10 Perks of Living on Campus As an Upperclassman

By Sarah Wright

1. Proximity

Living on campus gives you easy access to everything you'll need on campus. While you're probably well familiar with life outside of the confines of your school by now, chances are that your academic responsibilities and commitments are ramping up as you get closer to graduation. The convenience of being close to everything you'll need to get your work done can be invaluable.

2. Simplicity

Living in a dorm room means that you don't have to worry about buying furniture and other things that you'll need if you move off campus.

3. Cost

This isn't the case everywhere, but in some places, living on campus can be a lot cheaper than living off. Do the math and find out if the cost of living on campus - including utilities like Internet - will be lower.

4. Fewer Chores

If you're not into the idea of wasting your time cleaning a bathroom or kitchen, mowing the lawn or sweeping the living room, living on campus can give you a reprieve from these types of responsibilities. This isn't true of all on-campus housing - apartments in particular might be exempt from some of these benefits - but the school's maintenance department might be much more keen on fixing problems quickly than some slum lord owner of off-campus dwellings.

5. Community

If living alone makes you feel isolated, and even a house with a few roommates makes you feel lonely, living on-campus can help give you a sense of community.

6. Special Housing Options

Some schools incentivize on-campus living by setting aside the best rooms and apartments for upperclassmen. You could end up in a pretty sweet space that you wouldn't be able to access otherwise.

7. Availability

Depending on where your school is located, it might be quite difficult to find convenient housing that isn't owned by the college.

8. Convenience

College housing offices usually run smoothly, and can set things up for students so they don't have to worry about anything while living on campus. If you're still not psyched about the idea of having to stay on top of bills and rent every month, living in college housing can help forestall that burden.

9. Meal Plan

Don't like cooking? Can't spend a lot of time shopping for and preparing your meals? Having a meal plan to go along with your on-campus housing only adds to the convenience.

10. Laziness

We don't always condone laziness, but life in a dorm is one of the last opportunities you'll likely have to live in such a low-commitment, low-responsibility setting. It's highly unlikely that you will ever again live in a place where you don't have to worry in some way or another about maintenance, cleaning, cooking or buying furniture.

If you do decide to stay on campus for your last years in school, consider these tips for a good life in the dorms.