So many people try to get out of dorm life, but it's one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had. Freshman year of college is full of uncomfortable experiences and dorm life is no exception. Every dorm has its horror stories and mine is definitely up there on the list, but uncomfortable experiences give you character and definitely give you stories. Here's why I recommend dorm life:
You will meet so many people.
If you're living in a classic dorm, where you share a room with someone, and either share a bathroom with your next-door-neighbors or the entire hall, you are bound to meet people. For anyone, especially out-of-state students, this is a huge deal. Just from seeing people in the lobby, on the elevator, or in the laundry room, you will meet someone just from being in such close proximity. I've met some of my greatest friends from living in a dorm and I've also learned how to be more accepting of other people's lifestyles and how to get along with people who aren't just like me.
(Above: Me with my roommate and one of our suitemates.)
Dorm life strips you of your comforts.
Yes, I cried when my parents dropped me off and spent many nights during the fall semester lonely and homesick, but it's all part of the packaged deal. You'll have to figure out sleep schedules, buy your own toilet paper, find your meals, run to get the shower first, and constantly deal with a messy room and cluttered mind. Dorm life robs you of every comfort and ease that came with life at home, but it also allows you to build your life up from the beginning exactly how you'd like. I mean, at the very least, you get to decide how you want the layout of your room to be. Nothing about dorm life is comfortable but it prepares you for the rest of college and prepares you for life as an adult.
(Above: My wonderfulfamily helping me move in!)
(Above: Cleaning out the light fixtures because they were filled with bugs. So, so glamorous, I know.)
It teaches you how to make the most of a small space.
I never thought I could live in a room that small with all of my possessions but it teaches you how to make the most of what you've got. Every inch is fair game and it teaches you not to bring everything you've ever owned to college with you. Even though you think you'll really need that *insert trivial and seemingly useless object here*, it's probably going to end up in a corner, or shoved into some sort of storage somewhere. Downsize, downsize, downsize.
(Above: My dorm at the beginning of the year (the cleanest it has ever been and will ever be.)
If anything, do it for the stories.
I've had to break up a fight, I've had an explicit word written on my door in marker, I've gone to get food in the early early hours of the morning, I've comforted friends, I've cried my eyes out, I've laughed until my abs wouldn't let me laugh anymore, I've met some amazing people...Dorm life is made for stories. Example: As seen below; our bathtub came with a loch ness monster pre-placed on it by someone who lived here before us.
Example #2: Our shower switches to the bath faucet mid-shower and always provides a fun game while showering to see how many times you can switch the water back to the shower head before it's time to get out of the shower. Everyone in my dorm has bonded over how horrible the elevators are and how gross our dorm is and it's given some character to our college experiences. And just think, it's only up from here. Because really, what could be worse than your college dorm?
