Is Living in a Dorm Worth It?

By Madison White on January 13, 2019

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Think of college living. Are you imagining bunk beds, close quarters, and sitting in a dining hall? You probably aren’t alone. Dorm life is often portrayed as a quintessential part of the college experience. For some, living in a dorm presents a host of amazing new opportunities and friendships, while dorm life for others may just raise a lot of concerns. When you’re deciding on where to live during your college career, take a look at these different criteria to see if living in a dorm would be worth it for you.

via Pixabay

1. Living near (or on) campus

If you’ve been a college student, you’ll know that trying to park on a college campus is an enormous hassle for almost everyone. However, if you’re living in a dorm on campus, the need to drive and park, or use public transportation to get to campus, completely disappears.

Living in a dorm almost always ensures that you’ll be within walking distance of most campus buildings. Aside from just getting to your classes, you’re probably also very close to campus amenities like the student center, gym, and library. You’ll be more likely to make use of these while living on campus than you would be if you commuted in every day.

2. Safety

Living on campus usually means that there will be campus police patrolling the area at all times. Depending on your university’s location, sometimes the areas just outside of campus aren’t the safest or are much too expensive for students to live in.

If you know that you’ll be going to classes when it’s dark out, walking on campus will likely feel safer than walking on your own in the city. Plus, many colleges have systems in place where officers or security personnel will escort you to certain areas near the university if you’re feeling particularly nervous.

3. Community integration

If you live in a dorm, you’re going to get to know people around you, whether you really like it or not.

If you’re on the outgoing side, you’ll love having people around that you can chat to and get to know. You’ll probably soon befriend most of the people on your floor and in the regular spots you frequent.

If you’re a bit on the shy side, living in a dorm can be great because it often forces you out of your shell. By living in close proximity to people, you’ll likely end up chatting in places like the laundry rooms or food hall. For some, making friends this way is a lot easier than going out of your way to introduce yourself at social events.

Living in a dorm is also great because you’ll be in the middle of all the action. Most college events happen on campus, so you’ll have access to lots of different club meet-ups, movie nights, and whatever else is going on.

4. Transition living

If this is your first time living on your own, a dorm is a great stepping stone to independence. Living in a dorm means that you won’t have to seek out potential roommates and housing options. You also won’t be responsible for monthly bills that come with independent housing like internet, electricity, and gas.

Although many dorm buildings have kitchens, most will also offer meal plans alongside your dorm payments. If you’re not a whiz in the kitchen yet, it may be best to stick to the cafeteria and keep your focus on learning your course material rather than learning to cook.

5. When dorm living isn’t worth it

No dorm situation is exactly alike and many universities often have multiple dorm options to suit different types of students. These can range from shared rooms to semi-private apartments to completely private suites.

However, for some people that are older or perhaps already have an established way of living, living in a dorm can create more challenges than necessary. Many students that are in their final years or in graduate school often opt out of dorm living and choose to live somewhere that has fewer distractions.

It is also worth it to mention that dorm living, combined with a meal plan, can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. If you have a group of potential roommates, it may be beneficial to seek out shared housing elsewhere that may end up being cheaper. If you are confident in your ability to budget and live independently, living off-campus could be a good choice.

Overall, where you decide to live will have an impact on your lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to control your entire life. While it’s wise to make an educated choice based on your priorities and personality, ultimately, your college experience is what you make of it.

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