Should You Live in a Dorm Room?
Advantages & Disadvantages to College Student Residence Halls
Nov 5, 2007
Living in a dorm can be one of the most fun experiences you'll have in college, but it also has its drawbacks. Here are some pros and cons to dormitory life.
Is a college dorm room the right living arrangement for you? Or is another option better, such as staying at home and commuting to school, or living in an off-campus student apartment? Of course, part of any college student's decision on where to live is a financial one, and that varies from campus to campus. At some schools, the dorms are much cheaper than the apartments near campus, and in some schools the apartments are far less expensive than the dormitories.
Aside from financial considerations, there are other factors to consider. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantage to life in a residence hall.
Advantages to Dorm Life
- Companionship. When you live in a dorm, it's hard to be lonely. There's always someone hanging out in the hallway looking for a friendly conversation. College campuses can be big and intimidating, and living in a dorm is an easy opportunity to meet people. For freshmen who are prone to homesickness, the companionship found in a dorm can make the transition away from home easier.
- Freedom. Some college students don't mind living with their parents. And some do. When you're living away from home, your parents will have a whole lot less say in your everyday life-- and to many students, that's exhilarating.
- Simplicity. Living in a dorm is much easier than living in an apartment. There are no monthly bills to pay, except for maybe your cell phone and cable. You don't have to worry about buying groceries and making your own meals, and there's far less space to clean.
- Convenience. Feel like rolling out of bed at 9:45 to go to your 10:00 a.m. class? No problem if you live on campus! You can walk everywhere that you need to go and don't have to deal with the hassles of parking and commuting.
- Freebies. Some dorm rooms come with free cable, high speed Internet access, and other perks.
- Interpersonal skills. Dorm life is a crash course in interpersonal skills. You need to learn how to get along with your roommate and the people in your hallway. Heck, after living in close proximity to all these people, living with a spouse or partner someday may seem easy.
- The full campus experience. Many students enjoy living in the dorms for a year or two because it makes them feel part of campus life.
- Fun. Living in a dorm can be a blast!
Disadvantages to Dorm Life
- Lack of privacy. Constant companionship can certainly have its drawbacks, namely... constant companionship! It's hard to be lonely when you're living in a dorm, but then again, it's also hard to be alone.
- Roommate conflict. Sharing a tiny room with a stranger-- sound like a potential nightmare? Some roommate experiences are worse than others, but most students find this experience to be at least somewhat difficult.
- Noise. Hope you're a sound sleeper, because things can get pretty loud at 4:00 a.m. on the weekends!
- That freaky kid down the hall. Dorm life is a great opportunity to meet people, but they're not all going to be people you want to meet.
- Drama. So-and-so was dating so-and-so, but then they broke up and now so-and-so is dating so-and-so's former best friend who is, like, super mad and venting all over Facebook, which is making so-and-so mad... you get the idea. Too many people, too small a space, too much drama.
- The meal plan. Most dorm contracts require that you purchase a campus meal plan. This is a whole lot more convenient than making your own meals, but it means an awful lot of cafeteria meals that may be less than delicious or nutritious.. Usually you have to pay for a certain number of meals even if you don't eat all of them.
- Mandatory breaks. Many dorms require students to leave for breaks and, of course, for summer. This can be a pain, especially if you're an out-of-state student.
- Too much freedom. A parent-free environment is awesome, but can you handle it?
Best of luck, students! For more tips, check out this roommate survival guide.
The copyright of the article Should You Live in a Dorm Room? in Student Housing is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Should You Live in a Dorm Room? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
