Most traditional colleges require first-year freshmen to live on campus. While some may argue that this is simply another way for colleges to get money out of students, there are several advantages to living on campus during the first year of college life, and possibly throughout your academic career.
One of the first reasons is economic. Yes, tuition and housing can be expensive, but when you consider the amount of money you’d pay in rent and utilities to live off campus, the amounts don’t differ that much. Housing may actually be cheaper because of all the amenities that are included in your tuition/housing: rent (probably looking at $500-$700 per month unless you find roommates to share expenses with), electric bill, water/sewage/garbage, telephone, internet, and basic cable. As part of your housing costs, there is also the possibility that these will be covered by various scholarships or housing concessions that you can apply for through Financial Aid as opposed to having to take out student loans to help cover the cost of off-campus living. Also, when you live on campus in the dorms, you have campus security on call, 24/7. There are generally Resident Assistants (RAs) for every dorm floor and someone sitting at a front desk in the lobby of the dorms to provide emergency assistance. There is usually a curfew in terms of the door locking and only those who live in the dorm being allowed access through the use of issued keys. You’re also within easy access of campus security/police should you require their assistance. Thirdly, living on campus gives you easy access to campus that someone living off campus doesn’t have. You don’t have to worry about driving to class and being late for traffic or because of car trouble. You can walk to the library, classes, computer labs, or cafeteria. You can save money on gas (or possibly not have to own a car at all considering that most college towns will have some form of public transportation for when you need to go off-campus). One of the last reasons why living on campus is a good idea for freshmen is the increased social life. Living on campus means you are right in the middle of campus life – dances, parties, lectures, entertainers, intramural sports, and contests. Being in the midst of all this gives you the chance to meet your fellow students and get to know them, to make friends quickly. As a freshman spending time away from home for the first time, it’s easy for you to feel lonely, depressed and/or homesick. Getting involved in campus life can help you to overcome those feelings and make it through that first semester/year away from home. Are there disadvantages to living on campus? Of course, and some people who like their privacy or want to live in a quieter environment may wish to move out of the dorms/off campus as quickly as they can, but for freshmen, living on campus can be one of the best and quickest ways to establish yourself as an independent, successful college student. If living on campus is not an option for you because you are older and already have a family or moving to a campus is not an option, you can go to http://www.college-scholarships.com/online-colleges-and-online-degrees.htm and find an online university.