For many students, living on-campus in a dormitory is a part of the “college experience”. As a former dorm resident myself, I can attest that there are certainly a few advantages to living on-campus, especially during your first year of college. I made some of my best friends through my dorm, and formed some of my most cherished memories in the dorm common areas. Here are a few other reasons I opted to live on-campus during my freshman year:
Convenience
To begin with, living in a college dorm is often extremely convenient. At my university, the different dorm buildings were scattered around the large campus, although most of them were located a short walk or bike ride away from the main classroom buildings. Living on-campus allowed me to commute to class with just a pedal bike, making a car or a scooter unnecessary. Not to mention, if I wanted to come back to my room between classes, or if I forgot something, it wasn’t a huge hassle to go back.
Semester-long leases
Many off-campus apartment complexes require that you sign on for twelve months, even though spring and fall semester classes don’t require you to be on-campus for that whole time. Unless you’re taking summer classes, or planning to live there during the summer, a twelve-month lease is often unnecessary, especially for underclassmen. Dorms are rented by the semester, meaning that you only have to pay for it during the times that classes are in session (plus a week or two before and after classes).
Community
Like I mentioned earlier, I met some of my best friends through living in the dorms. I went to a huge public university, so I think it’s safe to say we never would’ve met if we hadn’t lived near each other!
Common areas, such as study rooms, recreational spaces, and kitchens, are great gathering places for people to hang out, and meet new people along the way. Additionally, some universities will even host dorm-wide events as a way for residents to meet each other. I would recommend checking out your school, (or sometimes even your dorm) on social media for advertisements about upcoming community events.
Access to a Resident Assistant
As dorky as it may sound, sometimes knowing that someone has your back, even if it’s by obligation, is comforting. A Resident Assistant helps with maintaining the well-being and safety of residents living in the dorm. If you’re having an issue, whether it be with your roommate, an appliance in your room, or questions about college in general, your resident assistant can help you sort it out. Or, they can help point you in the right direction for resources that might be able to assist you.
Flexibility in leasing
Sometimes things come up that you didn’t know about when you decided where to live. Examples of this include study abroad programs, internships, or special university programs. You might sign on a dorm for your school year and then, midway through the fall semester, realize that you don’t need it during the spring. If it’s a university-sponsored reason, such as a study abroad program, most schools will work with you on refunding you for the time you don’t live in your dorm.
Fully furnished living areas
As far as I know, most dorms are fully furnished. This makes it so much easier than trying to find furniture and cart it to your school, which is required for some apartment complexes. Usually, a dorm will come with a bed, some sort of dresser/nightstand, and a desk. Some even come with a closet, sink, and/or refrigerator.
Like-minded students living together
I had the privilege of living in the Honors dorm, which housed students who had been admitted into the university honors program. I particularly liked this because the students that I met were often like me, sharing a dedicated interest to academics. I even met people with similar hobbies and niche interests.
Even if you’re not in the university honors program, there are other opportunities to live near like-minded students. Some schools offer “living learning programs”, or dormitories that are generally reserved for people of a similar interest. Examples might be sports, music, ROTC, ethnic groups, or even by college major.
- 7 Reasons I Lived On-Campus as a FreshmanCollege dorms provide many advantages, especially for freshmen. Here are a few reasons why I opted to live in a dorm for my freshman year.
- Graduate School Basics: The Freshman EditionWhat is graduate school? What should you be doing to prepare as a freshman? Read more to find out!
- 4 Forgotten Questions to Ask When Apartment ShoppingLooking for an off-campus apartment? Don’t forget to ask these 4 questions to find out important details before you sign the lease!