Deciding on the right college can be a difficult choice and determining where the student will live plays a large role in this decision. The student’s residency will affect his or her overall experience. By living on campus, the student can have a positive experience. Living on campus is beneficial for college students because they can build stronger relationships, grow in their independence, and improve life skills.
Relationships with other people hugely impact one’s life. By living on campus, students can form multiple types of relationships. As Ignacio said, “Getting to meet new people might be the greatest advantage of living on campus.” College relationships are known to become lifelong, and new experiences can create long lasting friendships. By being in situations such as living with someone in a small area, living away from home, ending romantic relationships, and meeting others, relationships can be created quickly (Hinshaw). There are different levels and types of friendships.
Not only can the relationships be stronger, the student can also create a wider range of friendships (Hinshaw). Friendships can be created in multiple ways. For example, interacting with other students, such as studying or running errands, can form relationships too (Hinshaw). Another type of relationship is a romantic relationship. College is known for meeting a future spouse. For some people, this is a major reason they choose to attend college. Not only are friendships and romantic relationships important, professional connections are important, too. By living on campus, the student-professor relationship can be strengthened.
From running into them around campus or seeing them across the cafeteria, students are able to form relationships with their professors. By building this relationship, inclusive learning communities can be formed (Cress 95-111). According to Lounsbury and DeNeui, a psychological sense of community is at a higher level if the student is a part of groups like on campus living, sororities, fraternities, and private schools (270-77). A sense of belonging is something everyone craves. From personal to professional, relationships created in college can be everlasting.
Students who choose to live on campus can not only grow in their relationships, but in their independence too. Students can get a glimpse of real life by living on campus (Ignacio). After leaving home, students can gain the responsibility and experience of living by themselves (Ignacio). When in college, students should to be able to take on responsibility. According to Hinshaw, college students must be responsible for themselves. For example, they have to schedule their plans around their classes, work schedules, the cafeteria, and other activities around campus (Hinshaw).
College is a transition from adolescence to adulthood. Ignacio says that being an independent person and getting a preview of adulthood can help the students’ future. Living in a dorm room gives the opportunity to do so. College provides the freedom and independence adults have without some of the real-world problems such as demanding rent payments or utility bills (Hinshaw). Living on campus is an opportunity to become a mature adult. Hinshaw adds, “College housing is a nice first step into independence.” Independence is a crucial part to life and living on campus is a great way for students to gain the experience of living on their own.
College teaches students numerous life skills from communication to accepting new ideas. For example, on-campus students are exposed to different ways to gain communication skills. Hinshaw points out that when living on campus, students will have to learn how to