I would definitely recommend living on campus your freshman year. The idea of moving from your parent’s house into a dorm full of hundreds of like minded 18 year olds is intoxicating; probably in more ways than one. Living on campus is the best way to get a great college experience. Here are ten reasons why:
Reason #1: Campus PD, P-Safe, a.k.a rent-a-cop. These are your friendly campus policemen that short of punching them in the face or waving a broken bottle at them are not going to arrest you. They are there to make sure no one gets hurt. Awesome. You know that college bubble you think you’re going to where you’re allowed to get away with things ‘normal’ adults wouldn’t? That’s on-campus, not off.
Reason #2 Your walk or drive is much shorter to class / more sleep = better grades
Reason #3 Closer proximity to all the free campus events: concerts, group performances, sponsored appearances, etc.
Reason #4 Your bills will be a lot simpler. No squabbles with roommates over who pays the utilities
Reason #5 All your academic resources are easier to reach, be that office hours with your T.A., books you need to borrow, study buddies or quiet study space.
Reason #6 More places to eat and drink. Small business owners aren’t dumb; they set up shop where the traffic is, and usually give a student discount.
Reason #7 Your parents will feel better about it, guaranteed. And no one needs that monkey on their back.
Reason #8 Imagine a scenario where you’ve had one too many beers (hard to imagine, but bear with me on this one) your walk home will be significantly more legal and safe.
Reason #9 Campus jobs pay well and usually allow you to study. A commute to a job off-campus burns precious time that could have been used for studying, hanging out with friends, etc. Remember that if you’re going full-time, you will often be crunched for time during the semester.
Reason #10 Friends! They will be around you all the time in a way you will never experience again in the real world with a full-time job, and THAT is what college is all about.
Wonderbread
I’m reading Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology