Attending college in the city that never sleeps can feel like a marathon. While many students, like myself, were drawn to the bustling city life of the Village, there are times when it can be difficult to catch a moment to yourself. Between fighting through the hordes of students clogging the passageways of Washington Square Park to braving the near-death experience that is crossing the street, I have found a silver lining in living 15 minutes away from campus — peace.
While I may regret this sentiment on those days when I’m rushing out of Founders Hall minutes before I have to get to class, I almost always find living farther away to be beneficial. While some students might gripe about the location of dorms like Greenwich Hall or Broome Street, I see the upside. The distance gives me a clean break from the chaos and allows for a separation between school and relaxation mode. At worst, it’s a chilly walk in the winter. But at best, it’s a mental reset.
The trek back to my dorm not only puts physical distance between myself and my classes but also allows me the time to shift headspaces. It’s a buffer between the hectic pace of the school day and the more relaxed hours of the evening. Having prioritized consecutive class times during course selection, I start and end my day at fairly consistent times across the week. This creates a routine that blocks out productive hours in the day dedicated to class and allocates time at home to be spent however necessary. My walk isn’t just about the physical distance — it’s about the emotional boundary between work and downtime.
For individuals without such a structured class schedule, those productive hours in the day might still be salvaged. Having to justify walking back and forth from my dorm serves as encouragement to stay central to campus. What better way to spend breaks between classes than availing yourself of the many study spaces offered across Bobst Library? Students may reserve individual or group study rooms for up to three hours, although spots do go quickly. Don’t sweat it if you don’t secure one of these spaces, as seating can be found on almost every floor. Sprinkling homework and study periods between classes is not only a great way to commit material to memory, but it also helps distribute workload across all hours of the day.
Beyond helping my productivity and work-life balance, distance from the heart of campus can offer something that central dorms struggle with — privacy. While central dorms come with the convenience of being closer to classes, they come with the constant bustle of Washington Square Park, which draws tourists, vendors and students alike at all hours of the day and night. But living even just a few minutes further from campus can mean foregoing the hustle and bustle of student commuters. While yes, we do still have roommates and therefore may never achieve true solitude, being away from the more congested streets of campus provides some much-needed quiet.
As enviable as it is to roll out of bed seven minutes before class and make it on time, the escape from the chaos of our campus offered by further dorms is a worthy trade-off. For different people, this separation means different things — for me, it’s one of the only things keeping my introverted side sane.
WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Grayson Stotz at [email protected].
