Dorms or Apartment?

As freshmen, we are required to live in the dorms opposed to living in an apartment. I have no problem with this because it's quite convenient. When I first moved into the dorms I felt a bit lonely because I didn't know anyone. I was living with a complete stranger, let alone sharing a floor with even more strangers. However, a few days later our C.A. held a floor meeting in the lounge. We all attended because we were curious to what it was all about. Our C.A. did this to give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves and get to know a little about each other. After this we all felt comfortable, and we developed new friendships. Another reason why I believe living in the dorms is convenient is because everything is included. I mean we pay for housng and dining and this comes with computer labs, access to internet, cable channels, laundry rooms, dining halls, and assisting front desk services. This is a great combination for us as freshmen because it makes it easy to adjust to the new college life. Now, if we started off with apatments, I believe that everything would be different and difficult. We would have to pay bills, make our own breakfast, lunch, dinner, and who knows how much more. I'm pretty sure many freshmen would become overwhelmed, frustrated, and eventually fail or drop out of college. It would be too much to handle as a freshmen. So when is the right time to get an apartment? Perhaps junior year, senior year, or never. http://www.niu.edu/housing/