Living in a dorm on a college campus can have its ups and downs. Everyone who attends college should get the experience of living so closely with a large number of people your age. Once you move off campus, you may have some mixed feelings of excitement to finally be free of the constraints of the dorm accompanied by the longing to return to your first year when everything was a lot simpler and less stressful. Of the overall experience of living in the dorms, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Good: You are surrounded by people who will become your best friends for life. The very first people you meet at college tend to be your roommates, and the huge amount of time you spend with them often creates a special bond. Beyond that, you start meeting people in your hallway and get to see them every day walking to their rooms or to the bathroom. In my first year in college, everyone on my floor kept their doors unlocked and walked in whenever they wanted. I miss the familiarity and companionship that came with knowing all my neighbors.

Living on campus means you are right next to all your classes and can wake up ten minutes before biology starts. Once you move off campus, a long walk or some sort of plan for transportation is necessary. If you live in the dorms you are often required to be on a meal plan, which is a blessing and a curse. You don’t have to walk far to get meals and they are already prepared for you, which is something you will miss if you aren’t a great cook like me.

Bad: It is almost impossible to find privacy in the dorms. People are everywhere so if you are really upset and just want to spend some time alone, you will have to work hard to find a quiet space. Unlike in an apartment, you are actually sharing a room with another person who may not have the same sleeping or cleaning patterns as you. I’m pretty sure I wake up my roommate every night coming in late to bed, but she puts up with it like a champ.

Once again, being forced to be on the meal plan while living in the dorms has a downside too. Food options are limited and it is a lot more expensive than when you will start buying groceries. At my university, we have to conserve points because we don’t actually have enough to spend on three meals per day.

Ugly: Flu season hits viciously and it is difficult to stop sicknesses from spreading. You are living in a confined space with hundreds of college kids who don’t wash their hands or are celebrating their new freedom by slacking in personal hygiene. A surprising number of students you see every day don’t know how to cover their mouth when they cough. These germs spread like wildfire through the close quarters in dorms. One kid sneezes in the study room without covering his mouth, and suddenly the whole hallway is taking trips to the Student Health Center.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience living in the dorms. I have created long-lasting bonds and met a wide range of interesting people. I look forward to moving into an apartment soon, but I will always appreciate all the dorm activities and hilarious people I experienced. I won’t miss the weird noises at 2 a.m. coming from the electrical room next door though.