For new students, choosing between living in the dorm, apartment or shared housing can be a difficult decision to make. Each option has its flaws and strengths. While numerous factors are considered in such decisions, we're here to convince you that apartment living will improve your chances of success significantly. Read on to understand!
Every generation talks about times getting tougher. While this is debatable, it's undeniable that the economy is slowing down. Jobs are becoming scarce and commodity prices are skyrocketing. For college students, budgeting and financial skills are more critical than ever. With tuition costs averaging $22,698, you must balance your resources carefully.
Living in an apartment teaches you how to prioritize your expenses, improving your odds of graduating against financial constraints. You'll know when to sit down and complete your assignments or engage an online paper writing service, eat out or prepare your own meals, party at a club or drink at home, etc. These simple choices can be the difference between graduating or dropping out of college.
College life can be chaotic, especially during weekends and long holidays. If you're unlucky, you might share a dorm with party animals that binge drink and play loud music all night long. While it can be fun, it can also be derailing to students revising for main exams. It's not just drugs and loud music. Dormitories are full of distractions, including fights, endless movements, and late-night chit-chats that can ruin your focus and sleep.
The strict laws in apartments make them a better option. You can study any time you want knowing that disturbances like playing loud music, unnecessary door knocks, etc., can be escalated to the property owner to deal with firmly. Your chances of success improve tenfold in such peaceful environments.
Sharing dorms comes with its advantages. However, it's likely to lead to laziness and irresponsibility. It's often unsurprising to find them dirty, smelly, damp, and disorganized. In most cases, this happens because no one undertakes to keep the spaces clean, organized, and ventilated. College janitors and other maintenance staff can only do enough. But when students fail to clean their own spaces, the outcome is often messy.
Living in your own apartment means being fully responsible for its cleanliness, organization, and rent. As a student, this may require high-level planning. You'll have to learn how to use your limited finances to meet rent and other personal effects, and your limited time for studies, socializing, and class work. If you can master these, there's no doubt that you'll be more independent and self-reliant.
Your success in college depends on many factors, and your social connections are an integral part of the journey. Unfortunately, the community within campus can be a bit homogeneous. And your dorm can be full of students sharing similar characteristics, e.g., age, course, gender, and race. This is especially common in community colleges. For students who like exploring the world, interacting with diverse populations, and learning new ideas, customs, beliefs, etc., such an environment can be limiting.
Living in an apartment complex provides opportunities to meet and socialize with people from diverse backgrounds. Your next-door neighbour could be a CEO in an upcoming Tech firm, a new hire in a company you'd like to join in future, and a Yoga specialist who can help you master the art, etc. You must try it out to benefit from the opportunities.
Studying can be boring at times. In fact, many students struggle to stay focused when revising for exams or tests. However, studies have shown that the texture, feel, appearance, and consistency of your room's walls, surfaces, and floor can significantly impact your focus and ability to recall what you've read. Unfortunately, most dorms are boring with dull surfaces, plain furniture, and stained floors.
If you're privileged to live in an apartment, you can spice, decorate, and personalize it to suit your style and preferences. Tiny details like adding curtains with the soft touch of silk, tables made of natural wood that you can feel their grains, and colourful wall hangings can make your room more appealing, allowing you to concentrate for longer. Even a simple floor mat or rug can work wonders.
Let's also not forget that apartments offer more privacy than dorms. Having your own space means you mustn't explain yourself to anyone or worry about their opinions. You can come in and leave when you want, while still enjoying amenities such as free gyms, pools, and study areas.
If you're a freshman, adjusting to college really can be painless. You can hardly go wrong with living in an apartment. As discussed above, the arrangement has special provisions that will allow you to concentrate on your studies while learning vital life lessons like budgeting, time management, self-reliance, and independence. Choose the right apartment, and you'll be on your way to success in academics and life.