Living in the dorms ("residence halls") tends to have a bad rap. Many incoming freshmen to all universities dread spending their next two semesters in a tiny room with a small bed with someone they may have never met, not to mention those infamous community bathrooms! Nevertheless, there are numerous reasons why each and every person staying in the dorms should not only look forward to it but cherish all of the time they spend there.
1. By living on campus, you definitely have a leg-up on class days. You are more conveniently located on campus. Hell, you can wake up five minutes before your class starts and still make it before many of the commuting students. Walking to class definitely helps with your freshman 15! You are close to the tailgates and stadium during football season and there are always people designated driving folks back to campus so you can almost always hitch a ride.
2. It's a cheaper option. At many universities, choosing to live on campus is going to cost much less than living off campus in a house or apartment. This may be something to consider to relieve a financial burden during college. You even have the option to become a Community Advisor or Residence Advisor for your hall and get your housing completely paid for. In college, we are all trying to save a dime here and there.
3. Although you may not admit it, your parents that are forcing you to live in the dorms are right. It is an extremely valuable learning experience. You have to learn to live with someone else. Being able to hold hands with your roommate while laying in your own beds is definitely a new experience. You have to share everything. There is not much room for modesty because you share a room, a sink, shelves, appliances, and personal space. But, this does mean that you will have most likely developed a lose friend who will also share shoes, clothes, makeup, and friends with. Also, you learn a lot from having to share bathrooms with a whole floor of girls. You can't all shower at the same time, so you have to work on some of your time management skills. Also, common courtesy is something that you should go into dorm life expecting to use. But trust me, you will come out of it a better person than you went in.
4. You will always have somewhere and something to eat. Especially on large campuses, there are numerous food options. Yeah, you may miss your mom's homemade spaghetti, but you will definitely find a few new dishes that you will love forever.
5. Lastly, and most importantly, the people you meet in the dorms will impact your life in ways you never thought possible. You will more than likely meet people in your classes that you can work on homework with. There will be the folks that you can always go to if you want to go out on a Wednesday night. Then, you will meet your best friends that you will have for the rest of your life. They may be your future bridesmaids and groomsmen. But, the fact that you are now in college and get to chose your friends will show you that the ones you choose to spend time with, even in the dorms, may be the ones you choose to spend time with forever.
