Many people complain about the dorm experience; it is essentially living in a small room with someone you have only spoken to over Facebook messenger. It is sharing a living space with a person or multiple people that you do not know and having that be the case for the entire year. While this might not seem like the ideal living situation, there are many reasons why everyone should live in a dorm; at least for their freshman year:

1. Living on campus.

Going to a new place can already be confusing enough, but it will be easier to find your classes and know where you are trying to go if you live in the same environment. There will be no taking a bus or having to drive to class, which alone will make navigating around the campus much easier. Also, the walks to classes will force you to get to know your campus, which is never a bad thing.

2. Getting involved.

This plays into the fact that you are living on campus, as well. Because you are living on campus, you will be much more inclined to go to things such as activity fairs or things that are going on around the campus. This helps you to get more involved and meet new people. Getting to the places could be a hassle if you live off campus, so being so close to these places can be seen as an advantage.

3. Meeting other freshman.

Many schools have freshman only dorms, which means that you are only living in a building with other freshman. This helps to branch out and make other friends that are also new to campus and in the same position as you are.

4. Having a community.

Most dorms, mine included, have special nights and events for their residents. Here they try to get people together and do things such as painting pumpkins in October or making ornaments in December. They are fun little nights that allow you to meet other people in your building and start to form a community based on where you live.

5. The experience.

Everyone that lives in a dorm their freshman year always remembers the experience, from how small the rooms were to the almost-strangers that they were forced to live with. Living in dorms on campus is part of the experience and helps transition from high school to college in a much smoother way.