Dorm life is great. As a freshman with too much anxiety to make friends easily and not enough financial sense to understand how rent works, dorm life is perfect. But as I start to look into housing for my upcoming sophomore year and looking at apartment listings here in Berkeley, the prospect of living in an apartment is becoming more and more exciting. As much as I enjoy dorm life, there are more than a few things that dorm life just doesn’t include.

1. A real, working oven

Technically there is an oven in my dorm building. But let’s be real, the thing is broken and the door fell off once when my friend and I tried to use it. A functioning oven would be amazing.

2. Storing food in a kitchen, not in my desk drawer

Kitchen cupboards > a singular desk drawer

3. A private bathroom

Sometimes a girl wants to belt cheesy pop songs without worrying about other people hearing her.

4. Washing my dishes in a kitchen sink instead of the bathroom

5. On that note, having a drying rack for said dishes

I apologize to the Earth for all of the paper towels I’ve used to dry my dishes so that they don’t grow mold. I really am sorry.

6. Space above my desk

I was initially really excited about having my desk underneath my bed. But after hitting my head a million times trying to stand up from my desk, not so much.

7. Inviting friends over

Having people over to your crowded triple sounds like a good idea if you enjoy the cramped space.

8. Having a couch

So that everyone isn’t always sitting in a strange circle on the floor.

9. Living with amazing new friends

One of whom I already have the blessing of living with already, even though our roommate assignments were random. :)

10. Learning to be independent

I know it’ll be hard and confusing and stressful. But the prospect of having these responsibilities and opportunities to learn how to be more self-sufficient is more appealing than the stress being terrifying. And I’ll probably make a lot of mistakes, but I think it’ll be worth it.