Including 18 university residence halls, nine university apartments and a myriad of non-university houses, deciding where to live during college can be difficult. Yet, if we stand back and weigh the pros and cons, the answer is obvious. The residence hall life is far superior to any other living situation available.

College is an interesting time. There are so many options to consider, so many roads to take and life-altering decisions to make.

Don’t let these choices scare you too much. Most of the answers are clear with a little deductive reasoning. My advice is to take baby steps until you are comfortable with your situation and your surroundings.

In terms of surroundings, residence hall life provides the most pro-college experience lifestyle possible.

I consider myself a social butterfly. I talk to as many people as I can and seek connections that will benefit me later on.

For talkative people like me, the residence halls are an excellent place to meet people, create reliable relationships and build close, tight-knit groups of friends.

Like most college students at WSU, I spend my weekends and free time swimming in a sea of textbooks, notes, concepts and theory. The struggle is real, and so is the hunger. Luckily, in the residence halls, your meal plan almost guarantees a steady stream of delicious sustenance.

There are three residence dining halls – Hillside, Northside and Southside – in addition to an online ordering option and multiple convenience markets. The dining halls are spread out to be easily accessible from any point on campus for convenience.

A bonus to living in the residence halls is the hall activities and special events that take place. Arts and crafts, movie nights, pasta feasts, or, for the more scholarly, FAFSA and scholarship walkthroughs.

Included in the package are a semi-democratic say in the RHA (Resident Hall Association) and a large say into bettering your residence halls with the purchase of TV’s, gaming systems, holiday parties and furniture.

If you are struggling with classes, then there is no better place to be than in the residence halls. It is likely that someone on your hall has taken the class or knows the major. Help is always readily available to those who seek it.

Lastly, and most importantly, residence halls are closer to campus than any other living situation. This could transform a theoretically 15 to 20-minute walk into a mere five-minute saunter. Nothing in college can beat saving time like living close to class.

The downside of residence hall life is, unfortunately, the money. Residence halls are roughly two to three times the price of university apartments or non-university housing. Granted, most of this money is generated by the meal plan and an unlimited supply of water, sewer, garbage, and heating services.

In truth, different living situations vary depending on the person. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, whether you like lively living spaces or low-key dwellings, we’re all Cougs and are part of a proud community.