When you think about dorms you probably have mixed thoughts.
While I can say there are benefits and drawbacks of the dorms, they are definitely worth living in your first year. Living in a dorm is part of the college experience. I lucked out and stayed in a brand new dorm my freshman year that happened to be right across from the on-campus Denny's.
Dorms offer a great way to meet people. People are constantly coming and going and this is useful for letting your friends in. There are shared laundry machines so everyone has to come out of their cave at some point to wash their clothes. I met some cool people doing laundry.
On top of that, there is a team of staff working hard to ensure the best possible experience for you. Your RA's actually care how you are adjusting to college and want your living situation to be comfortable. They put on social events to feed you and get you to make more friends in the building. I suggest going to these events with a friend if you need to feel more comfortable, but if you go by yourself more power to you!
They're just so convenient. Everything is on campus within walking distance of your dorms. You never have to find parking which is a huge burden once you move off campus. Initially, I hated all the walking but once I got used to it I enjoyed the freedom it offered. I didn't have a car to be responsible for and keep an eye on.
When you walk around you be a part of all the wonderful moments happening on campus. If you keep an open mind you can get into some spontaneous adventures! I've gotten into ping pong tournaments, talked to a football player at the Landis fountain at 2 AM, and watched an impromptu band form up on Landis for a jam sesh. None of that would have happened without walking around and just chatting up everyone I thought looked interesting.
Dorms also teach you how to be a better roommate. Some of you reading this will disagree and say that your roommate sucked but all I can say is that shouldn't stop you from being the best roommate possible. The guy I lived with turned out to be a great friend of mine and we were totally random! The dude was 6'5 and his bed was right next to the door. I can't tell you how many times I blindly wandered into the room in the dark and bumped into his feet hanging off the bed.
I learned to share a space with someone and to be courteous with my volume. I never had to share my bedroom before and all of a sudden sleeping in a room with a stranger was a weird experience.
On top of that, I shared a bathroom with my two suitemates next door which was new for me as well. I figured out when the best time to take a shower in the morning before my class was and also figured out when I could blast music and when not to.
Sometimes my roommate and I would study in our rooms but sometimes we'd throw parties. It all came down to being courteous with our shared space and recognizing that it wasn't 100% mine or his, and that communication is key.
