Dorm living is an exciting aspect of being a college student. For incoming students, living away from home for the first time, dorm life is often an appealing part of the undergraduate experience.
That said, there are times when students want an upgrade from the confines of dorm living into their own apartment. Though your kid may be itching to make the switch, the moving process can be complicated on both a financial and logistical level, especially if you’re planning to do it by yourself.
There are pros to both dorm living and independent living that you and your student should know before you start packing up. Get the details!
3 Benefits of Living in a College Dorm
Smaller living space = less maintenance. Cleaning a dorm room is vastly different than maintaining the cleanliness and order of a house or apartment. Because dorms are typically smaller, the cost of cleaning products is much lower. As we know, costs add up quickly when you’re living on your own.
Dorms are as close to campus as you can get. When it comes to proximity, dorms can’t be beat. If your student is without a car, or prefers walking or biking, dorms are the perfect housing option. Plus, they offer additional safety features, like secure entries and campus patrol.
Dorms offer effortless community. Life in a dorm can help with making friends fast and connecting with people from all walks of life. Dorms function as collegiate community centers, where students get to know each other simply by living in such close proximity.
3 Benefits of Independent Living
A living space is one of life’s greatest teachers. While dorms may be fun, they’re not the best training ground for real-world living. Independent living allows students the chance to learn how to budget and manage their own finances, plan and cook meals, and learn the importance of personable responsibility.
Apartment living is better suited to independent students. If your student is introverted, highly independent, or has already found their core group of friends, then it may be time to make the move into an apartment. Chances are, they’ll enjoy their college experience more having their own space and being able to better focus on their studies.
Apartments and homes can be money savers. The average dorm cost at a public four-year school is around $11,000 a year. Depending on the location, campus housing costs may exceed the typical rent payments in the local community, assuming the majority of students are living with roommates.
Make the Right Move
Whether you’re helping your college student move into the dorm or out of it, we’re here to do the heavy lifting. Working with the All Service Moving team gives you the chance to spend more time with your college student before saying goodbye. We always put our customers first. That means we strive to exceed your expectations. From packing to unpacking, our Seattle and Portland movers will handle it all. All Service Moving even offers long-distance moving to make your cross-country college trip a breeze.
