When I first got accepted to USF, the first thing on my mind was how great it was going to be living on campus. Everything is right there, I'll be best friends with my roommate, and it'll be great. Turns out, college dorms aren't as great as they may seem on TV.

Yes, it was convenient to have everything right there, but the resources on campus aren't always that great. The dining halls are horrible, so I cooked my own food. Printers are available on campus, but they never work, so I bought my own printer. In the end, the only things that were really "right there" were my classes, and I don't really want to be reminded of Orgo everytime I look out my window and see the ISA building.

At least now that I live off campus, I know that all the stuff that I am paying money for are actually functional, and I know exactly what's in and where my food comes from. Yes, it is a little expensive to have to buy your own printer or to have to cook your own food, but in the end - the cost was worth not exposing me to the terrible food in the dining hall. Not to mention the cost of the dorms to begin with! I'm getting a lot more for my money living in my little one bedroom apartment.

I also thought that I would become best friends with my roommate, but that didn't happen at all. My freshman year, I had the worse roommate ever, and it is just more stress I did not need while trying to figure out my place here at USF. Fortunately, my second year I got a better roommate, but when you live alone- you're your only roommate. I can do whatever I want, when I want. I can walk around naked. I can bake a cake at 3 a.m.

This is my castle, and I'm the queen.

Now that I live on my own, I definitely don't regret my experience living on campus. It has its benefits - I really got to learn my way around USF, and really started to feel at home here. I think it's a great idea for freshmen to live on campus for a year or two. Living on campus provides a nice safety net before you get thrown into a life of bills. Still, living off campus, especially on your own, is a big step in becoming an adult. Just make sure your ready for the greater responsibility it requires.