Whether they should live on campus or not is a decision that every freshman (or sometimes even upperclassmen) has to make as the school year approaches. While most people associate it with gross bathrooms, expensive fees and a lack of space, there is a reason why living on campus has become a quintessential part of the college experience.
1. It comes with built in friends.
This is the reason why most people choose to live on campus their first year. Making friends can sometimes be hard and when you are surrounded by people that are in the same position as you (a good deal of whom are freshmen who are looking for friends too) it makes friends so much easier. Living in such close proximity to other people means that you have no excuse not to interact with them and develop strong relationships with your roommate or the people on your floor. All you have to do is spend some time in your dorm’s common area or prop your door open. Making strong connections with other students makes it so much easier to feel at home in a new place and make the transition into college seem less overwhelming.
2. It is super convenient.
While some off campus apartments can be only minutes away from campus, they can never be as convenient as living on campus. Especially if you live in the city, the traffic while driving to school can be terrible. And if you go to a large school, finding parking can be almost impossible. Being on campus means that you are never more than a short walk away from your classes or any big events being held by the school, which means that it’s a lot easier to be involved and to focus on school work.
3. Having an RA is incredibly helpful.
While your RA is largely there to ensure that everything runs smoothly in your dorm hall, that’s not all they do. Chances are, your residential adviser is an upperclassman and is more than willing to give advice, answer questions and just generally help you out. Dorm advisers can be a great source of information or reassurance because they have been in your shoes before and have made it through.
4. Constant access to food.
Chances are that if you live on campus, you also have a dining hall that is super close by. This is especially useful if you haven’t quite mastered the art of cooking your own food and unlimited meal plans in particular ensure that you will never go hungry.
5. Clean bathrooms and maintenance.
While it might be tricky keeping your dorm room clean, the bathrooms aren’t something you have to worry about. While the idea of sharing a bathroom might seem gross, they are cleaned so often that they are likely cleaner than your bathroom at home.
