When thinking about the college experience, living on campus is one the first things that come to anybody’s mind. Coming from somebody who has been living off campus for a couple years now, I catch myself reminiscing about my freshman and sophomore years of walking down the hall to see my buddies… instead of having to drive or walk to each others’ houses.

 1) Getting to Class – There are definitely those days where you just don’t want to leave your bed in the morning. We’ve all been there. You’re tucked in tight under three different blankets. It’s 23 degrees outside (without the wind). Maybe even a lovely foot of snow coming down? When living on campus, these problems don’t seem quite as bad when you can hop in the tunnels and get to class in shorts and a t-shirt. Even if you dare to tough it out and make the walk outside, it’s a short five-minute walk to any building (if that!) Having to drive in can be a real hassle everyday, trust me.

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The famous Nazareth College tunnels!

2) FOOD! – As long as you have a meal plan, food is a hop, skip, and a jump away from any residence hall. After a long day of classes, mowing down on a big dining hall meal or a loaded wrap from the Cabaret always made the day a little more bearable. A fond memory of mine were the many weekend afternoons spent hanging out in the Kearney dining hall with some friends, grazing on food for hours and catching up on the week that had past.

3) Facilities – Laundry, printing, wifi, computer access, a gym… sounds like paradise right? Having all those at your disposal is a huge benefit to living in the dorms. Need to print some notes at 11:00pm, not a problem! The library is open until midnight and there are multiple 24 hours computer labs. Want to workout in between classes? Easy! The gym is open all day. I remember having a stressful day and going to the weight room late at night just to relieve some stress. Not to mention the countless late nights before finals spent in various lounges across campus.

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My dorm room freshman year

4) A Bed at Any Time – Ah yes, nothing beats going to your room after four hours of classes and crawling in for a nice nap. Granted you have to be careful not to sleep the day away, but having your own bed five minutes from your classroom can be the best treatment for a stressful day.

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My friends and I on campus

5) Camaraderie – Most of all, I miss living with everybody. Walking into Kearney on move-in day will always be one of my favorite memories at Nazareth. Knowing that hundreds of other kids were being thrown into the same new home was inviting, but a little bit terrifying. But within days, you make friendships that will last a lifetime (cheesy right?) The fact is, you will never be alone living on campus. Having friends down the hall, or in the building next door, is a true blessing. I still see my friends very often living off campus, but nothing beats being able to walk a few doors down and crash on your buddy’s bed, whether they want you to or not. Make the most of your experience in the dorms, because those are the fast years of the college experience.

JP is all about living on campus but Packy is all about living off campus; take a look at the reasons why.