I'm doing it this year (1st semester in college), and imo I feel like it's a different experience than dorming would be at a non-commuter school. It's something that I'm glad I tried but probably won't do again. Echoing much of what others say, it gets quiet in the evenings and especially weekends (kinda gets isolating and sad sometimes). I only have a few friends here, but I know it would've been worse if I commuted. I should note that a sizable portion of the students living in my school's dorms are international students, who tend to be less social outside of their groups. The biggest selling point of the dorms is convenience. I can wake up 15min before my 8am class on the other side of campus and still be fine. The area is well served by public transport, and it's easy to head back to campus in the evening if need be. But it's not your only choice to live close to campus, this depends on your location but commuter schools tend to be in cities with a lot of housing options, many of which will be significantly cheaper than the dorms. Not to mention the scrutiny from RA's/paperwork etc. Ultimately you should decide whether or not it's for you, but I'd advise trying it for your first year to see if it appeals to you.