A place to sleep, a desk for studying, and a dining hall nearby. Until recently, students at colleges and universities in the U.S. had modest expectations for dormitory life. And dormitories have lagged behind other developments on campus and in American society overall. Considering all the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes that have occurred in the past few decades, it’s interesting to note that many colleges and universities still have dormitories with shared restrooms.