The gross communal bathrooms, living with a roommate, having to deal with noise, and in my case, no air conditioning – Why would I ever choose to live on campus?
For me, the answer was easy – Because the benefits outweigh all of those negatives.
1.) Living in campus residence halls builds community.
– Meeting more people, including classmates, future sorority sisters or sports team members is an important milestone at college.
– The friends made in college can become lifelong friends and a great support system for life experiences as well as a network for future jobs.
– Being able to make close friends with students who live in the same hall or in other halls widen the opportunities for networking.
2.) Living on campus forces students to be responsible
– Independence is a huge factor in responsibility. You gain so much independence when you have to clean your room, take your trash out, and do your own laundry and dishes.
– Responsibility includes being considerate of another individual who shares your very close space. It’s an important balance to accept your roommate’s daily habits, friends and perhaps, even music or entertainment preferences.
– Not having someone always there to nudge you about your schedule, deadlines or other important reminders also builds responsibility.
3.) Being close to everything you need helps to keep “needs” and “wants” in perspective.
– Knowing you have access to food, drinks, books and supplies within walking distance at any time is a huge benefit of campus life.
– Being able to meet friends for a coffee or a burger without driving off campus is an added bonus.
– Having professors, medical personnel, police and other service providers on the same site is a privilege that only exists in campus settings and military bases. It’s likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth embracing.
4.) Being on campus brings many leadership opportunities that could help students build confidence and secure jobs after graduation.
– While living on campus, students don’t have to waste the travel time to participate in sporting events. It’s often easier to become a team captain if you can be at the field or gym ahead of other members.
– Because a college campus is a contained community, it requires leaders for residence halls and other organizations focused on students who call the school home.
– Helping to mitigate disputes between roommates or campus groups, teaches leadership skills important to many careers.