Any Tildes users in college? Dorm or off-campus living for the first year?
I’m attending college this fall and moving cross country for this move. I wanted to ask everyone who’s currently in college or graduated not too long ago on whether if it’s worth it to stay on-campus in the dorms.
I heard you get assigned a roommate and some dorms, depending on which one you get, can have 1-3 additional roommates.
I’ve always had my own room and the closest thing I’ve had to a roommate was my little sister…but she had her own room as well.
I know staying on campus it’s easier to get to class and I get to live the traditional college experience. I don’t mind having a roommate but I heard if you have a shitty one, it’s not gonna be fun.
The perks of having your own apartment you get the ability of having your own space and doing whatever you want with no dorm monitors right? Only downside is paying rent?
If you have any insight or experience to share I'd love to hear them! 🙏
I stayed in a dorm for a year, and I honestly wished I stayed longer. The bonds you form with the people in the dorm are just different. Remember that all of you are experiencing college for the first time, so you're all in an unfamiliar environment together. It's been more than 5 years, and I'm still talking to 2 of my roommates from my first year daily.
Obviously it isn't without its downsides, having dirty roommates is pretty bad, but nothing a good talking with can't fix. Staying near the campus is both a positive and a negative for me personally. Since I was so close, I was complacent about getting to class on time and would usually arrive late.
Ah I see. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah I feel like I would have the same issue if I knew I could sleep in till the very last minute and still make it to class haha.
College comes with it so much freedom, it's up to you whether to use it for better or worse.
My college forced me to live in a dorm for the first year. They sent out a survey for roommate matching and it worked out well for both of us, we matched well. Of course that doesn't always happen, so there's risk.
But I met most of my friends in college from living in that dorm. It was definitely socially better for me than doing a solo apartment for my first year. My friends group and I ended up renting a house off-campus together after Freshman year where we all got our own bedrooms.
Also, having a meal plan and a nearby dining hall helps the transition from living at home to being on your own. It's a nice stepping stone before having to figure out how to cook and feed yourself.
So yeah, I recommend a dorm for the first year and then decide what you want to do after that.
Gotcha...yeah everything has been steering me to staying on campus my first year and I definitely want to make as many friends as I can. All my HS friends aren't gonna be around... :(
I'll probably do what you did and move off-campus in year two once everything is more settled and I've found ppl I don't mind living with.
Good plan! Then you get the best of both worlds - the socialization with roommates that you know and trust, and usually a pretty significant savings cost. Plus, dining hall food gets old pretty quickly.
Oh that sucks...I'm a horrible cook so dining hall food will be just ok for me hahah
Not that you'll need this immediately, but cooking is a good skill to eventually learn. You can just start by following recipes or a video. It doesn't take much to become proficient. Overall, cooking is muuuuch cheaper and healthier than eating out all the time. In college, we spent about 1/5 the cost of a campus meal plan by cooking. At that time, a campus meal plan was about $5k excluding summers, and we managed to eat very well for about $100/month per person. But that's a tip for later, enjoy Freshman year not worrying about it :D
Yes I intended to fully learn how to cook eventually or my mom will never forgive me...lol (can't be from an asian household and not know how to cook)
And thank you! Will definitely live it up for freshman year haha!
I'm just sharing my envy that you get to meet new people at college.
I'm enrolled to an online college, I'm working full-time an I get to stay at home, but... I have been there for one year, and I have zero friends from school.
Maybe it's me, I mean, I'm not being force to meet this people, so I don't do it. But in your case, it's your call.
Looking at other comments, I think it would be wise to try it out first. After my first year, I would do just that if I were you.
Yes I think I'm mostly likely going to go to dorms the first year. I was already kinda leaning that way but I didn't know for sure yet and wanted to hear some more opinions.
And oh...yeah I don't know easy it is to meet friends with an online college. Maybe you and some ppl can organize a study session? Or maybe there's clubs or groups you can join?
That's nice to hear! If things go wrong, well you'll always have the option to get your own flat, right? Just don't do that at the first sight of a looming problem, but actively try to sort out things with people first.
In my case, I'm always the guy that has to be put in a social situations by third parties, I don't mind being on my own. Logically, I thrive in an academic-focused environment, emotionally, I'm glad about being left alone to my own devices. But it would be nice to have friends, so maybe I should do as you said. If only was there some place which would force me to socialize with this people, so I can have a good time with them outside of the academic context... Sorry, that's my excuse. In reality, I just want friends without working hard to get them, so I may not deserve even that.
I can't give too much insight since I first went to a little christian college. I stayed in the dorms there. I enjoyed it. It was kinda difficult at first with me being as socially awkward as I am, and having only lived at home. I got used to it after a while. Staying there allowed me to be more myself, and better separate my classes and fun times. It also allowed me to somewhat wean my (crazy) family off of me a little. I am now going to a bigger university a few streets over, and commuting from home. I still kinda missing staying in the dorm. It may not be right for some people, so give it a try and find out.
Thanks and will do! Seems like living in dorms is the way to go lol!
Absolutely live on campus if possible.
Ya...that seems like the case haha
A lot of it depends on your age. If you're fresh out of high school, do at least your first year in dorm. Yeah, it's a gamble, but the bonds you make can last a lifetime. It's your first foray into the adult world and doing it with your peers is a once in a lifetime experience. Like others have said, some of my closest friends to this day are friends I made in dorm. Including my roommate!
Now, if you're a bit older, then definitely get an apartment if you can. I went back to school again about ten years later, and out of necessity I spent my first semester in dorm since I wasn't able to shop around for apartments in person. It wasn't the worst, but I definitely could not relate to others. It's a very odd social dynamic being almost 30 and living in class proximity with 19-22 year olds.
Ah I'm definitely the former so dorms is the best I guess? Everyone that has replied so far and a lot of my older friends that just finished their first year recommended as well.
And that sounds amazing! I really hope I can keep in touch with my HS friends but I know its tougher because I'm moving out of state...but lifelong college friends sounds great too!
Oof I can't imagine how awk that is haha. But I'm sure it was ok cause you weren't really there to make friends and moreso just trying to take your classes?
Everyone's experience is different, but two of my best friends in the world are from my pre-college days. It's very normal to slowly lose touch with people as the years go by, but the real ones will always be there. When reconnect and it's like you never lost touch at all it's a beautiful thing. Those are the keepers.
But yes, definitely stay in dorm for at least your first year. It ends up being a little more expensive in the long run, but you normally get access to a dining hall so you don't have to cook or do any of the chores surrounding it. Plus you get to eat with your friends and shoot the shit between class. And dorm shenanigans are amazing.
It wasn't too bad. I got lucky and didn't have a roommate and ended up mostly keeping to myself. I got to know a few of my neighbours on my floor, and it was fine. I just didn't -fit- you know?
One night they came around banging on the doors of all the first years for some friendly hazing. I very grumpily refused to open my door and went back to bed. It was my very first "get off my lawn" moment :)
I graduated from a large public university in 2019. I'd probably recommend living in dorms the first year. This kind of forces you to interact with people in the same situation as you and it becomes very easy to make friends initially. There are so many people that feel like after their freshman year it can be difficult to make friends because they lose this opportunity
Yeah I'm basically going to a state where I have no friends...so I'll take whatever friends I can get tbh.
I guess dorms it is haha.