Let’s chat about college!
As your acceptance letters pile up, so do the important decisions, like deciding whether or not to dorm! I’m currently a college freshman and I attend a school mainly made up of commuters! I however, had absolutely no choice but to dorm since I live six hours away. I have friends who dorm and I have friends who commute, so I know there are pros and cons to both! If you’re interested in dorming, here are some of the pros and cons you should definitely know!
Pros:
- You’ll meet some of the weirdest, yet coolest people.
Dorming creates a social life for you. You’ll have at least one roommate, and if you’re lucky, you guys will bond right away giving you an automatic college bestie! You’ll also most likely meet some super cool people in your hall, which will make your time in college ten billion times better. Late night study [vent] sessions, movie nights, and laughing and playing uno until 3 AM, are some of the things you can expect if you choose dorm life.
- Freedom
Your parents won’t be there to monitor your every move and no one will stop you from driving to the local 24-hour tacos drive-thru spot at 2 AM or going to a party the night before an exam, which I highly advise you don’t do. You’re literally on your own and free to make your own decisions, which also forces you to learn responsibility. (BTW, late night food runs are what college students live for… and partly the reason why freshman 15 exists.)
- Proximity
Living on-campus means you’re close to everything. You can sleep in until 7:15, throw on some leggings and a hoodie, grab a bagel from Einstein’s (My obsession with their french toast w/ smear bagel is the reason why I’m running low on meal points..) and still make it your 8 AM lecture on time!
- Your dorm friends will become your home away from home.
The friends you make in the dorms will become your support system. You’ll help distract each other from homesickness, be there for each other when you’re all actually sick, and just turn to each other when college life feels difficult and/or frustrating.
Cons:
- The bathrooms
Although the bathroom situation isn’t as bad as I expected, I still would much rather use the shower at my house. Walking to the bathroom and a) hoping the janitor isn’t cleaning at the moment and b) praying that my favorite shower stall isn’t already taken, are definitely two things I won’t miss when I’m done with dorm life. Your shower caddy, shower shoes (please incoming college freshman, WEAR SHOWER SHOES.), and robe will become your best friend.
P.S. Waking up late and needing to wash your face in the bathroom, but sadly realizing the janitor is cleaning, is an annoying situation every dorm resident knows much too well.
P.S.S. I have developed a robe obsession since coming to the dorms. I literally have a different robe for different moods!
- The laundry room
In my entire hall, there are about 250 residents and only 4 washing machines and 4 dryers. Dragging your heavy laundry bag to the laundry room and finding out that all four of the machines are taken is another annoying situation every dorm resident has dealt with. On top of that, you’re also sharing the laundry room with a bunch of strangers who don’t understand proper laundry room etiquette. So, expect to see a pile of someone’s clothes sitting in the corner of a table for a week. But, like seriously, how do you just forget about your clothes?
- Tour groups
Not every resident can relate to this, but I received the great luck of getting the room two doors down from the show room. Tour groups are incredibly loud, obnoxious, and bold. And by bold I mean middle-school looking boys hitting on you at 9:30 AM, type of bold.
- You will get sick. A lot.
Think about it; you’re sharing a bathroom, laundry machines, and just space in general with a bunch of other people 24/7. If one person gets sick, it spreads like wildfire. Thankfully, there’s resources on campus like the health and wellness center!
- Homesickness
Whether you’re 50 miles away or 300+, you’re eventually going to experience feelings of homesickness. College will most likely be your first time on your own and away from your familiar hometown, so you’re bound to miss your friends and family. But homesick feelings can be cured by great friends, so definitely don’t let this factor prevent you from experiencing dorm life!
Whether you choose to dorm, stay at home, or get your own place, I know you’ll make the right decision! Good luck incoming freshman and be on the lookout for the next college miniseries post.
xoxo,
Eliz