Pros and Cons to living on campus?

Pros....there are numerous advantages to living on campus rather than off or at home.

1) Independence: Living on campus encourages you to become independent. Getting breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be all up to you. Chores such as laundry, cleaning, and making the bed will also be all up to you. This will also lead you to be away from family which will sought out your independence even deeper and more or less; adjusting to adult life. You don't have parents telling you what to do because you are living in your own room.

2) Commute: You simply wake up and walk to class. This will conserve money on gas, mileage, and the burden of driving. Think of it this way, you will exercise to school instead of driving a polluting automobile to school.

3) Socialization: This is probably the number one factor to live on campus; there will be numerous students on your floor who you will have the opportunity of meeting and befriending. This also includes your room mate. If you feel lonely, you could simply just walk out of your door and approach someone's door and just begin speaking (assuming they are not busy doing something)

4) Convenience: For instance, if you had two classes on the same day with a substantial time gap in between those classes. You could just walk back to your dorm to take a break, instead of just waiting on campus or going back home to kill time. The majority of on campus events will be easily approachable by just walking.

Cons

1) Expensive: Living on campus is known to many students for being high cost. The meal plan, lodging, room, and board all add up to a high expense. Living off campus is generally cheaper than living on campus. But, many students have stated that living on campus is actually worth the money.

2) Room Mate: If you select to have a room mate by random. You are risking this because who knows what kind of room mate you might have. We have all heard of the typical nightmare room mate stories. Of course, this is assuming if you have a roommate who is unhygienic and does not share any interests with you. On the flip side of the coin, you may perhaps have the best room mate ever (I personally think nobody could beat my room mate because we had very similar personalities)

3) Noise Level: The dorms can potentially be loud and excessive, especially during sleeping hours. Depending on the dorm you live in, some dorms have quiet hours and this rule is strictly enforced. There have been times where I can hear the people on the outside hall talking while I am trying to sleep, which is why I kept a miniature fan as "white noise" to blockade the sound.

4) Distraction: Living on campus is very distracting. There are always events and activities always going on. So, if you are a serious student who wants to achieve a 4.0 GPA and take control of their studies, living on campus is not always the viable option. Of course, it largely depends on the student. However, most students cannot study in their dorm because there is always someone to talk to (room mate, neighbor, people in the hallway etc.) As a positive note, if you can seek out the sense of balance between socializing and focusing on your studies, you'll succeed.

As for your last question, "is it fun?"

A: It's probably one of the funnest experiences I have had in life. I have met so many students and remained friends. My dorm floor consisted of international students and Americans with an American being paired with an international student from any of the countries in the world. There were Aussies, Singaporeans, Indonesians, Japanese and a wide array of students that I have met and learned from. There were floor meetings where we would all get together to eat at the dining halls, watch the college game at the stadium, head down to the beach, watch a baseball game at the ballpark, kayak, and all sorts of activities.

In all, I found living on campus one of those experiences where you should live for at least a year. I highly recommend it. If you don't find living on-campus as viable, choose to live off campus for your remainder years. You never know until you try!