Going into college, I was psyched about living in a dorm.

I scoured the WKU Housing and Residence Life website to find out what my concrete cell, excuse me, room in Minton Hall would look like. My Pinterest game was unbelievably on point as I searched the Internet for tips and ideas for how to make my half of the dorm the best it could be.

After a year in Minton and another one in the slightly more luxurious (with a private bathroom!) Bates-Runner Hall, I was ready to end my dorm days.

Sure, it was kind of fun. I had two different, but good roommates. The community in Minton made the transition to college all the better, and the fact that I could wake up five minutes prior to a class starting and still make it on time was incredible.

However, a move to a cozy housepartment (it’s an apartment in a house) on College Street has been the best housing decision I’ve made during my tenure at WKU.

Granted, it has its quirks. For example, the apartment has a staircase that leads to nowhere—but it’s quite the conversation piece. The shower’s water pressure is lacking. Living across from Hilligans can be…interesting. But hey, it’s college!

The good by far outweighs the bad. My two roommates are great, but having a room to myself and being able to close a door is great as well. My horrific, habitual snoring doesn’t have to bother anyone anymore. (I am so sorry Jake Pope, my sophomore year roommate who for some reason still lives with me.) I don’t have to show anyone my WKU I.D. when I walk in with bags of groceries and make a fool of myself trying not to drop everything. The house isn’t too far from campus either, although its location at the very bottom of the Hill has really strengthened my calves.  

There’s also the fun stuff that comes from having a house. I can have a slow cooker now, and have gotten back into Pinterest to find recipes. If anyone needs a slow cooker vegetarian chili recipe, call me. Decorating has been fun, although the living room might need some HGTV help.

The character you get from an old house downtown is something you can’t really find on campus. There’s the ugly linoleum floor in the kitchen that I love. The mixture of old, peeling wallpapers scattered throughout the house is fun. Oh, and let’s be honest: I love the stairs that lead to nowhere.

Although I had reservations about leaving the safe and secure arms of HRL (not so safe and secure if your power goes out I suppose), I’m thrilled with my decision to live off-campus. Who needs functional stairs anyway?