COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAY

Dorm VS Apartment

When it comes to university housing, you have several options. The two most popular, dorms and on-campus apartments, have unique advantages and disadvantages. This can make the decision very difficult, especially if you have never lived on your own before. The added pressure of housing and contract deadlines does not make it any easier, but more information about your options will. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the differences between staying in a dorm and apartment. Some of main differences are bill responsibility, activities, furniture, cost, and roommate.

Dorms also known as residence halls, are often your most expensive option. They are required for many freshman and even some sophomores depending on what school you attend. Other distinct traits include. If you stay in a dormitory, there is no bill responsibility. Many universities will even pay for cable television, high-speed Internet access, and a basic telephone line. In most cases you will not have to worry about water, electricity or other utilities: just pay your rent every month or semester and enjoy infinite hot water and no billing. In apartment, there is a few bills to pay. Some complexes include everything from basic telephones and cable to high-speed Internet access free of charge. Others require you to pay for everything, including electricity and water. It depends on the complex and your university: in fact, many schools offer a variety of options.

The Hall Directors on site twenty-four hours a day. The staff at each dorm is a blend of fellow students and trained professionals, all of whom are there to answer questions, enforce rules, plan dorm-wide activities, and offer advice as you work your way into the first year or so of college. They can be tyrants or best friends, depending on their personalities. Either way, you know that there will always be someone there when you need advice or help of any kind.  The RAs might teach classes in the dorm on forming good study habits. They could form study groups so that people can "group up" according to their major and work together to earn higher grades. They can also plan activities, offer personal advice, and lend a friendly ear if you have a problem that you just cannot talk to your new friends about. There is fewer social activities and rules in apartment. If you do not appreciate curfews and other rules that you thought you had left behind at home, an apartment is more suited to your needs. There are often apartment managers on site twenty-four hours a day & as well as maintenance crews. Many complexes have swimming pools, barbecue areas and other places for residents to socialize if they so desire. Others feature gyms, common areas, and vending machines. In any case, you will probably find necessities like laundry facilities, as you would in a dorm.

Some dorms might have basketball courts right outside. Others could have billiards tables or big-screen TVs in the common areas. You can also find barbecue equipment, games to check out and play with other dorm residents, and even free DVD borrowing. An overwhelming majority of dorms include necessities like laundry rooms; some even put them on each floor so you will not have to lug three weeks' worth of filthy, nasty clothing up two flights of stairs.  If you find yourself in a furnished apartment, it will cost more than its unfurnished counterpart. In many cases, this is still cheaper than living in a dorm. If you must provide your own furniture (bed, desk, lamp, and everything else), you can pick out your own. Just think: once again you can fall asleep in your very own bed that does not have somebody else's unidentifiable stains and odor all over it.

Newer dorms will often cost more than the older ones. Try to find something that was built a few years ago or more. You will still have the luxury of a nice, new building without the added costs that most universities tack on to your rent because they are still paying off the new dorms. Most on-campus apartments will be cheaper than dorms. This is the primary advantage for students on a tight budget & or people who simply wish to have more than a few dollars of loan refunds in their bank accounts.

Some dorms do not offer private space, while others offer nothing. This is not a given, but many universities still offer double rooms. Others have figured out that students need privacy, especially when finals week comes around, and offer either private rooms or private bedrooms within shared suites. You might have to share common areas with one or more people of your sex, but at least you have your own bedroom area.

In an apartment, you can take on a roommate or two if you wish, but it is not necessary. Many schools offer plenty of one-bedroom apartments.

If you have already spent time in a dorm, you already know what it is like. For the most part, you can expect the rest of your college experience to be about the same. You might meet different people, change roommates, and see different RAs take over for those who graduate or move out, but the overall experience does not change much. The same is true for an apartment. If you have already lived on your own somewhere else (before college), you already know its advantages. For the most part, living on your own in a college apartment is very similar to living on your own in a non-college apartment. The main difference is that you probably attend classes in the morning and work evenings or weekends, versus starting the job first thing. That is all a comparison that will help match your personality and needs to the type of living arrangement you should consider Now that you know whether you prefer a dorm or apartment, you must narrow down your options. first. This is not exact science because each person is different.