Apartment vs. The Dorms

Posted on Apr 16, 2009 by Administrator

Deciding whether to live in an apartment or a dorm is an important decision in a college student’s life. It’s a decision to be pondered by both the student and his/her parents. We’d thought we could help you weigh the pros and cons. Although we’re a little biased in this matter, I think the facts speak for themselves.

Living in a dorm:
Living in a dorm can be a wonderful experience because you have the opportunity to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. All the people on your hall, your suite, or even building could become fast friends or acquaintances. You will always have someone close by that wants to go to the dining hall with you, run errands, or just hang out in your room. The dorms’ close proximity to campus allows a new student to easily walk to class or campus events. He/she doesn’t have to have the know how on how to park, or the best way to drive, or navigate around the buses. The dorms are also very safe. Visitors have to sign in and out, they must be escorted, and residents must scan their hand to get inside.

This community living situation is great for all of the reasons listed above, but you could see how all the “togetherness” could get old fast.

Living in an apartment:
While living in the dorms is great for freshmen or first years, you have to admit its excitement is short lived. Apartments afford the resident complete privacy unlike the dorms. Remember having to change in front of your potluck roommate for the first time in Russell Hall? You tried to use your aluminum closet door to permit you some privacy, but eventually had to give up. Well Whistlebury Walk has bedrooms that all have their own bathroom and walk in closet! Talk about privacy!

When you live in an apartment you can park outside your front door! In the dorms it seems you have to walk a mile to get to your car. You definitely have more convenient parking when it comes to living in an apartment.

The independence that comes with living in an apartment helps residents to cultivate life skills. You can cook yourself meals in the dorm, learn to keep a household, or be conscientious of your own safety in the dorms. Learning to do these things are very important, and are skills that can’t be learned in the dorm.

Ever heard of the freshmen 15? You aren’t able to cook for yourself in the dorms so you are forced to eat out or eat at the buffet style dining hall. Living in an apartment gives you an opportunity to cook healthy meals for yourself, and learn to live a healthy lifestyle with portion control.

You can shower by yourself. Enough said.

Apartments typically have washers and dryers in the unit – no more waiting around in the steamy dorm basement.

You also have admission to a swimming pool when you opt for apartment living.

Last but not lease (a rental pun!)- An apartment building can offer you a longer lease than dorm room tenancy. You will be able to take summer classes or stay the next year without having to move your stuff out!

In Conclusion, living in a dorm and living in an apartment are both essential college experiences, but we tend to think living in an apartment has a lot more perks!

Tagged: apartments athens ga, athens ga apartments, apartment living, living in an apartment, apartment v dorms, apartment versus dorms

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