Never in my life did I think I would enjoy staying at school, but in my year and a half of living on campus, I look back at my thought and laugh at it. This is beyond any doubt one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Of course, there are a few drawbacks to living in a dorm, such as fees, roommate privacy, and quiet hours, but being an independent student living at school is so enjoyable. Here are eight reasons why!
1. There are tons of on-campus job opportunities.
These are a gift from heaven. Have a long way to go for your job while living on campus? CSU is so awesome that they offer jobs on campus to students so it is more convenient for them to make it to work and school. The pay is fair, the jobs are easy enough to get a good work ethic, and the managers are all fair and understanding of a busy schedule. One thing I think should be better are the hours of operation because I feel like they open too early and close too early, but other than that, go get yourself a job on campus at CSU!
2. The RAs are totally awesome.
My RA (Resident Assistant) is such a down to earth guy. Every floor of Fenn Tower has one and what they do is that they plan floor activites and keep in touch with all of the residents of the floor. He and I have watched games with each other, he's helped me out with a few of my assignments, and we’ve just had casual conversations with each other. RA's are residents just us, but it's kind of cool to have someone that plans all these things so everyone on the floor can have a good time!
3. Help is easily accessible
Need help with your work? No car needed to make a lengthy trip to school. My professors are well within walking distance if I need help with an assignment. And if I need to work on something with another student in one of my classes, they are right there. A quick walk to the library or student center? Beats a car drive downtown any day of the week!
4. Weekends
I currently live in Fenn Tower, which is literally right in Downtown Cleveland. There are tons of events that happen on weekends, ranging from floor activities, restaurants staying open late, the game room, and the convenience of having friends on my floor to hang out with on weekends. Sure, you need to get work done, but weekends are a blast living on campus!
5. Close to necessities
This is awesome for me because I live by restaurants and two stores. They are within walking distance and simple necessities like food and water are super cheap. "But no one likes walking in the rain right?" That's no problem for me because the dorm complex I stay at has a built in shop on the first floor that has even cheaper food and necessities.
More often than not, I don't even need to pay with cash because my ID card has cash in it. And should I run out of food at my dorm, there's a cafeteria with any food you can imagine right on campus, and I find myself there every day. When I stay at campus, stores are obsolete.
6. You get to be your own person
Move-in day!
Remember when you were at home and you needed to tell your parents that you were going out? Or that you even needed to ask them if you could go out? When I stay on campus, my roommates don't care where I go and what I do. Want to go out to a bar and get a drink? Go for it. It's not like I'm at an airport. You don't need to announce you're leaving.
It also gives me an opportunity to re-invent myself. I used to be a very introverted person before staying on campus, but it seems like ever since I started living on my own, I have broken out of my shell if you will. No one knows you, you meet lots of new people, so why not take the chance on freeing yourself from getting people to know you?
7. No commuting and no worrying about parking in Downtown Cleveland
No gas, no flat tires, no traffic, no parking, and no stupid-ass drivers. Life is good when class is less than a mile walk away and I don't need to get in my car every day. However, the number one reason I love staying on campus is a direct reason for a lot of the things highlighted on this list and makes staying on campus worth the pay!
8. You save so much money
I find myself saving a lot of green by staying on campus. Back in the day when I went to community college, gas station trips for filling up my car occurred at least twice a week and my bills would take a beating.
Now that I live on campus and don't pay for parking, I have the luxury of not having to worry about using my car a while and even when I do need to spend money, I don't spend a whole lot. The most I ever had to pay for necessities was $40 but other than that, staying on campus has allowed me to save a lot of money and is by far the number one thing I love most about staying at CSU!
All of these reasons are why I will remain on campus for as long as I stay at CSU and why campus life is one decision I am proud I made! Staying on campus is one decision you'll never regret, so I encourage all potential Vikings to consider living in Fenn or Euclid!
