Thinking of Staying in Student Dorm? Top Reasons Why I Did

Would you like to know why I decided to live in a student dorm? These are the reasons why I did!

One of the decisions that students who are bound to spend a semester or two during their Erasmus journey has something to do with accommodation. Generally, a student is left with two alternatives: to live in a student dormitory or to rent a room in a private flat. Some students prefer to live in a private flat for a number of reasons; others would prefer staying in a student dormitory.

I have experienced living in a student dormitory as well as staying in a private apartment during the last two semesters. In this article, let me discuss to you some of the reasons why some students like me have decided to stay in a dormitory at a certain point in time and share you some of my personal experiences staying in a dormitory.

Common Reasons Why Staying in Dormitory Can Be A Good Idea

During my first semester last year at Budapest, Hungary, I decided to stay in a dormitory instead of renting a private room in a flat or apartment. The foremost reason behind this is the proximity of the student dormitory to my host university, Corvinus University. For me, I want to stay closer to my university. I used to be late in a number of times during my undergraduate days because our home is an hour away from the campus. Since distance matters a lot for me and it so happened that the location of dormitory is just a stone throw away from the university, I did not entertain a second thought of taking a room in the dorm.

Here is a photo of the entrance of my university in Budapest which is around fifty meters away from Kiniszi Kollegium.

1. You will save time and gain comfort

I believe most students would agree with me if I say that staying in a dormitory close to the university lends an atmosphere of utmost convenience. It saves a lot of time and effort. The time saved from commuting can be channelled to doing urgent assignments and other academic tasks. Moreover, the distance means an economic value to the student inasmuch as it reduces the student's transport costs in a monthly basis; hence, it means saving on his part. When I decided to stay in a dormitory I was practically able to save money intended for my transport costs. Since I just walked on my way to my classes, I only used the Budapest tram or metro when I need to go to other places other than the university. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that Budapest has among the best public transport system in Europe.

During my first semester in Budapest, Hungary, I stayed at Kiniszi Dormitory which is five (5) minutes walk away to the university. This dormitory which housed hundreds of students from different countries, most of which are scholars such as Hungaricum Stupendium scholars is literally a stone throw away from the buildings where we had our classes. So I had lots of time going to and from the university. In fact, I was able to snatch some time during my vacant hours to go back to the dormitory to take a short nap just before my next class begins. This comfort and convenience is something that cannot be traded off for just anything in the world.

Here is an outside view from my room; I usually had good nap just before I attend my next class.

2. You won't have to struggle to make ends meet

In the same manner, it will also allow you to save some money for meals. On the basis of my personal experience, since my dormitory is merely a few meters away from the university, I skipped eating in the canteens and cooked my meals in the dormitory during the lunch break. More often than not relying much on eating out may not always be good for a student like you. Sometimes, you have less options for menus available in the kitchen. When you cook your own meals in the dormitory you have much freedom choosing what and when to cook. Practically, it is likewise cheaper to cook your own food than eating out in canteens or restaurants.

Another equally important reason which makes living in a dormitory better for students like me is the comparatively lower rent. This is true in the case of Budapest. You get more value from your money staying in a dormitory than you do staying in a private flat. Since most of us operate on a student budget, we need to make sure that we are able to stretch our monthly allocation until the next allowance arrives. Staying in a dormitory will definitely be of great help for students who operate on student budget and who consider austerity a grand priority. The rent in the dormitory is way lower and therefore staying in a student dormitory much cheaper than renting out a room from a private flat owner. In my experience in Budapest, staying in a dormitory is around fifty (50%) cheaper than renting a single bedded room in a private apartment. Hence, in the financial point of view, staying in a dormitory makes more sense economically than renting a private room owned by a flat owner.

3. You will multiply your social life x10

It should also be mentioned here that staying in a dormitory makes your life more social and engaging as you live with your fellow students. You find yourself living not merely on your own but as a member of a larger community. You realize that you are not an island separate from the mainland humanity but a part of family living in the same building. You expand your network of friends and get to know more of their culture, beliefs and insights. Sometimes you even happen to develop a long-time relationship with people from different countries who bring with them varied personalities. Some of my friends who did stay in student dormitory were able to meet their romantic partners and another friend of mine even met his future better half. The residents in the dormitory where I stayed in Budapest, Kiniszi Kollegium, is a multicultural place. We have Russians, Indians, Ukrainians, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Armenians, Azerbaijani, Ghanians, Ethiopians, Hungarians, Macedonians, to mention a few nationalities whom I met during my stay in the dormitory. It has an international atmosphere which makes it a melting pot of understanding and tolerance.

4. You will learn to get along with strangers

Finally, staying in a dormitory enables you to develop some forms of discipline which are really useful in dealings with other people. You learn how to use the kitchen properly. You learn how to leave it clean and orderly for the next student who will use the same. In my dormitory in Budapest, your fellow students may post pictures of your messy stuff in the group/community facebook page of the dormitory. It is a sort of shame campaign for those who do not know how to properly use the kitchen. Since you proceeded using the kitchen in a clean and orderly condition, you should leave it in the same orderly, clean and tidy condition. You also develop the habit of fixing your bed and washing your own laundry in almost a routine basis.

There are good reasons both in social and economic perspectives in staying in a student dormitory although not all students are convinced of its virtue for some reasons. The reasons I have cited why some students like me prefer staying in a dorm are rather preferences which are individualistic in character. The decision of whether or not to stay in a student dormitory will primarily depend on the personal preferences of the student. Ultimately, it is the student who shall in the long run gets impacted on such a decision.