Dormitories ("the dorms") are housing facilities provided by your school. They are always located on-campus, or within walking distance. If transportation is a problem for you, this is probably your best choice. In a dorm, you usually share your room with one or more roommates. There are often little or no facilities for preparing food. Your school may offer meal plans, where you are entitled to freely use on-campus cafeterias for a fixed cost per semester. In many cases, students living in dorms are required to purchase a meal plan, but there may be many plans to choose from. Sometimes, meals may be included in the cost of your dorm room. Contact your school's housing office for details.

Benefits of Staying in the Dorm:

• Close to campus
• Safe and supportive environment
• Utilities are free
• Fully experience campus life
• Learn English more easily, through daily contact with American roommates and neighbors
• Learn American youth culture first-hand
• Easy access to campus facilities - the library, gym, computer lab, clinic, etc.
• Possibly, free internet access

Drawbacks of Staying in the Dorm:

• Can (and will!) be noisy and chaotic
  (Maybe that's a benefit?)
• Might be lower quality than off-campus housing
• Sometimes kitchen facilities are not available
• You will have to follow campus and dorm rules

Next: Off-Campus Housing