Most people decide that dorm life isn't for them by junior year. I was one of those people. In the middle of my sophomore year I started apartment hunting with my three closest friends. We were so excited, and spoke of nothing but how awesome our new apartment would be. Of course, that was before I realized how expensive things were going to be.
I'm heavily involved on campus, and at the time my parents didn't want me to get a job. "School comes first," they said. I agreed, but the apartment was perfect. I started some light job hunting but a lot of places were not flexible with hours and I had a funky class schedule, not to mention five different club meetings. I was also really uncomfortable with asking my parents to pay my rent because they do so much already. I felt so much pressure to follow through with the apartment, so I was hoping for a miracle.
The miracle never came, and I finally told my roommate that I couldn't move off-campus. I felt horrible because she'd end up with someone random, and then she said the sweetest thing ever. She said if I wasn't moving into the apartment she wasn't either. She put her own desires aside and decided to be a friend instead. From there we began the process of choosing our next dorm.
I thought that last year was going to be hard with all of our friends moving off of campus. Turns out, we had everything we needed right where we were. Our closest friends were on campus as well, and the year went just fine. We briefly visited the idea of living off-campus again, but decided money would be too tight. Our senior year would be spent on campus.
Fast forward to now. It has been a week since we have been in our apartment style dorm, Appalachian Heights, and we love it! It has a kitchen, a living room and our living space is shared with two awesome girls.
Now it would appear that money was the driving factor for us living on-campus again. It was the main concern, yes. But last year when I was faced with the decision of living on or off-campus, I realized that I didn't much care where I lived. I have an amazing roommate that I am so proud to call my best friend, wonderful people living in my residence hall and a place to lay my head at night. My tuition might be higher due to on-campus living, but I have a home away from home and that's really all that I could ask for.
To my roommate, Adrianna, thank you for making the last few years so memorable and perfect. When people say that you find lifelong friends in college, they're talking about you. Thank you for being my confidant, drinking buddy, fellow clean freak, salsa queen and all around best friend. I love you so much. No matter where we live, having you is the only requirement (a puppy wouldn't hurt).
Us when you try to mess with our friendship.
