEY ARE NOT! NIU still offers lower cost dorms which are open. You totally missed the original point to go off on your economic disagreement.

Douglas and Neptune are still open as the low cost alternatives.

More expensive than apartments. Sophomores previously moved out of the dorms into much cheaper apartments, now they aren't able to do that based on the new rules put in place.

Douglas and Neptune are most certainly more expensive than apartments in DeKalb.

You are talking about hundreds of dollars difference per semester.

On top of that the dorm improvements were constantly being asked for by the students.

No.. I am not. Are you kidding me? You are incredibly out of touch, the difference is thousands of dollars a year.

http://www.laingmanagement.com/ecopark3bed.htm
http://www.niu.edu/housing/_pdf/SignUp/f...013-14.pdf

Decent area of campus, decent place, rent per person is less than $300 a month. A dorm room is 4,500 at the minimum to 7K per semester, a $1,000+ a month. It's a huge difference.

If you get the cheapest dorm, it's still almost 6K difference in rent per school year. Utilities and food do not cost that much, not close. Especially when you're living on a budget. Even if you're somehow spending a few hundred a month on utilities and food, you're still thousands of dollars better off living in an apartment.

(05-08-2013 04:59 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:39 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:37 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:35 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 04:32 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Then you're an idiot HJ, I just can't respect you in any way with comments like that. If I drive out nice suburbs all day, I'm sure I would think the recession was just a dream too. Of course some people are doing well. What matters is what people on average are doing though when you're talking about things like this. Particularly average middle and lower class folks, since that's who applies to NIU.

The facts are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like them, but you can't just put your head in the sand and deny what's happening. Unfortunately for you, the school is getting their money from people who live in the real world, not Huskie John's fantasy world. So those numbers are important. And forcing kids to pay for a dorm which is more expensive should give people pause.

BUT THEY ARE NOT! NIU still offers lower cost dorms which are open. You totally missed the original point to go off on your economic disagreement.

Douglas and Neptune are still open as the low cost alternatives.

More expensive than apartments. Sophomores previously moved out of the dorms into much cheaper apartments, now they aren't able to do that based on the new rules put in place.

Douglas and Neptune are most certainly more expensive than apartments in DeKalb.

You are talking about hundreds of dollars difference per semester.

On top of that the dorm improvements were constantly being asked for by the students.

No.. I am not. Are you kidding me? You are incredibly out of touch, the difference is thousands of dollars a year.

http://www.laingmanagement.com/ecopark3bed.htm
http://www.niu.edu/housing/_pdf/SignUp/f...013-14.pdf

Decent area of campus, decent place, rent per person is less than $300 a month. A dorm room is 4,500 at the minimum to 7K per semester, a $1,000+ a month. It's a huge difference.

If you get the cheapest dorm, it's still almost 6K difference in rent per school year. Utilities and food do not cost that much, not close. Especially when you're living on a budget. Even if you're somehow spending a few hundred a month on utilities and food, you're still thousands of dollars better off living in an apartment.

You need to add in a lot of cases Internet/Cable, electricity, etc. costs. You also need to sign a 12 month lease in most cases with an apartment. This would make it a more fair comparison.

I mentioned utilities, and again, they don't add up to $700+ a month, maybe $2-300? At most, it's college, you're splitting it with 2 or 3 other people.

And in the summer, if you want to make it apples to apples, you assume the kid goes home and the only thing you're paying for is the $280 a month in rent, and whatever minimal electric bill you have to pay while it sits there.

Even with all these considerations, it's $1,000's of dollars. Not hundreds. It's a huge difference.

How did this thread get this off topic? Seriously we have ADD here.

What apts only cost 280 a person? A cheap studio is 500 by yourself. A apt with 4 people in it is min 400 a person plus utilities.

(05-08-2013 10:25 PM)niu2222 Wrote:  What apts only cost 280 a person? A cheap studio is 500 by yourself. A apt with 4 people in it is min 400 a person plus utilities.

I lived over on Regent from 2008-2010 and my apartment was $270/person plus utilities which were less than $100 a month per person.

(05-08-2013 09:12 PM)timxlydon Wrote:  How did this thread get this off topic? Seriously we have ADD here.

Just wait. The laundry cost comparison is next.

(05-08-2013 10:25 PM)niu2222 Wrote:  What apts only cost 280 a person? A cheap studio is 500 by yourself. A apt with 4 people in it is min 400 a person plus utilities.

The one I linked to for one.. there are plenty of apartments in NIU, decent ones at that, that are under $300.

(05-08-2013 10:25 PM)niu2222 Wrote:  What apts only cost 280 a person? A cheap studio is 500 by yourself. A apt with 4 people in it is min 400 a person plus utilities.

http://www.pittsleyrealty.com/available

(05-08-2013 09:12 PM)timxlydon Wrote:  How did this thread get this off topic? Seriously we have ADD here.

Why yes I do.




Oh look at the kitty...

(05-08-2013 06:23 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  I mentioned utilities, and again, they don't add up to $700+ a month, maybe $2-300? At most, it's college, you're splitting it with 2 or 3 other people.

And in the summer, if you want to make it apples to apples, you assume the kid goes home and the only thing you're paying for is the $280 a month in rent, and whatever minimal electric bill you have to pay while it sits there.

Even with all these considerations, it's $1,000's of dollars. Not hundreds. It's a huge difference.

Based on lowered demand of 800 students not looking for rental properties shouldn't the rent prices drop a bit?

(05-09-2013 03:59 AM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 09:12 PM)timxlydon Wrote:  How did this thread get this off topic? Seriously we have ADD here.

Just wait. The laundry cost comparison is next.

Well, that would depend - Tide? or Cheer?

(05-09-2013 08:33 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 06:23 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  I mentioned utilities, and again, they don't add up to $700+ a month, maybe $2-300? At most, it's college, you're splitting it with 2 or 3 other people.

And in the summer, if you want to make it apples to apples, you assume the kid goes home and the only thing you're paying for is the $280 a month in rent, and whatever minimal electric bill you have to pay while it sits there.

Even with all these considerations, it's $1,000's of dollars. Not hundreds. It's a huge difference.

Based on lowered demand of 800 students not looking for rental properties shouldn't the rent prices drop a bit?

Certainly possible, which would only help my argument. The fact is, it's not a few hundred dollars a semester, it's thousands of dollars, on top of tuition costs which are becoming harder and harder to justify.

In an economy, that by the numbers, has not improved for the middle class. Numbers provided from both the left, and the right, and impartial sources. It's not like this is some dubious claim by the GOP to make Obama look bad, or by liberals trying to tarnish the GOP congress. It's just the facts, big business and the wealthy have recovered, the average Joe, who applies to NIU, most likely has not.

And now we're requiring a huge increase in costs? I just don't see how this isn't a small issue for those looking at other options or kids on the fence between schools. Not to mention most kids would rather live in an apartment. It's a huge cost increase for a lower quality of life in the minds of many college kids. I understand having kids live in the dorm the first year, as they meet people and get used to college life, it's a good stepping stone structure wise, but I don't see the justifcation for it their sophomore year.