Moving Up! Say Goodbye to the Dorms and Hello to Freedom!

As much as everyone would like to admit they hated living in the dorms, no one can deny the sense of comfort they felt in residence life. Sure the dorms are cramped and old, but they are the ideal way to make friends. Residence life provides new college students with a unique opportunity to meet people and participate in campus-organized activities. After freshmen year, and sometimes sophomore year just as students start to feel comfortable they are uprooted and forced to find shelter elsewhere.  Most students opt to live in an apartment or house.
Moving out of the dorms is like starting college all over again. In most cases people choose to live with their friends, but it can still be an isolating experience. This is especially true at a school where Greek life is prominent and most girls choose to live in their houses sophomore year. As far as dorms are concerned, pretty much everything is taken care of from finding a roomie to fixing the air conditioning. In a house or apartment, there is a greater sense of responsibility. You have to take care of all maintenance problems yourself or call the landlord who isn’t always reliable (this includes killing bugs). Roomie problems that were not an issue in the dorm have now become majorly complicated. Living in a house means splitting rent and utilities, plus you have to buy all of the home essentials. On top of that, you’re no longer in the center of the social scene. Meeting up with a friend is no longer as simple as walking down the hall or across the street. You are no longer walking distance from everything you need that includes classes, say goodbye to afternoon naps in between classes. Sometimes moving out of the dorms can be incredibly difficult.
Okay, so living off campus is no walk in the park but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. You thought you had freedom in the dorms? Living off campus means no RAs to rain on your parade. You can essentially do whatever you want and no one will care, unless you have overbearing parents. Blast your music as loud as you want, hey you can even burn a candle! Even though your friends may live further from you doesn’t mean you can’t hang out at each other’s houses all the time. On top of this you have more personal space. There’s nothing quite like having your own bedroom and not sleeping in an extra long twin bed. One of the best parts of living off campus is having a kitchen. Invite your friends over to make dinner or just to hang out. After freshman year, you have the freedom to meet even more new people. Although you may feel isolated from your friends who live in fraternity or sorority houses this is actually hugely beneficial. Your friends will need a place to escape all the drama of Greek life and your living room couch is the perfect place. Your friends will probably return the favor by inviting you to lunch courtesy of the house chef. What college student doesn’t want a free meal? Also, you can’t pregame in a sorority house but the same rules don’t apply to your own house. Most students who live off campus have cars after freshman year. If you don’t have one, don’t be shy about asking for rides. Make an effort to meet your neighbors and start up a conversation with someone you never thought you would talk to. Stay connected to your friends from freshman year; they’ll be your support system for the next three years. Above all, find a place to live in a convenient location that feels safe and homey. Seek out people to live with you know you’ll get along with. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work out, most leases are only a year. It’s a huge adjustment but you’ll be a better person afterwards.
Every year of college is new so it comes with its own challenges. Moving out of the dorms is a huge step towards becoming more independent. Take advantage of these new opportunities and challenges and grow to be a better person from them. It will be hard at times, but you can’t live in a dorm forever. Did I mention you could do whatever you want? Within reason of course.