I've lived in the dorm and now an apartment near campus. The dorm was most convenient as a new comer. A lot of people doing a lot of different things. Easy to meet people with similar interests. It is a tad cheaper than an apartment. The things I like about the apartment are more space, a full size refrigerator and stove and not having a communal bathroom. Also, I lived in the old dorms, so I'm sure the new ones are an improvement.