Today, I moved out of the dorm I’ve been living in for two years. I secretly liked living in a dorm, and I feel a little sentimental leaving it for a house. Once you get past the embarrassment of telling people you’re a sophomore living in a dorm, it’s not too bad.
I met the best friends of my life living in Beaty Towers East. You run into people everywhere, and there were plenty of events to go to. Every day of my first semester felt like an episode of friends. We formed one big group bonded by our love for the Gators and hatred for the prison cells we were confined to. We sat in a circle playing cards, talking about spirituality and playing “Never Have I Ever” until 5 a.m. sometimes. There was always someone in our room whether we wanted company or not. You could always find a buddy to go to the dining hall, the Broward pool or Marston Science Library. For me, this was the first time I made friends with the same dedication to school as me. High school had not fulfilled me in this way. Thankfully, my newfound friendships survived the break and carried over into the next year. I know the bonds I’ve made will last a lifetime.
The second thing I loved about living in a dorm was how convenient it was. It was great to be centrally located on campus. I could roll out of bed every day 10 minutes before class. No public transportation was needed to get around campus; I could walk everywhere. Once I brought my car up, parking was pretty convenient. As a freshman, I could park a block away. As a sophomore, I could park right behind my dorm. Even the closest apartment complexes don’t compare to being in a dorm.
Living in a dorm is like being put into a pressure cooker for maturity. It expedites the process. When I lived at home, I could yell at family members when they upset me. When you live with strangers, you don’t have that freedom because they don’t love you unconditionally. I developed a level of patience with people that I never had as a teenager. Living in a dorm is a little bit like camping. You have to be resourceful, and you have to sacrifice certain luxuries. Wasting your precious food isn’t an option, and you can’t fill up your storage space with anything but necessities. You have to be adaptive. Frankly, this is a lesson that my friends who live in The Standard haven’t learned.
Don’t get me wrong, I am overjoyed to be living in a new house with roommates of my choice and my own bathroom. But my time spent in Beaty Towers will always hold a place in my heart. I would recommend dorm life to anyone starting college who wants to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Layla Soboh is a UF advertising junior. Her column comes out Tuesday and Thursday.
