by Matt Bird

Created on: September 09, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2012

A big part of the college experience is getting out on your own for the first time and trying new things, and a major component of that is living on the campus itself. And since pretty much every college offers dorms, it's a readily viable (if expensive) option for students who don't want to commute massive distances each day.

But hold your horses before you go running off to sign any agreements. College life CAN be neat, true, but there are tons of reasons NOT to get shacked up in a dorm. Indeed your overall schooling might be better off if you're not restricted to living on campus - and here are ten reasons why such is the case.

1.) You'll usually be late for school. The tardiest students I've ever met are those who know their classes are only a few minutes away. Consequently, they sleep in and miss substantial portions of their lectures. It's an easy trap to fall into and even easier to stay in once you get in the habit of snoozing past the alarm.

2.) You'll have trouble getting to sleep in the first place. There are plenty of quiet college students, true, but it only takes a few party animals to destroy any silence. And while this may not be so bad as the weekend is approaching, plenty of students like to booze it up every night of the week.

3.) You may get burdened with a bad roommate. You generally won't get to pick, and once they're in your dorm you may be stuck for the rest of the semester, barring exceptional circumstances.

4.) Dorm rooms are small. Very small. If you have claustrophobia you'll probably not enjoy your stay a whole lot, since your room won't be especially spacious and any living room you're given even less so. You'll have to share this with another body, as well, including any friends they may let in.

5.) Strangers seem to gravitate in and out of dorms at will. Dormitories are big free-range communes where people seem to come and go as they please, and that may not be something you appreciate. Privacy is difficult to hold and keep in a dorm, and you may find your belongings disappearing.

6.) Dorms get messy quick. Think about it. You're throwing two teen-ish strangers together in a small, basic space, and neither occupant is probably accustomed to caring for themselves. The end result isn't pretty.

7.) The food isn't that good, and the temptation to eat the junk is too great. Self explanatory for anybody that lives less than three minutes from a pizza joint, I think.

8.) There are too many temptations. Perfectly good, upstanding students crawl into dorms and emerge broken-down drug users. If you have the willpower to either resist (or at least moderate) such temptations then all power to you, but those will poor constitutions may just want to take the bus.

9.) It's tough to get homework done in a dorm. And while it's true that there's usually a library to go to for school, you probably won't want to sit in a stiff chair to do ALL your homework.

10.) And, last, it's expensive to live in a dorm. Very, very expensive. Between lodgings and meal plans you'll be playing a lot more than you would if you just commuted, especially if your college offers some sort of travel plan. Besides, you can get tons of work done on the bus trip.

There are some advantages to dormitory life, of course, but the cons seem to outweigh the pros. Spend some time visiting someone in a dorm and you'll probably figure that out quickly enough.

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