As the year winds down, so does everyone's patience. All I remember from freshmen year was saying, "I can't wait to get out of here" over and over again. The idea of living in some apartment with my best friends was all I could think about each time I spent another night in that little dorm room. I know some will decide to (or be forced to) spend another year living on campus, but most will try their hardest to get out of those dorms as fast as they can. Right now some of you might be thinking that I'm crazy and there's no way that you could ever miss your dorm room, but I promise you there's so much more that comes along with living on campus than just that room you keep all your stuff in.
Although I'm just a sophomore now, I honestly think that my freshmen year of college was the best year of my life and most of that I can credit to living on campus. From late night Pita Pit trips to running through all the fountains on campus, I made so many memories. Here's some of the most important things that I think you should appreciate about living on campus...
1. Walking is always an option.
One of the best things about living on campus is the amount of gas you save because driving isn't necessary most of the time. Parking on campus can be insane, so when you have a good spot, try to keep it. Walk whenever you can and if walking isn't really your thing, I encourage you to use the campus shuttle. I promise, it's not overrated. Just don't forget where you parked...
2. Your bed is literally RIGHT there.
Embrace it. Being able to take naps in between classes is something that I miss the most. Once you're living off campus, you'll find yourself trying to find a nice corner in the library to sleep or taking naps in your car. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
3. The furthest your friends will ever be from you is across campus.
You can always find a friend for whatever you need. Whether they live next door or in the dorm across the street, they're always close. My neighbor quickly became my best friend and we were hardly ever apart (we're roommates now). Take the time to get to know those who live around you and don't take advantage of the fact that you all live so close together. Being able to knock on anyone's door when I wanted company or someone to go to the cafe with was comforting. Once you're living off campus, you'll see that some relationships will deteriorate because you're no longer right next door.
4. The Café.
I realize some people may be cringing right now because they're so over eating at the Café, but grocery shopping for yourself is harder than you think. You realize that you always have too much or too little of something and meals are hard to plan. Every time I'm in the grocery store I think, "How does my mom do this?" and I find myself eating out more often than not. I know the food isn't always the best, but it takes little to no effort to have a solid meal. And yes, there are ways to eat healthy and avoid the dreaded "Freshmen 15". I know the french fries and dessert are tempting, but if you manage to resist them most (not all) of the time then you'll be okay.
5. Less responsibility.
I know we all hate having to follow the rules and guidelines of living on campus. Those dreaded random room checks were always the end of whatever creative thing we decided to do in our dorm and the RA tended to be someone I would rather avoid than interact with. Although there were a lot of rules, you have almost zero responsibilities when living on campus. You don't have to worry about how much water you're using or leaving the air conditioner on too long. There's always someone you can go to for help and someone will always fix whatever is broken.
In the end, living on campus can be a great experience. Whenever I look back at my time spent there I realize how much I did take it for granted. The people I met and the memories I made will stay with me forever. So my advice to you is to do what I didn't do and appreciate it.
