Living on campus has some drawbacks, but they are far out-weighed by the perks! I love living on campus, and I love my dorm. I’m already signed up to live on campus again next year, and I can’t imagine not living on campus. So, why do I love it so much?
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There’s no commute.
Well, that’s not true. I do have to walk six minutes to class. Oh, plus to get to the library, I have to go up some stairs. Food? Why, that’s a whole staircase away! Everything is so convenient on campus. I literally wake up 15 minutes before my morning classes and make it there on time. If you lived off campus, your commute time gets so much longer!
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You don’t have to worry about parking.
At my college, parking is a nightmare. Even when you pay for the green parking pass (which is $500!), you can’t find a spot. If you do find a spot, it’s going to be on the other side of campus, and you have to walk further than you would have to living on campus! So much for “driving” to class.
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You’re more motivated to go to class.
If you just have a short walk to get to class, you’re more likely to actually go! If you wake up late, you still have time to get there. I tend to see people who live off campus make excuses for skipping class way more often than people living on campus.
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You have friends around all the time.
My next-dorm-neighbor has become a best friend! Anytime I need to borrow something, she’s right there to help out. Plus, the lobby is always full of people, watching silly movies or playing pool. Sure, maybe you’ll make friends with your neighbors in your apartment, but most people just go about their separate lives in apartments. Dorms focus on building a community for you!
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It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This is college! Everything is new and different and exciting. Living in a dorm is a classic college experience that only happens in college. Take advantage of that opportunity.
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Utilities are paid for.
Technically, you could argue that you pay for your utilities with the cost of the dorm, but you don’t have to worry about them fluctuating. I can take as long of a shower as I like, and I don’t drive up the bill! You could run your air conditioner 24/7 and not have to pay more (but don’t because you love the earth. Also, turn of your light when you leave your room, okay?).
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You can pay for your dorm with scholarships.
Depending on the type of scholarships you get (which you have to and should be applying to!), you can use them to pay for your dorm! I know some scholarships would “cash out” and help you pay for off-campus living if all your other bills to the college were covered, but some won’t. Check with your financial aid office, or just live on campus!
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Living with a roommate is an awesome experience.
Whether you become the bestest friends or not, it’s an awesome opportunity to learn. Sharing a space and cooperating with someone is an important skill that could serve you later. Even if you have conflicts with your roommate (which are the worst!), you get to learn about compromise and mediation.
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You have built-in support.
Your RA is trained on how to be supportive, helpful, and encouraging. With any problem you have, they’re there to help you out!
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Common areas and bathrooms are cleaned for you.
In my dorm, the bathroom, laundry room, lobby, and study area are cleaned every weekday. In an apartment or off-campus house, I’d have to buy my own supplies and clean… who has time for that?
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It’s much easier to take advantage of on-campus services.
The library, the rec, the tutoring center… they’re all within reach if you live on campus! Who’s going to commute back to campus after class to use these services? Not many, even though you’re paying for them in your tuition!
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You get to eat in the dining hall.
This is a perk for me, because my college has several different dining halls with lots of different healthy, cooked food that I couldn’t make in my dorm… or probably even in a fully-stocked apartment kitchen. The food is convenient and ready to go!
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You can attend lots of events.
Again, who would come back to campus? Every week, I hear about some new, free event going on. They’re awesome and fun, and I’m glad they’re so convenient!
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Your space is small.
What, Close, how could that be a positive? Thanks for asking! I’ll explain. First of all: you have less area to clean. Second, you have less space to decorate, which means you can have a more refined eye and spend more on individual pieces, like these amazing pieces from Ten Thousand Villages. Third, you have the opportunity to practice minimalism. Just this week, I cleaned out all the random things I had been hoarding because I felt too cluttered. If I had more space, I could have kept hoarding forever. Thank you, small dorm.
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There are less responsibilities.
The shower’s broken? Call maintenance. Roommate conflict? Call your RA. Noise complaint? RAaaaaaaa!
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You’ll save money!
Okay, CollegeData estimates that it’s around $10,000 a year to live on campus (including room and meal plan at a public school). Ouch! That’s a lot, and it’s definitely more than what I’m paying. However, that’s still less than the cost of living off campus! You’d be paying rent, food, utilities, and transportation costs. Maybe you could find a cheap place and thrift by, but it wouldn’t be able to compare with the quality of living on campus.
I absolutely love living on campus! Do you or will you live on campus? Why or why not?
