<p>While I understand the comfort of living at home, I’ll agree with everyone in the thread that said you’ll be missing out on the college experience.</p>
<p>While you may have freedom at home, college is not just about the freedom to stay out as late as you want and go to parties. Part of the experience is living somewhat on your own. I say “somewhat” because when living in the dorms you still have meals cooked for you and an RA to enforce some basic rules. Nevertheless, living in the dorms is somewhat of a bridge between living at home and living completely on your own. </p>
<p>In the dorms, there is no one there to tell you what you should be doing at all (again, outside of things such as not breaking the law) but you’re responsible for yourself, getting up on time for class and so on.</p>
<p>Also, living in the dorms teaches you how to live and interact with other people. Yes, sometimes your roommate might be problematic, and you may be bothersome to him as well. But you’ll have to learn how to cope with these challenges which will help prepare you for the real world. And as many others have stated, it’ll be more difficult to get involved on campus and to meet people if you stay at home. I would not be the person that I am now if I had not lived in the dorms my freshman year, which I could have chose not to do since my house is about 45 min. away from my university. Granted, I’m on a scholarship so my housing is paid for anyway, but even if that had not been the case, I still would have lived on campus to experience what “college life” has to offer (cliched I know).</p>
<p>I have far too many great memories from living in the dorm to ever recommend to someone to commute, unless it’s for financial reasons.</p>
<p>Because I lived in the dorms, I met my friend Juston who got me to join my fraternity, which I am now President of. I met people who I have since taken classes with which makes a huge lecture hall far less threatening. I was in-charge of shopping for myself and have since learned far more about the value of money. I became a part of many midnight road-trips, gone on random adventures, and got to feel far more like a part of my campus than any of the commuters that I know.</p>
<p>Give living in the dorm a chance, don’t write it off because living at home is easier (it would have been for me as well). Dorm life is not without some challenges, but the reward is far and away greater than any problems that you will face.</p>