Why I Live On Campus

Gwynedd Mercy University recent alum Danielle Rainier '17 shares the top five reasons she lived on campus.

1. Convenience

Home for me was 40 minutes away from GMercyU and without a drivers license, commuting would have been difficult. The best part about GMercyU was that it was close enough that if I wanted to go home on the weekend, I could but not close enough that I would go home every weekend.

2. The Experience

The experiences I had in GMercyU's Residence Halls will be ones I keep forever. The programs and activities I went to made my time in college more enjoyable and helped me meet some of my closest friends. You meet new people, make memories, and get away from the stress of school; even if it is only for an hour.

3. New People

After sharing a room with my older sister for 17 years of my life, it was time to find a new roommate.

During my first year of GMercyU, we experienced a terrible snow storm that had the entire campus draped in snow and icicles. We lost power for almost 12 hours. With only one emergency outlet working, residents gathered together around the one power strip. While it was still a tense situation, we were able to come together and build community.

4. Independence

The independence I gained by living away from home would turn out to be beneficial to me in more ways than one. I noticed a change in myself. I was able to make decisions on my own and live independently.

My parents trusted me more because they saw that if I could survive away from home, I could survive being out of the country or across the United States on various trips with GMercyU. As much as I hate to say it, I was becoming an adult. Living on campus helped me make that transition easier.

5. Personal Space

I simply wanted my own space. While I am an organized, more reserved person, my sister and lifetime roommate can be described as “the life of the party.”

After four years of living away from home, my sister has taken to filling all my empty space with her own stuff making even less space for my own stuff. I found it harder to move back at the end of the semester each year because GMercyU became my home away from home.