When living in the college dorms, you are always just a short walk from the rest of campus, meaning you will not have to worry about being late to class due to traffic and can forgo the cost of gas for driving every day. You will not have to wake up extra early for your morning classes since class will be only a few minutes away, and you will always have the school library, computer labs, food services, gym and other services and facilities at your disposal. You will also have fewer economic concerns than commuter students since your meal plan and the cost of living in your dorm will have already been paid for at the beginning of the semester; because you will not have to worry about paying for rent and food, you will be able to focus more attention on your studies.
Many people have parents or guardians at home who cook for them, do their laundry, regulate their schedules and manage money for them. Living away from home for the first time, you will be responsible for getting your meals, managing your money, washing your laundry, getting places on time and more, on your own. Through living in the dorms, you will learn many valuable lessons on what it means to live life as an independent adult.
College students living in the dorms tend to reach significantly higher levels of academic success than do their commuter counterparts for several reasons. Living in the dorms enables you to surround yourself with individuals who share the same end goals of getting good grades and graduating. You will, therefore, have a support system that understands your life situation and will encourage you to do well in your classes. You will be able to arrange study groups with your roommates and neighbors. Living on campus also requires that you make a bigger upfront investment in your college education than you would be making as a commuter; the fact that you have already paid a good deal of money to live on campus and have taken the time to move your belongings into your dorm serves as a great motivator to stay in school and do well.
Moving away from home and into a new environment can be nerve-wracking, particularly if you are moving many miles away from your friends back at home. Living in the dorms will help you quickly meet new friends so that you will not feel like a loner in your new school environment. Students living on campus tend to be more aware of campus and nearby events as well, so you will learn of ample opportunities to get out and socialize, which will help ease the stresses that come with being a college student.