# Dorm or not?



## Johnny1234 (Nov 16, 2006)

I am going to college next year and I am not sure if I want to live in a dorm or not. I heard that it can help, because it will force you to be social. However, it is very expensive(6-10K/year) and I need my privacy which I dont think I will get on campus. The schools that I am applying to are all very large(15,000^) and only about 1/3 of the people live on campus. I would have no problems commuting because all the school are relatively close(15-30miles). 

For those of you who have lived/live/will live in a dorm please tell me what you think?


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## SADFighter (May 4, 2007)

I could never see myself not living on campus. With only a few exceptions, most of the friends I have right now were either in my hall or friends of roommates. I'm not good at creating a social network for myself, which, IMO, would be downright impossible if I lived off campus. Plus, I like the feeling of being part of a community, even if I'm not really super active in it. If you want privacy, just get a single.


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## Johnny1234 (Nov 16, 2006)

SADFighter said:


> I could never see myself not living on campus. With only a few exceptions, most of the friends I have right now were either in my hall or friends of roommates. I'm not good at creating a social network for myself, which, IMO, would be downright impossible if I lived off campus. Plus, I like the feeling of being part of a community, even if I'm not really super active in it. If you want privacy, just get a single.


A single costs even more more dosent it? The school itself(UIC) Costs about 6-8K a year and the dorm costs about the same. I would like to graduate without debt cuz I have law school afterwards.


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## SADFighter (May 4, 2007)

Hmm, at my school everything's the same. Dunno. You should check it out. Yeah, good call on the debt but I'd say do some research. I'm lucky enough not to have to choose but I'd probably choose the best opportunity to make friends and grow (which for me was initially w/roommates) versus debt.


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## Grantonio (Jan 20, 2006)

some of the best friends I ever met in college were from the dorms freshmen year, do it!


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## jane (Jan 30, 2006)

If you think you're ready and your anxiety is relatively under control, then yes, it will be awesome. 
If you think it's too much to handle- don't push yourself too hard.
I think that this applies whenever you're trying to expand your comfort zone. If you set a goal and reach it than it's a big confidence booster, but set the goal too high and it's disappointing.


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## matt404 (Feb 8, 2006)

You live in Chicago? You didn't happen to apply to UIUC did you? That's where I went and there are a lot of "certified housing" options there which aren't traditional dorms. You do live with someone, but it's only one person and they try to match you with someone you'd match well with. I got randomly paired up with someone my freshman year who is still one of my best friends.


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## jay_walking (Sep 20, 2007)

I takes me a while to warm up to new people, but living in the dorms I get to see people every day and that really helps when comes to making friends. If you want to save money, just do it freshman year when it is the biggest help in meeting people. There isn't a whole lot of privacy in the dorms, and I don't remember very many single occupancy rooms, but most people seem to manage.


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## Johnny1234 (Nov 16, 2006)

I am talking about UIC actually lol. 

My problem, however, is that I am not so much scared of living there(sa) but I am worried about the financial costs of it. I plan to go to a top law school afterwards(hopefully) and that costs at least 100K plus undergrad. What do you guys think?


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## SusanStorm (Oct 27, 2006)

Ok,I'm not going to talk about how much it will,because I don't live in the U.S.

But I've lived in dorms and I've lived by myself.
Last year I lived in a dorm,but this spring I found myself an appartment.I don't know if that was the best decision,because now I get really isolated and basically just sit in my appartment.I'm wondering about moving because of it..
Living in a dorm can be noisy and with anxiety it can be really hard..I think that I actually would recommend living in a dorm,because all though you are not super social or great with social things it will introduce you to new people and maybe you'll make some new friends


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## Rooftopguitar (Nov 20, 2007)

I'm actually living in a dorm right now, and I can honestly say that it has been very hard. I couldn't imagine living in a dorm with a roommate that I had never met, because I was fortunate enough to have a friend transfer here before I came and he ended up being my roommate. That said, I have to suggest that you do the same. Try to find someone you know that you can be a roommate with. If that's not an option then I would check into suite rates. At my school we have dorms that are a little bit more expensive ($500 per semester) and are more private. It's basically a 4 bedroom apartment with only half a kitchen. This way even if you don't know your roommates at least you have the option of going into your room when you need to. I see this as a better option than a single room, because it'll push you socially while still allowing privacy. A single room makes it really easy for you to just lock yourself in your room.

As for living on campus, it's far better than living off campus, because you will rarely have the opportunity of connecting if you leave every day. It's better for pushing you, but it can still be pretty stressful. Another suggestion I have is that you find an organization on campus that you can relate to. For me it was Campus Crusade for Christ and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, but there are lots of other options too. Try to get involved. It's a great opportunity for you to challenge your fears and begin to move beyond them. 

On another note, WHY... WHY are you planning on going to such a HUGE school? What are you studying?


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## Eraserhead (Sep 23, 2006)

Well, I missed the dorm experience and I regret that. Actually... I'm not sure it would have helped because my attitude is not very conducive to friend-making anyway. I could see it going either way: it could have been hell, or it could have been the best thing ever. To Johnny, I'd say it's worth a try, at least. If it doesn't suit you, then you can move into an apartment the next year.


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## Summa (May 9, 2005)

If you think you can handle it, then you should go for it. It will give you a chance to be around people and make friends, even if you aren't very social. If you can get a single room, that would probably help a lot because then you could have some privacy when you wanted it.


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## MNinja (Dec 22, 2007)

Everyone should live in a dorm, atleast for the first year. people in college are usually very open and if you let it happen they will accept you. but you actually have to put atleast a little effort, don't play WoW 24/7 or stay in your room 24/7 and you'll be fine.


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## Partyofone (Jun 2, 2004)

I'd consider it carefully. In my experiences, I have spent six+ years of undergrad years living alone in an apartment away from campus. I thought at the time this would be a great idea but the isolation is really a killer sometimes. My best studying is often in small (2-4 people max) groups with people I click with in class. At home here I pretty much do anything but study. Walking to classes is also a great benefit that would save in gas fees or dealing with morning and afternoon traffic. You may even have fun in the dorms. Looking back, I think it would've been worth a shot but YMMV.


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