Is it advisable to live in the dorms during nursing school?

netglow, ASN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

I am a firm believer in a solid freshman experience. Live in a dorm. Of course less roomies or a separate sleeping area is best, but don't overdue your worries about nursing. If you need quiet to study, then find a place outside your dorm to do this. This is all part of the college experience. Join the greek system if you want, why not? If you can organize yourself you can do it all. Remember nursing by far is not the most difficult major out there. Lots of students will be juggling. If you want to move into a sorority later, or an apt. then fine. Don't make it all about nursing. Make sure you have a full college life experience. Have some fun!!!!!

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

I would advise you to live on campus, before going to a 4-year university for biology (pre-med) I was a commuter in a nursing school. I often found myself not participating in extra-curricular activities and just going from school to my house to the library.

Living on campus you are always in the know, you are always surrounded by classmates that can offer some sort of help, the library is on campus, always accessible. I would strongly advise you to live on campus if money permit.

Aaron-Ball · Apr 18, 2011

That is completely up to your personal preference. I don't think the fact that you are a Nursing student makes any difference, but I would personally recommend living in the dorms to enjoy the "full" college experience.

tripsis · Apr 18, 2011

I lived in the dorms my freshman year, and if it was too lod to study in my room, there was a lounge that was quiet and a library close by. You meet so many people, and one of my best friends in nursing school actually lived on my floor! That was helpful because it made studying a lot easier. After freshman year, I moved to an apartment complex-quiet, but if I had lived here freshman year, I wouldn't have had nearly the experience.

gigglymo · Apr 18, 2011

I vote dorms! I made some of my best friends living in the dorms my freshman year. You can always go to the library (or sometimes, to the study rooms in the dorm) if you need some peace and quiet. The support you'll get from the dorm environment is invaluable, especially in a new town and at a new school. Good luck - and have fun!

threelittlebirds · Apr 18, 2011

I'm a junior in my four year program, and have spent the last three years in the dorms...My freshman year, it was wonderful. I loved my roommate, never had a problem studying or sleeping, and still had plenty of social time. My sophomore year, I had the same roommate, and while she was wonderful, the floor was noisy, I could never sleep, and there wasn't much to do on campus anymore. This year, I'm sharing a suite (half kitchen, full bath, tiny living area) with three girls (we each have our own walk-in closet sized rooms)...and it has been absolutely miserable. No fun floor/building activities to speak of, and my roommates are loud and disrespectful. I've already signed a lease to have my own place next year.

Your experience will depend on your roommates, first, and then the activities available on campus...at my school, there just isn't much after freshman year. Your school may be different! I do recommend staying on campus for your freshman year, at least (I'm assuming you're in a four year program like me)...after that, everyone will start to move off and you can decide what your ideal situation will be, while still having made friends and developed connections with your classmates.

The other thing to consider is your clinical hours...if you need to be at the clinical site by 6am and it's a drive away (like it was for me), consider whether you'll be able to go to bed, uninterrupted, at 8 to be up by 4? I thought it would be okay in my shared dorm apartment situation, and boy, was I wrong. You need to put your education first, and showing up to clinical with four hours of sleep because your roommates were up drinking all night (just my experience....) isn't the best idea, if you can avoid it. BUT, in all likelihood, you won't have those clinical hours your freshman year.

Good luck!

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Apr 18, 2011

You know you better than we know you, but I lived in a dorm all 4 years of college, which included nursing school. I LOVED it! It probably helped that my roommate was also a nursing major, but if she otherwise needed the room for something, or if she was watching TV, or if I just wanted to study somewhere else, there were options. I could go to the study lounge (my dorm had 6 floors, so several places to choose from) or one of many libraries on campus as well. It's also faster getting to class (usually) and to the many 'required' extra oncampus things (skills labs, meetings with instructors, etc.) inherent in nursing school.

I'm not a 'social butterfly' but I did like the social aspect of living on campus and being closer to things. Just having the suite and suitemates coming and going was worth it; and we'd say 'hi' and there was almost always a dinner buddy if you wanted one. (Depends on the dorm setup, though.) Overall, I would encourage you to live on campus, but my opinion is clearly a bit biased.

Moving this to general nursing student discussion forum so you can get feedback from members who can tell you what it's like for them right now.

CuriousMe · Apr 18, 2011

I lived in a dorm for my first two years....I thought it was great to be that close to everything I needed. I did live in dorms that had established quiet hours so noise wasn't an issue for me.

I'd investigate what the dorm choices are at your school. Sometimes they have some that have designated quiet hours, or floors that are designated for certain majors.

caseydoubleoh7 · Apr 19, 2011

Definitely go with dorms! I find it the greatest experience ever, as I am about three weeks away from finishing my freshman year. You will meet tons of people, trust me. I am really not that social but I feel like every time I walk into the building I say hi to someone I know. What's great about my school.. and hopefully yours does this too, is that it's a Nursing and Allied Health building; pretty much every one has class together and the same majors. My roommate is actually in nursing too, so if we ever have questions about one of our classes we can ask each other for help. The only thing is I don't really advise rooming with someone that is the same intelligence because she seems to get salty when I don't study for things and she studies her butt off to get the same grade. Just a heads up! Lol, but anyways, I definitely advise it. I feel like if I lived in an apartment I wouldn't know anything that's going on on campus either. I know about all the concerts and activities.. I'm also in a nursing fraternity and honors society. They also have study sessions at night for most classes to help with tests.

If your roommates bother you at first you can always get a room change, plus if noise is a problem just go to a study lounge like previously stated or go to the library.

kristandrews · Apr 19, 2011

It all depends on the quality of your roomate! I have lived on-campus throughout college and nursing school, and when I had a quiet roomate who didn't mind if I was up studying at 3am, I loved living on campus. One definite perk is being able to roll out of bed and run to class without having to commute! Another perk is simply walking down the hall to study with a friend if you're lucky enough to have a fellow nursing student in your dorm, and being within walking distance of the library and dining halls! But this year I have a noisy roomate who goes to bed at 10pm and then tosses and turns all night if I'm up studying (she's nice about it, but I hate keeping her from getting a good night's sleep), so I've lived with my parents for the past several weeks (45 minutes away, but closer to the hospital I precepted at) because I can stay up late studying there and it's a lot quieter. So I've loved it and hated it during nursing school, simply based on what my roomate was like!