The Benefits of Living on Campus During Your College Years

Your college acceptance letter has arrived, you are overwhelmed with excitement and the nerves start kicking in as you decide whether you want to live on or off campus. If you are heading to college for the very first time – You should live on campus while you’re an undergrad in college. Approximately 85% of U.S. college students opt to stay on campus during college, below we list some of the benefits to living on campus.

Convenience:

As a student-athlete the last thing you want to worry about is spending time commuting between housing, practice and making sure you get to class on time. This is even more important to freshman who are adapting to an independent life style, so living right where you take you classes can be a huge help. Living on campus also makes it easier to be involved with clubs, sports and all other activities that are hosted by your college or university.

Specialized Communities:

Learning communities have popped up on many college campuses. These are areas of on campus housing designated for a specific purpose; it’s a similar idea to clubs, but taken to a whole new level. From communities formed around specific majors to various extracurricular interests to honors programs, there are opportunities to radically change your environment to be centered around something you love. These communities can define your college experience and give you a great sense of friends that will become your family.

Academic Support:

In your first year of college, being surrounded by fellow students will encourage you to make new friends and also lead to an opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other, no matter how informally. Many of the people that you will dorm with may be in the same classes you’re in, or have taken them before, so sharing study halls together will be of a huge benefit.

Friends can be a tremendous academic resource and being able to pop into the room next door to ask a question is unrivaled. When people come to you, explaining something you’ve mastered is rewarding as well as helpful to those who need it.

Less to Worry About:

As you will already have enough to worry about in terms of your sport and studies, the last thing you need to stress about is all the maintenance, bills and worrying that often comes with living in your own place. On campus living has everything covered which will allow you to focus purely on your studies and on field performance.

Social Life:

As any sophomore can tell you that in your freshman year the people you have the opportunity to connect with early on will most likely become your closest friends, and they will often be the people in your dorm, teammates or study halls. Many of these students will become your best friends that you will stick with throughout your college career. For everyone else, living on campus provides a tight knit community of people and can always help you expand your social circle.

Living with a diverse group of people also expands your social knowledge outside of the classroom. You have a chance to get to know students from all over the world, and people with incredible and varied life experiences. It sounds cliché, but hanging out on campus can definitely broaden your horizons.

How to be proactive about choosing on-campus housing:

We shared some benefits of on-campus living, but how do you choose the right housing that will maximize your college experience;

The first step is to ask questions about the educational opportunities within the residential program on campus and then to consider participating in a learning or an honors community. Most institutions frequently maintain data about the educational performance in their various facilities and this information is accessible to students.

Once you are living on campus, you should make the effort to participate in programs and activities in the residence hall community. Campuses may host well-known speakers, celebrated artists or specific holiday activities, make sure you participate wherever possible.

Students should also take the opportunity to connect with faculty members when they participate in residential programs. This may involve dining with faculty or attending an in-residence lecture or study session.

Finally, students should take advantage of many of the resources available in the residence halls. One of the most valuable of these is the hall’s team of resident assistants. These student leaders are well-informed about many aspects of campus.

Whether it is for one year or more, by taking steps to integrate fully into the residential experience, students can maximize the beneficial impact of their higher education experience.

Does on campus college life excite you? Connect with BRUSA Sports and we will guide you in the right direction. SIGN UP today for a free evaluation and let your college dream remain a reality!