Throughout my time at WKU, I have encountered many friends and classmates who have jumped at the chance to move off campus as soon as they were juniors. 

But I really don’t understand the desire to fly the on-campus coop. It’s not that bad.

Sure, having a roommate from hell and those 5 a.m. fire drills can take away from the experience, but all in all, living in a dorm is not a death sentence. 

For starters, it’s like living in a huge neighborhood condensed into a building. You have the potential to meet so many wickedly awesome and interesting people by spending time in the dorm. I’ve spent countless hours chatting with people in the lobby or behind the front desk of my dorm simply because I spotted them playing a game of Madden or Magic: The Gathering. 

Living on campus also means that you’re closer to the action that happens on WKU’s campus every day. Whether it is watching a game of pick-up basketball in the Preston Center, sledding down the hill in front of Van Meter Hall in the winter or sitting down on South Lawn to relax, there is always something happening on WKU’s campus.

Living on campus also means that parking isn’t a big concern, if one at all. Day in and day out, I hear several of my commuter friends complain about the parking problems they encounter. Although I agree that parking at WKU could be handled better, I simply can’t empathize with their troubles as I only drive my car a couple of times a week.

Throughout my three-and-a-half years of living on campus, I’ve seen and experienced so much. I’ve created so many memories that I’ll remember for quite some time. If I had moved off-campus once my junior year began, I would have missed out on so much. It’s an experience of my life that I wouldn’t trade for the world.