College students who live off campus vs. on campus substantially differ, which may be due to socialization or self-selection. We examined longitudinal differences in academics and activities, alcohol use and adjustment, and sexual behaviors between college students who remained on campus vs moved off campus (N = 607). Findings provide more support consistent with selection than with socialization effects. At the start of college, students who eventually moved off campus were less likely to work, drank alcohol more frequently, felt better about their self-image in social relationships, and recently had more kissing and penetrative sex partners than their peers who stayed on campus. When there was support for differences in change over time, it generally indicated that the two groups became more, not less, similar. In support of Developmental Systems Theory (Lerner & Walls, 1999), findings suggest students shape their own environments, and have implications for developing targeted prevention programming.

住在校外的大学生和住在校内的大学生有很大的不同，这可能是由于社会化或自我选择。我们检查了留在校园和离开校园的大学生在学术和活动、酒精使用和调整以及性行为方面的纵向差异（N = 607）。与社会化效应相比，研究结果提供了更多与选择一致的支持。在大学开始时，最终搬出校园的学生不太可能工作，更频繁地喝酒，对自己在社会关系中的自我形象感觉更好，并且最近比留在校园的同龄人有更多的亲吻和插入性伴侣. 当支持随时间变化的差异时，通常表明两组变得更多，而不是更少，相似。