5 Benefits of Living in a College Dormitory

Many college students move into a dormitory when they first get to college. Indeed, a dorm is essentially a block of small rooms of varying sizes that typically hold a bed, a desk and some other minimal furniture.

Sure, it may not be glamorous, but it is a great way to transition from home life to college life. For one thing, you are thrust into the dorm from the warm, cozy environment of your parent's home, which can have the effect of ripping off a Band-Aid.

If you make the slow transition, it may be more difficult. Moreover, moving into a dorm is a fairly affordable option for room and board while in college.

Many colleges offer dormitories as part of the tuition, or for a very small monthly fee, which is a little bit like rent.

Here are five benefits of living in a college dormitory.

1. It's relatively affordable

One of the main benefits of living in a dorm is that it is much more affordable than moving into an apartment. Sure, you may be able to share an apartment with friends, but if you have never rented an apartment before, you probably want to start with the dorm first.

2. You can find camaraderie

In college, camaraderie is not only important for the sake of having a healthy social life - it is also important for the sake of studying and not feeling so isolated. When you first get to college, it can be a little lonesome and you may start to feel the pangs of homesickness. If this is the case, you'll want to be around other people. Of course, if you are living alone, you won't have this camaraderie.

3. Take a baby-step towards independent living

Of course, many people move out of their parent's home for the first time and don't have the real world skills they need to live independently. Living in the dorm room is a little bit like having training wheels for the real world. Not only do you share the dorm with other students, but you are also forced to clean your own dorm and take care of yourself, which means developing good skills for hygiene, time management and more.

4. Proximity to campus

Another great benefit of living in a dorm is that it is usually really close to campus, if not actually on the campus grounds. If your campus is out of the way and you don't have a car, it could be really inconvenient to get to school if you aren't in the dorms.

Many dorms offer students the ability to wake up just ten minutes before class in the morning because it is just so easy to travel to your lecture hall. This can be a huge benefit when you need that extra hour of sleep in the morning.

5. Comfortable space to relax

All in all, whether you are going to Villanova University or Boston University, living in the dorm can be quite comfortable.

You have all the modern luxuries, like heating and air conditioning, and there is usually a common area where you can relax, watch TV and converse with friends. In the end, you may ultimately have trouble transitioning out of the dorms.