This past Tuesday, the Biola housing selection process began. Regardless of our age or academic status, each of us must make decisions to decide where and with whom we will live. The housing selection time can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be. Rather than worrying about what we may lose by leaving the dorms, we should focus on what we have to gain by living off campus.

In my personal experience, dorm life has been incredible. Whether participating in various dorm pranks and competitions, or being involved with Bible studies and late night fast food runs, I have been consistently inspired and stretched as an individual. Activities like GYRADs and floor retreats have allowed me to reach out and discover people in the Biola community like no other school program would. Considering all of this, why would I want to leave the dorm environment?

Different Benefits

Even though dorm life has been a healthy experience, I know living off campus will provide its own benefits. For instance, living in a house or apartment gives separation between yourself and Biola. Having that separation allows you to understand how an education at Biola fits into the grand scheme of our lives. One can easily live inside the so-called Biola bubble while residing on campus. But living off-campus forces us to look closely at the different communities surrounding Biola. It exposes us to neighbors with different religious and political beliefs than our own.

Greater Independence

Additionally, living off campus leads to increased independence. There is no janitorial staff to clean the toilets in your apartment and no authority figure to quell conflicts between you and your neighbors — unless you live in Biola Apartments, where an Resident Coordinator is present. Meals are self-prepared each night, that is if you don’t happen to hire a personal cook. And unlike living in dorms, where a social gathering is only a few steps away, social time must be planned out with careful consideration.

Each of you has a choice to either live on or off campus next year. Every person has a unique scenario with different pros and cons. As adults, we should be aware of life outside the Biola bubble. University life will not last forever, and living off-campus gives fresh perspective of our place in the world.