Home Life vs. Dorm Life: The Advantages and The Disadvantages

By Chantel Carnes on June 20, 2013

Based on personal experience, dorm life is better than home life. There are pros and cons to living in a dorm instead of living at home, but I promise; the good outweighs the bad. Here is a list of pros and cons to living in a dorm.

Pro’s

  1. Independence – Living in a dorm teaches you how to be on your own and be responsible for yourself. It makes you a bit more mature.
  2. Socializing – When living in a dorm, you get out of your comfort zone and are able to meet different people who you have a lot in common with. It makes it easier to form friendships and connect with the students on campus.
  3. Rules – One of the best and most exciting rules of living on your own is that you make your own rules for yourself. If you want to stay up partying until 3:00 am on a Tuesday night then that is your choice; however, I do not recommend it. You have no curfew, you choose when you want to clean your room, you choose when you want to go sleep, and when you want to wake up.
  4. Parents – This is one of the most common reasons why students choose to live on their own during their college years- no parental guidance. Parents are there to pave the way for you from pre-school until senior year of high school, after that you are by law an adult and are able to make your own decisions. No more hearing your mom wake you up early on a Saturday morning, no more having your dad yell at you to do the chores, no more set curfews, no tv or phone call limits. Your parents will always be there for you and you should listen to them, because many times they are right; however, there comes a time when you need to “leave the nest” and college is the perfect time to begin the steps to living on your own with no parents.
  5. Fun – I cannot begin to describe how much it is to live in a dorm room. It is so exciting. You meet tons of people, you have your own study space, and it is something for you to call your own. Living in a dorm amongst other students your age with the same interest and goals in life is by far in my opinion, the best college experience.

Cons

  1. Reliability – When living in a dorm away from home, you have to begin to depend on yourself. You are reliable for yourself, your things, and the consequences of your choices. Your parents are not there to tell you to go to bed; they are not there to wake you up when you snooze your alarm. You are completely in charge and responsible for your own choices so hopefully you make the right ones.
  2. Meals – When living on your own, you no longer have the privilege of eating your mom’s cooking every day. No more hot fresh home cooked meals. Unless you have a school meal plan or you are not a typical college student on a budget then your meals will consist of cereal, salad, noodles, and pizza until you learn how to fend for yourself.
  3. Laundry – Not only does it cost to wash and dry your clothes, but for those of you who got lucky with your mom’s waking up on Saturday mornings to do everyone’s laundry, those days are gone. Dorm life means you now separate, wash, and dry your own clothes. First and most important rule to doing laundry, always separate the darks from the lights.

These are some of the advantages and disadvantages to living away from home in dorm room. As you can see, the good out ways the bad; there are far more pro’s than cons. Living away from home during your college years is worth cooking your own meals, doing your laundry, and relying on yourself. Parents are good, wise, and helping, but they cannot always control your decisions and the choices you make. By the time you enter college, you are a mature adult who has the ability to make their own decisions and also live with the consequences of your actions. Take and remember what your parents have taught you in your home life; take that and go live your own smart, educated, and fun life in college away from home. Trust me; it will be the best college experience.

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