As the semester comes to an end, and the first few warm days of summer vacation start appearing around the corner, I find myself looking forward to next year, when I'll move into an apartment and leave dorm life behind.
I'm more than ready to have a place to call my own, but there are definitely some things I'll miss about dorm life.
1. Having someone to clean your bathroom.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm more than capable of scrubbing a toilet bowl or unclogging hair from a shower drain. But let's face it, no one really wants to come home from a long day of class and clean the bathroom.
2. Free food.
Well, as free as you consider your meal plan. Cooking is fun, but sometimes you just want the gratification of mac and cheese without having to make it.
3. Provided furniture.
I'll say this right now: I have no idea how I'm going to pick out furniture for my apartment. Should everything be made out of the same colored wood? How many chairs should I have at my kitchen table? How the heck am I going to transport it all there?
4. Having a laundry room on site.
I'm sure I'll be thinking of that tiny room with one washer and drier fondly when I'm carrying my laundry down the sidewalk.
5. The vending machines.
Because sometimes, it's three am, you're up studying for your midterms, and you just NEED Swedish Fish and a Pepsi.
6. Living on campus.
While waking up a few minutes earlier isn't the end of the world, it's gonna be different not living surrounded by college students.
7. Lock out services.
While I've only needed to get my backup key twice, both times I've been very grateful that I was able to.
8. Knowing my neighbors...
While it's not impossible to get to know your neighbors in an apartment complex, there's something about all living in the same hall with them that definitely makes it easier.
9. Living near your classmates.
It's definitely pretty useful to live down the hall from someone in your lecture, especially when it's finals week and there's that one question on the study guide that you absolutely, cannot figure out.
10. All of the memories.
Whether it's running into the lounge to take pictures on a Friday night, the conversations I've had with girls on my floor while getting ready in the bathroom in the morning, the collective excitement when waking up on a snow day, or all the laughs at floor meetings, I've definitely made many good memories during my past three years in the dorms.
Living in the dorms has been fun, and I've certainly gotten the classic college experience, but I can't wait to move into an apartment and start a new chapter of my life.