We all go through the inevitable dorm room phase of our college careers, and though it’s great while it lasts, you’ll be happy to move on to bigger and better living spaces. There are so many things to love about living off-campus, especially when we have so many different apartment complexes to choose from.
1. No more meal plans or living off of microwaveable meals
Oh, Centen Dining Hall, how I don’t miss you. Though Taco Tuesday’s at Late Night were a bright spot in my week, dining hall food could get pretty cringeworthy. Because of that, I was often found eating copious bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for every meal. When I started considering 17th Ave. as gourmet dining, I knew there was a problem. My most highly anticipated part of moving into an apartment this year was getting to eat REAL FOOD (!!!) made by me in a real life kitchen. Sure, grocery shopping can be a painful task that reminds me I’m an adult now, but it’s cheaper than the dining hall and I get to make things exactly how I want them.
2. Unlofted beds
I’m not sure why it’s easier to sleep closer to the ground, but it really is. The last thing I wanted to do after long nights of studying was deliriously trek up the ladder to get into bed. Not to mention, the thought of climbing down to get ready for class in the morning made it extra torturous to get out of bed. As simple as it is, I love just being able to hop into bed at night. Also, it’s not as much of a nightmare if you wake up in the middle of the night and have to pee.
3. More roomies
On-campus living usually means you share a room with one other person, but moving off-campus allowed me to have three roomies that I absolutely adore! I love coming home from a long day of class to have dinner and chat for a bit before starting homework. The trick is finding roomies with the same interests as you: ours include wine and drooling/crying/screaming at Channing Tatum in “The Vow.”
4. You get to be in touch with your inner interior designer
If you’re a Pinterest queen like me, you were probably pumped to move into a bigger and more aesthetically pleasing place so you could get crafty and decorate. Maybe putting together IKEA furniture isn’t classified as handywork, but it has to count for something.
5. You finally feel like a big girl
Okay, so adult life includes paying rent which makes us all very sad, but feeling like a big girl in an apartment of your own instead of a confused girl at summer camp who misses her mom is a definite plus. We get to pretend to be sophisticated adults while simultaneously hiding from our responsibilities under our expertly made blanket forts.
6. More privacy
In the dorms, I learned about the lives of my neighbors without even talking to them. The walls are so paper-thin, you can hear every conversation and practically every movement of the people around you. With more space and less congestion, apartments offer way more privacy.
**Hint to rowdy neighbors: Despite the thicker walls, we can still hear you partying until 2 a.m. on a Tuesday night.
7. Space to breathe
The amazing thing about apartments is that there’s actually different rooms for different activities. In dorms, you study, eat, change clothes, put on makeup, relax, party, call your mom and sleep all in one room. Apartments are one step closer to actual adulthood with bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a laundry room so you can feel like a human. There’s room to have more than six people in a space at a time, so you know what that calls for: apartment dance party.
We’re all happy that the apartment hunting and lease signing is over, so now it’s time to make our places our own. Enjoy the new year and your new home, Gophers!