The Pros and Cons of Living in a Dorm Room

So I've been living in the dorms for about six weeks now. So far so good, there's not too much to complain about. However, as with any situation in life, there are both pros and cons. My wonderful roommate Alli and I have compiled a list to entertain you all as to what life in the dorms is really like.

Pro #1:

The wifi router is in my room! 

Con #1:

The wifi never works.

Okay─so sometimes is works. (Okay, I'm gonna be honest and admit that it usually works for me.) Obviously I'm writing this blog post right now, but for a good percentage of the student body a good percentage of the time (at least those who choose to complain about it), that is not the case. 

There's a myth going around that NWC doesn't stand for Northwestern, but instead─No Wireless Connection. (Come on people─you gotta laugh a little.)

Pro #2:

The bathroom is literally two steps from my room. 
(One step if you're feeling adventurous.) 

Con #2:

There are community gatherings outside the bathroom at 12:30am every night.

To all the girls on my wing, this doesn't actually bother me that much. It's actually pretty funny listening to all that you have to say at that late hour of the night.

Pro #3:

The hallways always smell like cookies. 

Con #3:

I never actually know who made the cookies.

I'm serious right now─the hallways always smell so good. (And no, it's not because the cafeteria is below us.) The kitchen is right down the hall, and I'm not trying to stereotype, but girls typically like to bake, and there are a lot of girls living in this dorm. 

We've got it all─banana bread, chocolate chip muffins, cookies, cake... And people actually try to argue that the freshman fifteen is real? Ha─what do they know.

Pro #4:

You get to have a sleepover with your best friend every single night!

Con #4:

You have to have a sleepover with your best friend every single night...

Okay─my roommate Alli and I came up with this one together. (Don't worry Mom, we're getting along just fine.)

Pro #5:

You don't have to clean your bathroom.
Although, if I were to be honest with myself, I actually don't mind cleaning the bathroom. (Well, my bathroom at home. Cleaning a community restroom, however, is a whole new level.) I suppose there's just something about using your hands to accomplish a task that I find very rewarding. And I've always found great satisfaction in witnessing the completion of a finished product. I'm sure you can relate to how simple tidying or cleaning drastically changes the appearance of a space.

Con #5: 

Not everyone realizes the rules of common courtesy.

When you make a mess─even if it's a small mess─clean it up. Enough said.

Pro #6:

There is unlimited food in the caf.
Now I'm not going to argue that I always LOVE the food that is served in the caf─but at least it's food. Some days the pickings are pretty slim, but if you get creative you might be able to pull something together.

One of my friends created this concoction of sorts that involves a coffee mug, waffle mix, chocolate chips, peanut butter, a microwave, and then ice cream on top. I'm not going to advocate that this is the healthiest choice, but what the heck─sometimes you've just got to live a little.

Con #6: 

You can't take the food back to your room.

I should clarify─you can take apples, bananas, and drinks (as long as you have your reusable mug with you.) If only they'd let me take mashed potatoes back in the mug.

Pro #7:

I live on the second floor.

Therefore, I only have to walk up one flight of stairs.

Con #7:

My best friends live on the third floor.

I don't know who decided that their room was gonna be the party house, but I'm thinking we should maybe reconsider. (Although I suppose they have the coffee maker, and their fridge is usually stocked with grapes, so I'm willing to climb those extra stairs.)

Pro #8:

I don't have to wear a shirt if I don't want to. 
Though I will have you know that I do in fact prefer to keep my shirt on every day of the week

Con #8: 

This rule only applies on Monday and Tuesday.

At Northwestern we've got this thing called open and closed dorm hours, meaning guys are only allowed in the girls dorms at certain times of the day─and vice versa. If you didn't already guess from the above text, guys are not allowed in the dorms on Monday and Tuesday.

Pro #9:

People drop by the room and say hi all the time.

Con #9:

Once they walk in the room, THEY NEVER LEAVE.

Again, I'm only kidding. I love the fact that I can keep my door open and that people feel comfortable dropping by to say hi or even stay and talk awhile. It's definitely not something you get at home and it's definitely not something that always happens at big universities.

Pro #10:

I don't have to lock my door.

Con #10: 

I can't think of a con for this one.

This is another great thing about going to a small, private college─I don't lock my door when I leave and it's never a problem. In fact, my roommate and I don't even shut our door when we leave─not many people do.


So there you have it! There are some pretty great things about living in a dorm room. Before school started, when people would ask me why I didn't just save some money and live at home, I would tell them that I was really looking forward to experiencing life in the dorm. Now that I've been here awhile, I can honestly say that living in the dorms has been one of the best experiences of my life. It's really hard to explain, but you're just gonna have to trust me on this one. It's one of those things that you have to experience yourself to truly understand.



[Interested in reading more? Check out the Blog Archive to the right to find links to my other posts.]

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Studying: This Is My Life Now
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