<prompt> Human: Im currently a high school senior who was recently accepted into my top choice university. Its a state university Im in-state and its only about 7 minutes driving from my house. But I really, really want to dorm. My older sister currently attends the same university and she commutes. After financial aid from FAFSA and a state grant, she either basically doesnt need to pay for school at all, or has to pay like around 1k, which is nothing for a college education. Shes a junior right now and has no debt. If I were to commute, Id assume Id be in the same situation, and Id graduate with no debt at all.The problem lies with the fact that for at least freshman year I really want to dorm. I view myself as an extrovert with a friend circle that badly needs a drastic change and the college dorm experience would help me with that. I dont want to graduate without ever have experiencing the dorm life, and what better year to do that than freshman year. After applying to the same grants my older sister receives, the base college tuition would be essentially taken off. Roughly estimating, Id have to pay around 15k for room and board. My family is broke family of 5 with like a 40k income, already severely in debt, so they wouldnt be able to pay like anything. If I were to only dorm freshman year, that 15k more or less, depending on several factors like whether or not I ever get a scholarship while in college, or if I get a job would be the only debt I would have to pay off after graduating undergrad. But I could commute and graduate debt-free. as of now I plan to double major in information systems and management at my college which is a top business school, so I dont assume Id be broke after college is over...hopefullyEDIT: its worth noting that this is all on the assumption that I wont find any scholarships between now and the end of freshman year. Assistant: Dorms are basically gentrified prisons. The fun starts when you get off campus housing with some friends. I would seriously consider not doing this. You state you are an extrovert so you will have no problems meeting plenty of new people. Join some clubs and spend a lot of time on campus.Human: While off campus housing does sound great, its something I would consider later on as Id like to live directly on campus and meet everyone first. Over 90 of the freshmen at the school I will attend live on campus, and Id wanna meet them there as a freshman. Id think about it later on -- presumably when I have a job.While joining clubs and all that is a completely logical solution, I personally view the nightlife on campus to be where Id make a lot of my connections. Id still be in clubs, but Id be able to talk to people in the club whenever I want. And with the parents I have at my current age...theyd be up my ass every night telling me to come home. Thats something I wouldnt have to deal with on campus. Im sure these are complaints exclusive to a high school students limited understanding of life, but my problem is deciding whether taking on the debt is a risk I wanna take for my own emotional satisfaction. Let me ask another question: is 15k of student loans that hard to pay off, assuming that Id be making 60-90k straight out of college? While I understand unemployment is a huge possibility, lets just assume it isnt here.  <response>: Im going to agree with you. Long post to follow.I lived in the dorms at the University of WI 20 years ago, and I would say it was a very important part of college. At this point in my life, it is the most important part of college. I could have commuted, but I didnt. Most of the commuters I knew had one foot in HS, and one in college. They hung out with their mope friends from HS who were going nowhere.I had to make friends because very few kids I knew went to decent colleges and my friends from HS were going nowhere and after 20 years have gone nowhere. Those friends I made are still my friends. I can pull out my phone and call up six or seven guys I met in the first two weeks of my freshman year and talk for an hour. Ive been to their weddings, baby showers, and Ive been to their parents funerals. We get together and go skiing in Tahoe a couple times a decade. A few of those guys will be there when they put me in the ground. How do you put a dollar figure on that?Going back to rpersonalfinance, my current boss gave me a decent break in my career and offered my a director level position at his company. He lived in my dorm. Ive hired other guys I knew from college, and theyve hired me when I needed it. Im not Mark Zuckerberg, but I started my own business a few years ago with help from college friends. We went bust, but not for lack of trying. And with the parents I have at my current age...theyd be up my ass every night telling me to come home. Im also a dad, and knowing what I know how important college social life is... Id still be pestering my kids to come home. You cant turn it off. Live in the dorms and then your parents will not worry about you. is 15k of student loans that hard to pay off, assuming that Id be making 60-90k straight out of college?Are you going to be top of your class in electrical or chemical engineering? Cause otherwise that aint happening.Nevertheless, I would say that 15K is well spent. Part of why we bust our ass as adults to earn money is to spend that money on fun and enriching experiences. This qualifies, even if you have to borrow it. It might suck to pay it off, but it will suck less than living in the dorms may enrich the rest of your life. Live in the dorms. Keep your door open at all times except when you are sleeping for the first month. Get away from your parents and instruct them to call before dropping by. Theyll understand. And keep in mind the kind of people reading rpersonalfinance are a self selected group of very frugal, conservative people. I make good money and Im damn frugal about certain things. This is not one of them. I will not allow any of my kids to commute to college and I am saving to provide that for them, because my wife and I think its that important. 