<p>I'll start as a 3rd year <em>transfer</em> and the first "two years" were covered by dual/ap credits etc ... so I don't have to live in a dorm, I never really had to live in a dorm before, well cty was the closest I got, and I had 2 completely different experiences where the first time I made a best friend and the 2nd time I HATED the COMPLETELY EMO girl I was stuck with, who was suuuupperrr depressing all the time. So how's it like living in an apartment by yourself near campus?</p>
<p>A couple of my male friends, um, they get really excited when I mention I might be living by myself; so just wondering how apartment life is, like do people hold parties in their apartments? is that common?</p>
<p>IMHO, dorms are easier to make friends and to start study groups. They are on campus, so you are (most of the times) going to have a shorter distance to travel to your class and a better oppurtunity to get help with problems. Apartments do allow more freedoms and often more space though, so you have to weigh your options.</p>
<p>See if your school offers temporary dorm housing, just for a term or so. It'll make meeting and hanging out with people on campus much easier - especially if you don't have a car.</p>
<p>I lived in both dorms and apartments, and while I can't say what will be best for you, I liked living in an apartment much more than dorm life. I favored dorm life because it was cheaper than living on campus. It was also more private as I had my own room (landlords generally do not double occupy bedrooms). If you're going to take the apartment option, get an apartment with at least one other student for safety and financial reasons. But before you take that option, ask the following questions: Does your school have listings of available rooms and apartments for commuter students? Is your school commuter friendly? In the event of vehicle malfunction (i.e. car trouble) can you still make it to class? If the answers to all of these questions is yes, then your search for an apartment should be greatly simplified. If not, your search would be more of a challenge.</p>
<p>I'd suggest starting out in a dorm. I don't live in a very social dorm (seriously...as soon as people get in their rooms they lock the doors behind them and go into hiding), but my two closest friends are the girls that lived across the hall from me the first quarter. </p>
<p>Sharing a room can get annoying, but you should be able to handle it for a year if I can. </p>
<p>Actually, I'm applying for a unversity park apartment for next year with a friend since I don't have to worry about the social thing anymore...and if I don't get in that I'm requesting a private room. I can't wait until I have my own bedroom again! </p>
<p>Anyway, it's working out well for me, so yeah...that's my advice.</p>
<p>I much prefer living in an apartment than a dorm, but then again, I'm not the sort of person that enjoys the whole dorm communal living atmosphere and I also like to make my own food for every meal instead of having to go buy it or eat at the dining hall. I've never really known anyone that had a big party in their apartment...they're usually too small and your neighbors are too close, you don't want to have six different people calling the police on you. Houses are better than that. It's much nicer to have smaller get-togethers in an apartment, though.</p>
<p>I would suggest either living in a dorm or living with several roommates in an apartment that's in an area mostly inhabited by students, so you don't end up being too isolated. I've noticed that the only people really big on making lots of new friends are the freshmen, and they will all be living in the dorms. Much harder to make friends with people when you're not around them constantly.</p>
<p>I definitely like an apartment better than the dorms. The dorms to me are like communal living, you have your own bed but everything else is shared with a lot of people... living room, kitchenette, bathroom, laundry area, etc. Plus people are loud & discourteous - there was literally a slip & slide in my dorm's hallway the night (2am ish) before one of my finals.</p>
<p>In apartments, if you live alone - it's all yours - total freedom to do what you want when you want. If you live with roommates - everything is still shared, but with far less people. Yes, people hold parties in apartments... actually more so than in the dorms. In both cases though, just keep the noise level down & end the party at a reasonable hour... otherwise annoyed neighbors can call the cops with a noise complaint.</p>
<p>A dorm is better for the social life, but I don't feel it's worth the costs unless it's guaranteed since that depends more on your personality and compatibility with other people than where you live. An apartment is better if you don't want to get ripped off since you can usually find a single room for half the price of a double room on campus. Not only are you paying two to three times as much for a double, if you live on campus you usually have to have a meal plan and don't even get your own bathroom or kitchen.</p>