When looking at prospective colleges, most students nowadays make shiny, new dorms a priority. Western Michigan is currently in the process of building new dorms to attract more incoming students. However, I lived in The Valleys, which were neither shiny nor new, as they were built in 1965. While spacious closets and fancy bathrooms would have been spectacular, I think there is something to be said about sharing a 12 by 12 box for nine months in a hallway among your best friends like I did.

1. You learn the difference between want and need.

When you only have four feet of closet space and three drawers to fit an entire wardrobe, you are forced to pick and chose which sweaters are a necessity and which tank tops you might only wear with that one pair of shorts if it was just the right temperature you can live without, in order to make room for midnight snacks.

2. Small rooms mean lots of friends, really close together.

When 30 other boxes are in your same hallway, each filled with two other people, chances are your will meet some pretty cool people that you will get along with in your hallway, let alone the entire dorm!

3. Every night is a sleepover.

When your bed is just feet away from someone else, it's almost impossible to resist the urge to vent when you're angry about a boy or share your overwhelming happiness about an exam you aced. Some of the best nights could spark from staying in and sharing some good stories and some great food with your roomie.

4. You become your own personal handyman.

When the repair service isn't exactly speedy, you learn to—or attempt to—solve problems in your own way. Sometimes you are forced to buckle down, find your toolbox (yes I am a girl with a full toolbox) and find a way to make do in the meantime until the repairman can make his way in the next couple “hours,” which usually means weeks.

5. You'll spend less time in your room and more time out!

Whether you choose to spend your time at a job, working out at the gym, joining Greek life, or volunteering, there's only good things that can come from spending time outside your small room such as meeting people, being involved in your school and community, and avoiding Claustrophobia.

6. You figure out how to take advantage of time by yourself.

In a room and hallway of craziness, it's always nice when you have a moment to yourself to just lie there and bask in the silence of finally being alone. When this hour of loneliness comes once a week, you learn to set priorities and figure out what it really is you want to do with that precious time.

7. You learn to appreciate what you have.

When I went from sharing a 12 by 12 box with a roommate and an aged bathroom with three other girls to a much more spacious two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with my own everything three months later, it meant a lot more looking at where I had come from the past year. Experiencing that kind of living made me that much more thankful when I had a little bit more space to dance, eat, sleep, and so much more.

8. You really get to know the person you share it with.

You find out the weird things they do in their sleep and their guilty pleasures. They will probably pick up on your odd food habits and the quirky things you do when you are trying to keep a secret, too. However, in spite of all this, if you’re lucky, you'll come out with someone that knows you really well, really fast or even a best friend that will be around way longer than the building that you are living in and that's a true blessing.

9.You get to know yourself.

This process teaches you things about yourself that you never thought was possible, so quickly. You are forced to jump into living in a new place, with new people, while managing school, laundry, work, and so much more all by yourself—and in my eyes there is no better way to learn about you and all that you can handle so quickly.

Looking back on it now, I learned so much and met a lot people that I don't think I would have if I had space to just lounge around in a larger room. It was such a unique experience, and I don't think that it would have been the same if freshly painted walls or a building from this century surrounded me.