This year, I decided to live in a studio apartment right off campus. I’ve only been in my apartment for two weeks, and I already know that this was the best decision I could ever make.

1. You have total privacy

You are free to whatever you want in your own personal space. Every square inch of your apartment is your own.

2. You can keep your apartment exactly how you want it, especially when it comes to cleanliness.

You have to hold yourself accountable for not doing the dishes and cleaning your apartment. There is no one else to blame, but at least you get to keep everything the way you want it. You can be as messy or as neat as you want, and you'll never have to look at other people's clutter.

3. You don't have to share anything.

Seriously, you don’t have to share any of your dinnerware and silverware. You know the exact cleanliness of all of your spaces. No one will randomly use your stuff without telling you.

4. You’re in control of who is in your apartment.

Likewise, you won’t randomly have unknown people in your apartment, because everyone you let in had to have been invited in by you. I hated coming home to random people in my kitchen and living room last year.

5. You don’t have to wear clothes.

Legitimately, no one will know if you’re in the nude 100% of the time you’re in your apartment. Talk about total privacy and freedom.

6. You can sleep whenever you want.

You want to take a 5 hour nap? No one has to know and no one will judge you. You want to stay up until 4 am? Go for it. No one will be disturbed by noise and light. Also, you won't be disturbed by roommates' light and noise when you're trying to snooze.

7. You can talk to yourself.

Not saying you do---you will if you live alone---but it’s nice to be able to speak freely and whenever you want. You can baby-talk to your animals. You can sing in and out of the shower whenever you damn well please.

8. You have your own TV.

You won’t have to ask to watch your own TV (like I did in previous years). You’re free to binge unlimitedly.

9. You have an entire fridge and freezer to yourself.

Need I say more? You’ll never have to worry about your food mysteriously disappearing or cramming food into a fridge that you share with 3 (or more) other people.

10. The only alarm you’ll wake up to is your own.

Gone are the days where you wake up because your roommates can’t wake up to shut off her fifteen alarms for her 8 am.

11. You’re free to decorate to fit to your personal style.

You’ll never have to look at your roommates’ ugly canvases or tapestries ever again!

12. You're in control of the temperature.

You’ll never have to worry about being too hot or cold when you sleep because you're the only one in control of the thermostat.

13. You won’t have anyone else to share responsibilities with.

The only person who is responsible for paying the bills is yourself, so you never have to face late fees because you’re roommate couldn’t remember to pay the bills promptly.

Overall, you have total freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want with whomever you want, so the perks definitely outweigh any potential negatives to living alone. I never really get lonely, and if I do, I can just ask a friend to come over.