Unpopular Opinion of College Dorms 

By: Sierra Byrne 

I am fully aware that this may be an unpopular opinion, but I do slightly miss living in the dorms. Granted, I am in no way wanting to move back in but the energy and social setting that I found in the dorms are not like anything else I have experienced before. 

For all of the fellow UVM students, if you stepped foot in WDW, you would know that you can’t see your neighbors that live across the hall. Rather, you see a tan cinder-block painted wall with nothing but some decor your RA put up. That is where I lived my freshman year, and for me, personal opinion of course, I hated it. Keep in mind, I was a freshman going through college during COVID, and it still was not a fun time.

Therefore, I made sure that for my sophomore year I was somewhere else, and with that I migrated over to MSH and spent the wonderful months of my sophomore year in Simpson 504. In this dorm, I grew to appreciate what was known to be “college-dorm living.”

I had the rah-rah on my floor, the energy was always up and people were always down to hang out. The transition that I experienced from my freshman to sophomore year was a complete 180. I never felt alone in my dorm sophomore year because you could always hear people, compared to my freshman year walking outside of my door and being looked into the eyes of a cinder-block wall–it screamed loneliness. 

After two years required to live in the dorms, I now find myself on the other side of it and living off campus with three of my best friends. I love the home we have created and I can’t imagine myself living in a small, shared space, but dorm living is a different kind of living. It is weird to explain to people who have never lived in traditional dorms with one roommate and a communal bathroom. I know this may be controversial, but living in an apartment style dorm is not the same experience. 

The experience that I am talking about is living within the small wall of a dorm with two twin XL size beds, 2 desks, 2 dressers while also sharing a microwave, fridge and creating innovative meals. To me, that is traditional living in college and that is something that I will cherish and remember forever.

I miss the pillow talks my roommate and I would have at the end of a long, exhausting day. I miss the kitchen, office, bedroom all-in-one dynamic. I miss walking in and out of everyone on your floors, or dorm building rooms so easily. 

Things like this are something that are so rare and miserable in the moment but looking back I for sure took them all for granted. I guess then, this article is me reminiscing on the good times of the dorms but also urging the underclassmen to have the best time in the dorms and live it up. 

Don’t get me wrong, living off campus is great but there are a lot more responsibilities. I urge you to not only cherish the social scene that is present within the dorms but enjoy doing your laundry while it’s free, soak up all of the dining hall food because cooking daily is a pain and most importantly, enjoy being surrounded by your best friends. The two years fly by so make sure it is the best and most memorable time yet. 

With love, 

Sierra

*Edited by Amanda H

• #college
• #dormlife #food #collegelife