{"id":2052,"date":"2015-08-12T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T13:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/?p=2052"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:02:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T18:02:37","slug":"5-benefits-of-living-in-an-apartment-vs-a-dorm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/5-benefits-of-living-in-an-apartment-vs-a-dorm\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Benefits of Living in an Apartment Versus a Dorm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ah, the freedom that comes with living on your own for the first time. Nothing in the world is quite like it. You\u2019ll feel a wide range of mixed emotions. From freedom and independence to new responsibilities and stresses, moving out of your parent\u2019s house and attending college is an exciting time. And while you may be forced to live in a university-assigned dorm for a certain amount of time, you\u2019ll also likely find yourself confronted with the choice between an apartment versus a dorm at one point or another. Which will you choose?<\/p>\n

The Dorm Experience\"Dorm2\"<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dorm life is one of those things you truly have to experience to understand. There are good parts, bad parts, and plenty of ugly ones, too. While it can be fun to live in close proximity to your friends and peers, the \u2018fun factor\u2019 eventually wears off and reality quickly sets in around week two or three of the first semester.<\/p>\n

Moving Inng<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ll start with move-in day. It\u2019s chaotic and stress-inducing. That\u2019s because you have hundreds or thousands of students all moving into a select number of buildings in a very small amount of time. Couple that traffic nightmare with the logistics of moving desks, mattresses, boxes, TVs, and mini-fridges in crowded elevators or up multiple flights of stairs. Regardless of how good the student living coordinators are at their jobs, it\u2019s a challenge to make the process work without people being stressed.<\/p>\n

Communal Bathrooms<\/h3>\n

Many dorms are laid out in a way that bathrooms are shared between multiple rooms (or even an entire floor). Not only does this eliminate a lot of privacy, but it can also be pretty nasty if you\u2019re a clean and organized person. It\u2019s also not fun to either walk back from the shower to your room in a towel or have to remember to bring clean clothes with you to the bathroom.<\/p>\n

Doing Laundry<\/h3>\n

Doing laundry is bad enough, but it becomes exponentially worse when you don\u2019t have a washer and dryer in your room. This means you have to haul your hamper to the basement or area outside the building. Then you’ll have to deal with other college students who are new to communal laundry. The washers may be full, or even worse, nobody will have taken out their done laundry.<\/p>\n

Limited Parking for Students with Cars<\/h3>\n

This may not be an issue everywhere, but many campuses have extremely limited parking and you\u2019re often forced to park in a garage or lot that requires you to walk a few blocks. This can be inconvenient when you\u2019re carrying lots of stuff or need to get somewhere in a hurry. Parking is also expensive, and you may only receive a permit to park in one section of campus.<\/p>\n

Lack of Quiet Time<\/h3>\n

Dorms are typically pretty loud places. Between the guys down the hall blaring music at 3 a.m. to your roommate playing video games while you\u2019re trying to study, it\u2019s challenging to find peace and quiet.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re required to live in a dorm this year, we\u2019re not trying to freak you out. Every situation is unique and you may find that dorms at your school are just fine. However, we\u2019re sticking with the law of averages and predicting that you\u2019ll probably be ready for an apartment by the end of the semester. That\u2019s just how it typically goes.<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more:<\/p>\n