By Taylor Perkins

Growing relationships through late-night pizza orders and last-minute study sessions, dorm life provides students with an opportunity to live with their peers.

While transitioning between home and dorm life can be an adjustment, students also learn many skills. These skills include independence as well as managing their responsibilities.

The Scoop’s Taylor Perkins talked with Drury University freshman biology major Ashley Parker and Missouri State University freshman journalism and French major Aly Weitkamp to discuss five reasons living in a dorm enhances the college experience.

1. Forming friendships during move-in

Move-in allows students to get to know their roommates and start forming friendships. Freshman year can be an exhausting and hectic time, but it can also be a really exciting time, according to Parker. Organizing one’s things when preparing for move-in will make the transition go much smoother. “I would suggest having things already in the organizers so you can just put them in your dorm room. I would also suggest bunking your beds if you and your roommate agree. [My roommate and I] did that and have 10 times the space,” Weitkamp said. 

2. Making friends with the people in your hallway

This may seem obvious, but you will be spending a lot of time with the people in your hallway. You are living together. Introducing yourselves early on will allow you to build on your relationships. Hallmates are great people to hang out with, according to Weitkamp. “It is important to make friends with people in your hallway. Some of them can be your first friends and you’ll have someone to eat with in the dining hall,” Weitkamp said.

3. Studying with people of the same major

A study from the University of Northern Iowa reported that students who lived on campus for two years were 25 percent more likely to graduate on time than students who only lived on campus one year. Students on campus can more easily study together, according to Parker. “I study with a lot of freshman biology majors. It helps because I am in a group with people taking similar classes, and we can help each other out when we review,” Parker said.

4. Getting involved on campus

According to eLearning Infographics, 97.7 percent of students are involved in some kind of extracurricular activity on campus. These activities include work, sports and volunteer work. Weitkamp said that because she is involved on campus it is easiest to live in the dorm. “I think it is easier being involved because I live on campus. Everything is a short walk away where if I lived off campus I would have to drive. I joined Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. When you get involved you make so many friends immediately. I’ve met my best friends through my sorority,” Weitkamp said.

5. An overall positive experience

Dorm life can provide students with many benefits. Although Parker and Weitkamp go to different colleges in the Springfield area, they both agree that dorm life has connected them to their universities. “I have really enjoyed living in the dorms. I play softball, so I’ve met a lot of people through that, but it has been really good to know people outside of it. Living in the residence halls has helped me do that,” Parker said.