Staying on campus in first year is almost always a good idea because it’s a great way to make friends straight away. However, once those initial four terms are over, you have to decide whether you really want to live with a whole bunch of people on campus for another year.

Living on campus has its pros and cons and you’ve got to weigh them up before you decide where to live for the next 12 months. So here they are, the positives and the negatives.

You save cash

Living in digs is expensive and living on campus is cheaper. It’s that simple. You eat at the dining hall and your toilet paper is paid for. The only time you need to go grocery shopping is to stock up on snacks and caffeine for those all-nighters. And, with all the money you save on transport, you may finally be able to afford one of those pre-owned BMWs you’ve been eyeing out.

You save time

As you student you naturally value your sleep and when you live on campus you get to sleep a little later because, well, class is down the road. You can also go home between classes and even fit in a little socialising. You don’t have to worry about getting to your digs and back for a nap. After all, sleep is incredibly important for students.

It’s more social

There are always people around when you need a chat or someone to have late night study dates with. You’re never far from your friends (unless they live in digs) and you can walk around at night pretty safely.

There are people everywhere

You cannot go a day without dealing with people. Even if you lock yourself in your room, you still have to leave it to use the communal bathroom. There is no escaping your fellow students and getting out of unwanted conversations can become difficult when you have to live with these people.

You can’t escape the academics

You can never go for a walk and just forget that you’re a university student. When you live on campus you’re constantly surrounded by reminders that you should probably (right at this moment, in fact) be studying.

You have zero privacy

There is no peace when you live on campus. There are people always in your space. ALWAYS. You can’t even go take a shower without five other people being in the room with you. And then there’s always the problem of actually sharing a bedroom with another human being (one you’re not even romantically involved with).

There are multiple pros and cons when it comes to living on campus and you have to think carefully about what you want to do. Once you make that decision you’re committed for a year.