One of the biggest recommendations colleges and universities make once you’re accepted into their institution is to live on campus. Many suggest that it’s the best way to adjust to the transition from high school to college, and also the best way to meet new people. Based on the fact that I moved from Orlando, FL to Las Cruces, NM leaving behind all my friends and basically everything I ever knew, it seemed obvious that dorm life was the right decision.
In mid-August I arrived to New Mexico State University’s Pan American Center to check-in and receive my keys to the room I would call home for the next eight months. I was ready for a new chapter in my life that involved sharing a bathroom with three other freshmen girls and sharing a room with a complete stranger who could either become a close friend or a close enemy. In my mind this scenario seemed like a great way to start fresh in Las Cruces, which was and still is my main goal throughout my freshman year.
Little did I know that choosing to live on campus was not one of my greatest decisions. After living on campus a few days, I noticed I felt a lot more tired than usual and was becoming very stressed within the little space I resided in. Thankfully, my parents are living in Las Cruces in a house that is only 15 minutes from NMSU’s campus, and after hard and careful thinking, I decided to move out of the dorms, back home with my family.
Although I did have to move in and move out of the dorms within a matter of a few days, I don’t regret experiencing the few days I did have in the dorms and meeting some great people. It will be a struggle to commute to classes and events on a daily basis throughout the year, but it’s a struggle I’m willing to face for a successful future at NMSU.
So if you want to join a residence hall, don’t let my story scare you. Let it inspire you to take risks even if there might be a chance that you may have to deviate from your original plan. I’m starting to learn that that’s what college is all about – taking risks and having fun.