"Ignoring fame was my rebellion, in a funny way. I was insistent on being normal and doing normal things. It probably wasn't advisable to go to college in America and room with a complete stranger. And it probably wasn't wise to share a bathroom with eight other people in a coed dorm. Looking back, that was crazy."

-Emma Watson

I remember absolutely dreading dorm life. I wished that I could just start out in a nice little apartment of my own after I had left home, especially since I had no idea what to expect. I also remember move in day. I realized that I was stuck with no air conditioning, a mattress that reminded me of a hospital bed, and communal showers that I’d imagine resembled prison. Might I add that I knew no one (including my roommate)?

However, I was not alone. As scared as I was for my parents to leave me there in an unfamiliar place, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Little did I know that many of the girls on my floor that felt the same way I did would soon become my extremely close friends. Aside the several little annoyances of living in a dorm, I soon realized that dorm life wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated for more reasons than one.

In most cases, your roommate becomes your family member. We've all heard many horror stories when it comes to roommates. Personally, I was terrified to have a roommate. I couldn't see how it was humanly possible to live with someone in a tiny room without disagreements. I was also scared my roommate would kill me (considering I have a bad habit of leaving my things everywhere). However, my roommate has actually helped me get through college so far. There is a key to this though: communication. We let each other know when things drive us crazy, and although we don't always agree, we always look out for one another. To my surprise, she is the only one (besides my mother) who will tell me to study, pick up after myself, or let me know that I'm being irrational when I'm up late crying over whatever the ridiculous situation may be.

With that being said, your "floor mates" become your best friends. They're always a few feet away- Need a screwdriver? A Plate? Any random thing that you generally don't think about in a dorm, someone else has. Anything you ever forget is at your fingertips and fortunately it will save you the long journey to Wal-Mart. Your ‘floor mates’ are also always there for entertainment. This could get quite annoying when you’re trying to study, but no doubt as soon as your done with whatever you’re doing you always have someone to go to dinner and blow off steam with. On top of this, they have seen you at your absolute worse. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve walked to the bathroom with my hair looking like medusa and not caring one bit. Who cares? They won’t judge you for it. Oh, and don’t forget, you’re forced to share showers. Enough said. 

Ever heard of the freshman 15? Yeah, it’s a real thing. When you live on campus there is always food available. Eating becomes more of a guilty pleasure when it’s available to you at your command. Although it’s never healthy, food is still food. Who doesn’t love food? Besides, recreational rooms or centers are always available when you live in the dorms in order to run it off afterwards. 

Endless opportunities come with the endless supply of food. You will see about a million and one posters and flyers hanging everywhere in the dorms. I’m not sure if my residence hall just takes it to the extreme or not, but the RA’s work hard to essentially shove privileges down your throat for your own good. On top of providing you with a safe environment for you to live in, the residence hall staff let you know about all of the opportunities happening around campus that will do nothing but benefit you if you choose to attend. Sometimes you just have to say “Why not?” and go to some of the events.  

Lastly, you learn responsibility. You have to do your own laundry, dishes, as well as learning how to be tidy and time manageable. Some may argue that you could learn the same responsibility living at home or off campus, however, what better way do you learn responsibility than living cramped in a small room with someone you barely know? There are several little things that I didn’t even think about before living without my parents hovering over me or doing things for me. As much as I like not having rules and curfews, you soon learn not to take your parents for granted because it’s all for a good reason!