it is varied everywhere.

Each college or university can and does set its own rules about where freshmen live. The pluses are being convenient to a classroom for an 8 o’clock class or to “home” after long hours at the library, having other freshmen dorm mates experiencing much of what you’re experiencing (misery or joy is better with company), easily meeting new people, and not having to deal with furnishing an off-campus place. The negatives of dorm living, besides what your cousin is putting up with, can be noise, isolation, little individuality in surroundings, and (sometimes) costs if there’s no kitchen, for example, or the place is so depressing that all waking hours are spent someplace else!

It’s worth asking BEFORE you register, and, if you can, go see the freshmen dorm for yourself. If it IS required, then ask an upperclassman how they survived.

dorms aren’t always that way either. my dorm was older, but nice, had it’s own AC unit and a pretty wide window. schools usually have a lot of “meet our campus!” events before the start of a new school year and campus tours at any time where you can see the dorms.

Some schools require Freshmen who do not live locally (with their families) to live in the dorms. Many times these Freshmen dorms are some of the oldest on campus and might be without AC or other amenities. Sometimes the more you are willing to pay, the nicer your dorm will be.

I lived in the dorm my freshman year. It was air-conditioned. Our rooms were large enough. Four of us shared suite, with a common entry with a bath, and two bedrooms.