A while ago, I wrote about the reasons I’m excited to be living in an apartment next year. There are definitely several things that I don’t like about dorms, but I’d be lying if I said there was nothing I would miss. It seems that wherever we end up living, we get used to it. I remember first finding out which dorm I would be in and feeling disappointed because it was one of the older ones (though not one of “old dorms,” which I am thankful for). I was nervous about adjusting to living in a small room on top of sharing it with someone.

In time, however, I not only adapted to it but also came to accept it as my second home. Leaving it will be more bittersweet than I thought. Here are five things I will miss about dorm life.

1. Not having to clean the bathroom

This is huge. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate all the custodians who work so hard every day to keep our building clean. Sharing a bathroom with 20 other people inevitably leads to some not-so-pleasant situations, and I am grateful for the staff who takes care of them. Having to clean everything ourselves is probably one of the biggest downsides of being in an apartment, but I guess the tradeoff is that the bathroom is shared between much fewer people.

2. Elevator

Being on the top floor of my dorm, I am definitely thankful for having an elevator to make life easier (even though it doesn’t work sometimes…). The apartments in this suburban area are small buildings and definitely won’t have elevators, making moving in and out painful.

3. Automatic paper towel dispenser

There is just something really nice about having as many paper towels as you need when you’re in the bathroom because hand towels get pretty wet too quickly.

4. Having an RA

It’s really nice to have someone older to get quick bits of advice from or just to vent to. Adjusting to college is hard and I am grateful for having an RA who is there for us while also giving us the space we need.

5. Cozy feeling

I don’t think the calmness I feel upon entering my dorm building after a long and stressful day can be replaced. The familiarity of walking through my hall and finally entering my room makes me feel that, yes, I belong here. Living in an apartment off-Grounds probably won’t create the same effect.