From noisy dormitories to questionable dining hall food, many people are confused as to why someone would choose to live at college when they could get the same education while living in the comfort of their own home. While I can definitely see the many perks to living at home, as the years have gone by I could not be more thankful for my decision to live on campus. Here are five simple reasons why I'm glad I decided to dorm.
1. Convenience
Though this may not be the most emotional or exciting of reasons, it is still something that I recognize as a huge perk. I definitely feel for the commuters who have to show up many hours early to class in order to fight for a parking spot. I feel quite content when I'm still snuggled up in bed, knowing I only have a five-minute walk ahead of me. Not to mention I have the ability to relax in my room
2. Independence
This is something that many people rejoice in at the very beginning of freshman year, but it tends to become commonplace as the years go on. It's exciting and fun to be able to live your own life and start making decisions for yourself. While all of this independence may seem overwhelming in the beginning, after a while it becomes commonplace and you realize you have truly become your very own person. Whether those decisions turn out to be good or bad, they tend to always come with a lesson that makes you better prepared for the future.
3. Life skills
This can often go hand in hand with the aforementioned independence. It can be a hard adjustment for many, going from living at home under the guidance of their parents to living in a dorm full of other people their own age. Despite it being quite a switch, I feel that I have truly learned or perfected many important life skills since I began living in a dorm. Some of these include: time management, decision making, responsibility, dealing with others and organization. From big assignments to troublesome roommates, dorm life is often throwing situations at us that we must learn how to deal with on our own.
4. Campus activities 
One very obvious perk to living in a dorm is the amount of different activities available on campus. While it is obvious that these activities are open to commuters as well (and they obviously do take advantage of them), it is often much easier to get involved when you live on campus. For those that commute, driving takes up a lot of time and is often a big factor when it comes to events or activities that occur earlier in the day or later at night. I feel I have become an amazing part of campus life and truly enjoy the activities that my school has to offer.
5. Friends
Again, this is not to say that those who commute do not have or make friends at college, but I personally feel I have made nearly all of my close friends through my dorm experience. By living so closely with people, I have had many opportunities to meet different people who I may have never met otherwise. As the semesters go by, I continue to be extremely thankful for them and all of the exciting experiences we have had together.
As I reflect back on the time I have spent at college and the time I will continue to spend here in the next year, I can't help but be thankful for the opportunity I have had -- not just to attend school but to live on campus as well. I have gained so many amazing skills, insights and experiences through being here. Never take your noisy dorm or crowded dining hall for granted; they're all part of an amazing experience.
