Housing problem in higher education, dormitories in Turkey and examples from the world

In this study, housing problem and higher education dormitories were discussed which are among important problems of young people who start higher education. Housing problem, which is covert at first, emerges after the university entrance examination.Housing need of human and stages of housing were examined through an historical perspective. The story of housing has started with appearance of human being and passed from the stages of cave, shack, tent, home. Housing, being most important factor of satisfying the need of security in Maslow?s hierarchy of needs, also satisfies the privacy needs of people.Higher education dormitories in which most of the students solve their housing problem, are usually the places leading people feel crowded, with limited privacy under collective living conditions. ?Perceived crowding? having a potential of reducing academic achievement by increasing stres level and some orientation problems regarding this, insufficient building conditions and rigid rules and restrictions especially in government dormitories make it necessary to treat the higher education dormitories with a new understanding.Higher education dormitories should be managed under the supervision and support of universities like most countries of the world. Dormitories must be seen as a part of higher education but not a place of spending a night. Through such a point of view, a ?Total Approach to Education? will be achieved and an occasion will be created for multi-directional improvement of students in a richer and more satisfying environment.