I would have eagerly accepted a windowless room for myself rather than having a roommate my first year in college, and I know my roommate would have been much better off without having to share a room with a jackass like I was when I was 18.

My children each suffered in different ways from being forced to share a bedroom with someone when they entered college as well.

In my completely layman opinion, I think that the shared living space with private bedroom (even windowless) is a sensible compromise that will result in a better quality of life for the students there.