If I had a nickel for every time I have answered the question, "When I'm in college is it better to live in a dorm or in an apartment?" I would be a very rich man.
My answer to this is never simple, but it's more often the same answer. If you have the option of living off campus in your own apartment...that is the sure fire way to go!
Why? Four words: Freedom, Fun, happiness, and privacy. These words are the key ingredients to apartment life over dorm life.
First of all, living in your own place is so much more free than having to live by the rules and regulations that you will find in a dorm. Many dorms only allow certain guests at certain times of the day. Some dorms will not allow men in the women's dorms or women in the men's dorms. All dorms also have a Residential Adviser or House leader that acts as a liaison between you and the university. Do you really want someone watching over you and checking up on you constantly to make sure you are following all the rules, not having guests at inappropriate times, and keeping alcohol out of your rooms. Basically...they are there to limit your fun.
You don't have to worry about that in an apartment. If you have your own place, you can have fun whenever and however you want as long as you are respectful of your neighbor and abide by the law.
Apartments have pools, fitness centers, parties, and more. All things that are geared around having fun.
And when you are having fun, you are generally happier. Some of the best times in my life took place in my apartment during college. It's where you discover new ways of cooking ramen noodles or study the deep rooted emotional seeds of the guests on Jerry Springer. It's all about you and having some fun...being happy.....and having a better life because of that happiness. Did you know that people who have a higher level of happiness in their lives make better grades? It's a proven fact. They also have better love lives, more friends, and a less frequent chance of stroke or heart attack.
Privacy is also a big issue here. In an apartment, you have soooo soooo soooo much more privacy than in a dorm. For one, many dorms either share community bathrooms or have one bathroom to a suite of four people. In an apartment, your bathroom is all yours. Not only that, but in the majority of dorm living situations you will be stuck with a roommate. From time to time you may not get along with that person who you are sharing the 12 x 12 bunked room with.
To me the choice is obvious. Most apartments will cost you about the same as it would to live in the dorms and in some cases even less. If you want more privacy, fun, happiness, freedom and an overall better living experience...the best option is to go with an apartment.
Find a place today using the "Find An Apartment" section of our site at the top of the screen!
Updated: 10/21/2021
