The word "dorm" sounds daunting to some, but I'm here to say that although there are scary stories of creepy roommates and weird smells in the communal bathrooms, there are lots of reasons why living in the dorms have helped me socially and academically.

1. You're close to classes. When it's -10 degrees outside, do you really want to be walking from an apartment three miles away to get to your 8 a.m. on time? Living in the dorms gives you motivation to wake up on those chilly mornings and walk the less than 10 minutes to class.

2. Sense of community. Moving away from home can be a scary thing, but walking up the six flights of stairs with all your belongings on move in day and seeing 40-plus smiling women on your floor can make that transition easier.

3. FOOD. There are many awesome aspects of college, but food is a huge one. In the dorms, you never need to worry about spending money on groceries, or cooking lunch when you have class in 20 minutes. Just walk down to the Dining Hall, and there you'll find a plethora of goodness, already prepared for you to eat to your heart's content.

4. Greater odds of academic success. Living in the dorms enables you to surround yourself with individuals who share the same end goals of getting good grades and graduating. You have an awesome support system to walk with you to the library, or help study for that pesky stat test.

5. Friends for a lifetime. Although living in the dorms has its ups and downs, the friends you make your freshmen year can be your friends forever. They'll be there to grab coffee with you after an all-nighter, go out on the weekends, and encourage you when you're feeling down after a bad grade or break-up. Friends are your family in college, and living in the dorms is a great way to meet them.