Living on Campus Versus Living Off Campus

College is a time of learning, change, and experience. For the first time, freshmen have the freedom to choose the subjects the study and even how they study them. But college is not solely an opportunity for book-learning - rather, college is social and intellectual hybrid of learning. The students who take advantage of their college's residential life option glean the most from their undergraduate experience - living on campus truly allows the student to immerse herself in the four of the best and most fruitful years of her life.

The most obvious advantage of living on campus as opposed to at home is convenience. (Univ. Of Cincinnati, 1). Dorm rooms are close to the libraries, classes, college cultural events and social events. A student who lives on campus is much more likely to run to the library late at night to check one last fact for a paper; she is much more likely to attend a lecture by a visiting professor on a subject she knows nothing about; and she is much more likely to meet wonderful and interesting friends walking through her dorm room in search of the soda machine. College breeds friendship and socialization, but both are easier to achieve while living on campus. College friends last one a lifetime, and shared experiences form the bases of those friendships. Naturally, students living together in the dorms and eating together in the dining halls will share many more experiences together which will cement their friendships for a lifetime. Close friendships are possible for a student living at home, but they are far less likely given a lack of a common experience bond. Also, a student living on campus will find it convenient to engage a diverse student body in conversation and friendship. Many students come from living situations and towns which are regretfully homogeneous. College is an opportunity for them to encounter and befriend people of different cultures and religions. Late night eye-opening chats about the differences between Buddhism and Jainism will simply not be available to students living at home.

A second advantage of living on campus is actually a set of intangibles that enhance the educational impact of college. Dorm life fosters hard work: If a student lives in the dorms with other students, he is far less likely to feel alone or academically abandoned, and as a result, he is less likely to flunk out. College represents a major academic step for most students - they coasted through high school and now suddenly they are challenged. A student living at home will not have many places to turn for support while burning the midnight oil studying for an exam, whereas a student living in a dorm can always strike up a conversation with his neighbor or roommate if he feels frustrated. That human contact and the awareness that others are working hard and going through the same transition often makes the difference for students.