Is on-campus housing (dorms) worth it?

[UCSFx2017]

I thought living on-campus would save me commuting time during D1. I honestly don't know what hectic schedule to expect and I thought living on-campus would make life easier.

However, the housing rate is $6,970 for 9-months. That's $774/month. My parents are willing to pay for this and they actually encourage me to stay in the dorms.

I found other rooms on Craigslist that are $550-650/month, both 1-mile away from campus, and I was wondering whether the cost of living in dorms would be worth the convenience of being able to stroll out of bed and get to class in less than 10 minutes?

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[SteinmetzMD]

Heck man, if the parents want to pay for it, you might as well do it!

I'm sure you'll appreciate the extra sleep when the time comes

 

[suarez 7]

$100 difference is not very significant, besides there are other costs involved with off-campus living (such as utilities, cable, etc) that may offset any savings.

Depends on the dorm though. if the one you are referring to is one of those small dorms that you share with another student, and has no kitchenette, then you'll probably hate it.

 

[goffdent]

Depends on the dorm though. if the one you are referring to is one of those small dorms that you share with another student, and has no kitchenette, then you'll probably hate it.

There's nothing like washing your dishes in the community bathroom sink which is littered with "that guys' beard hair trimmings", toothpaste remnants, and questionable substances all over the sink surface...

 

[txaggie03]

Wait....

So you're saying there are closer places than my hour commute?!?!


Frick.

 

[KittySquared]

Those types of places are such dorms. And I mean a lot of the times it's on the noisy side, even if it's w grad students. I need absolute quietness when it comes to studying. I opted to live about 2 miles from school and only paying $400.

 

[Malva]

Most schools have residences for 'mature' students. Most of the time you can expect people in these dorms to keep to themselves and not be too noisy, but there is always the chance of getting a neighbour who enjoys the bass until 5AM (you could also have the same problem in an apartment complex). I was a resident assistant in a mature student dormitory - most of the students who moved off campus did so because they found the building to be too quiet. Each school is different, but the convenience is definitely worth it if your school has mature or quiet buildings (or even floors).