Dorm Living: Pros and Cons

At UMass, it is common to live on campus in a dorm for freshman and sophomore year then move to an off-campus apartment your junior and senior year. Living in a dorm can be a difficult adjustment, especially when you’re used to having your own room and not having to wear shower shoes in the bathroom. However, dorm living has its perks, too.

Pro: Meet new people

This is probably the biggest perk of living in a dorm. You are guaranteed to meet people in your dorm, whether the dorm is “social” or not, at least through floor meetings and events hosted by your RAs. I’ve met some of my best friends here from where I’ve lived, as it’s super easy to bond with the people you live around.

Pro: Bond with your roomie

It took me some getting used to when I initially had to share my room with someone, but I quickly learned to appreciate having a roommate. Both my roommates have been two of my closest friends on campus, and it’s nice to have someone making a big campus seem a little smaller. Living in a dorm gives you an opportunity to build a good relationship with your roommate, and it also teaches you about how you live with other people.

Pro: You never get lonely

When you’re living in buildings of 100+ people, you won’t find yourself ever feeling lonely. This can be helpful when you’re just transitioning to the college lifestyle and want to make more friends.

Pro: Helps familiarize yourself with campus

Living on campus allows you to get comfortable with your surroundings, as you must walk from your dorm to class, dining halls, etc. This helps you appreciate where you live even more, as you’re able to see the beauty of your campus.

Pro: RAs!

Unfortunately, RAs have been given a bit of a bad-rep for getting students in trouble. However, they really are just there to help. The RAs here are super friendly, and do their best to make you feel comfortable where you live, and are always happy to help when we need it.

Cons: Shower shoes and communal bathrooms

With dorm life comes shared bathrooms and having to wear shoes when you shower. This is probably my least favorite part of on campus living, as you share a bathroom with 30+ people. At least the bathrooms are cleaned daily!

Cons: Rowdy-ness

Depending on where you live, dorms can get loud at night, and that can distract you from relaxing, studying, or sleeping. However, it is nice to know the liveliness of the campus, as people here are friendly, social, and outgoing. You can choose where you live based on how you want the atmosphere of your dorm to be, as they vary depending where on campus you are.

Cons: Never get alone time

This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your personality. In college, you’re never really alone. There are 23,000 undergraduates here, so it can be hard to find complete isolation if you’re just really in the mood to be alone. Conversely, you’ll never feel alone, either, which can be nice when you’re new and homesick.