by Tiffany Belle

Created on: November 17, 2008   Last Updated: January 18, 2009

When deciding on a college to attend, many students consider if they will have to stay on the campus at college or will commute to college. This is a pretty big decision and can have great influence on the college that a student picks to attend. While many people may believe that commuting to a college that is close to home and living off campus is the best, there are plenty of benefits to living on campus at college. Most colleges and universities will actually require a student to live on campus at least their freshman year if they do not live within a certain radius of the campus. This is a good idea as most students do not actually realize the benefits that living on campus may have for them.

One of the biggest benefits to living on campus at college is the transportation factor. You do not have to worry about the time it will take you to drive to college and then find a spot and then walk all the way to your classes. Instead by living on campus, you are always within walking distance of your classes and you know exactly how long it will take you to get to your classes. No fighting for a spot for your car in the campus parking lot or worrying about being late for classes because of traffic. This also saves you money on gasoline as you don't have to worry about driving your car to classes everyday and can save on the wear and tear on your car.

Another great benefit of living on campus at your college is that you have the opportunity to meet a lot of new people because you are constantly at college. If you commute to college or live off campus, you are not around other students that much and don't have as much interaction with them. When living on campus, you can meet new friends in your dorm room, the campus eateries, and any other social gatherings that the college may have. Also, by living on campus and being around more people you are more likely to get invited to gatherings and parties at college since you will be around during the weekends. Not that college is all about making new friends, but it is an important aspect and will help you to adapt to college life a little easier.

Convenience is another huge benefit of living on campus at college. If you need to use the library for a research paper, all you have to do is walk a couple minutes down the college campus. You don't have to worry about getting back in the car to drive to the library. When living on campus at college you have the convenience of so many student resources. You have the college library, the recreation center, the student center, any open labs or classrooms that you may need for a class, the college health center, dining halls and eateries and even student information resources.

Lastly, if you are interested in getting a part time job while attending college, it will be a lot easier to get a job on campus if you live on the campus. This way your job is within minutes of your dorm and you don't have to worry about driving to it. This gives college students some extra money and also allows them to meet more people because they are staying on campus working rather than somewhere off campus. If you are looking for a part time job on your college campus, look at places such as the dining halls and eateries, the campus library, the campus bookstore, the recreation center, the health center, and the student information desks located in dorm rooms and the student center.

Even though room and board can get quite expensive at a college, it is well worth it to live on campus at college. Not only can it help adapting to the college lifestyle easier, it can help teach responsibility to the student.

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