5 Benefits of Living in a College Dorm

What comes to mind when you think of living in a college dorm? Before I started college, I expected a dorm to be a place that’s crowded, busy, unclean, and just absolutely horrible for anybody who has to live there. So, you can imagine how I felt when I was told that for my first year of studies, I would be obligated to live in a dorm.

Fortunately, spending a year in one proved to me just how wrong I was about dorm life! Now, I encourage every college student to live in a college dorm for a year or two if they have the opportunity to do so. Are you still having doubts? Then check out these five benefits of living in a college dorm to see just how worthwhile dorm life can really be!

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1. Make friends easily. When you’re new to a college campus, making friends can be incredibly difficult and overwhelming. That’s when living in a college dorm comes to the rescue! When you find yourself in close quarters with a group of people, communication starts to come naturally. You see each other every morning and every evening, and you realize that it’s easier to get to know each other when you’re living in the same building. I met some of my closest friends in college as a result of dorm life, and I know it was the same for many other students.

2. Live close to classes. Imagine how early you’d have to get up to make it to an 8am class on campus when you’re living somewhere else. You’d have to account for traffic, the difficulties of finding parking, and so much more. But when you’re living in a campus dorm, none of that is a problem. You get up, get ready, and walk over to your morning class with ease. As someone who’s attended college while living both on and off-campus, I can vouch for the fact that dorm life was a savior when it came to my early morning classes.

3. Get a taste of independence. When you’re living in a college dorm, nobody is going to take care of you, and you really have to learn to fend for yourself. That means taking care of meals, laundry, cleaning, and other errands that your parents or family may have helped take care of when you lived at home. Plus, if you’re in a dorm, there’s a good chance you’ll be living with a roommate who has a different definition than you when it comes to the word ‘clean.’ This is great preparation for the real world, where you’ll likely find yourself having to compromise with friends, roommates, partners, and others you may end up living with.

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4. Get the most out of your college experience. When you live in a campus dorm, you find yourself in the middle of all the exciting college activities taking place. Clubs organizing get-togethers, students throwing parties, academic organizations hosting events — all of it. And living in a college dorm, you’ll be right in the epicenter of everything going on. You won’t have to worry about the long route home after a party, and you won’t have to worry about wasting an hour on your commute home after a networking event. You’ll really get the most out of your college experience by living in a dorm.

5. Live in furnished housing. One of the most painful (and expensive) things about moving into a place on your own is dealing with the furniture. You need to buy yourself a bed, a desk, a couch, a chair — amongst other things — and those costs add up quickly. Plus, you have to deal with the relocation process and added expenses of all those things every time you move. That’s why a dorm is the perfect option when it comes to your college living arrangement, because it’s already going to be furnished with everything you need. I promise you that this is one of the biggest advantages of living in student housing during your time in college.

Don’t get me wrong — nothing is perfect, including dorm life. But even taking into account all the negatives that come with it, the benefits you reap from taking a chance on living in a dorm will outweigh any of the losses. Do you think it’s better to try living in a college dorm when possible? Share your thoughts in the comments below!