On-campus housing offers a safe, maintained and generally affordable opportunity for first and second-year students, allowing them to have an easy transition into young adulthood after moving away from their families. 

However, on-campus housing does not fit some students’ needs, wants or goals. Some students are happy being on campus because they are close to their classes and activities, are able to minimize driving in a new city, and feel safe while being in a dorm with locked doors, security cameras and a resident assistant staff there to help with anything they need. 

For other students, like myself, being on campus feels controlled, overbearing and unideal. Unfortunately, students who want to branch out, live on their own and start building a rental history and credit score are unable to do so until their third year. 

While I did not thrive in on-campus housing, I recognize that it is beneficial for students who want a safe and controlled environment as they move away from their home. Dorms encourage community and embody the mission of the university by promoting growth, safety and a Christ-centered environment. 

However, getting off campus allows students to decide if they want to live alone or with roommates. For students who have no desire to live with a roommate, they are forced into doing so for the first two years. Moving into an apartment alone would allow them to enjoy the freedom they desire and begin to grow in that journey as a young adult. 

Other students, who want roommates, are able to explore what it looks like to buy or rent a house. Though a similar concept, these students are also able to learn what it is like to live with roommates while managing a property and discussing what paying for rent and utilities looks like, among other things that may cause conflict. 

I had two great roommates during my years on campus, but I have never been a roommate type of person. I prefer the independent option to most things, especially my living arrangement. 

Before my junior year, I wanted to get off campus to begin what felt like a new chapter in my life. I was approaching graduation and starting to grow more independent. I was able to find a small, manageable apartment that allowed me to feel like I had a space to call my own. 

Since beginning to rent my apartment, I have been able to experience what it is like having to manage paying rent, bills and other things that come up while living in the real world. Before I could learn all of those things, I had to figure out where I wanted to live by taking a tour, evaluating the costs and benefits of living there, and getting through the application process, something I did not enjoy but am thankful I got to learn. 

I have grown tremendously through these experiences. I have been able to see that growth throughout my life, with other small benefits like discipline of knowing when I need to leave to get to class or events on time, keeping up with things that need to be done or fixed and making wise choices while not under the direct supervision of another college student. 

On-campus housing and dormitories are an effective way to give students an easy transition from home to campus, but an extended stay on campus is not what students like me need. Rather, options and independence allow for growth and an additional transition between college and the real world to take place.