It takes me an hour to go to school by train from my house. If I were to commute, I would lose more than three hours every day. So my parents and I made the decision that I should live in the dorm in order to use this time more usefully. I have been living in the dormitory since I entered high school. Today I would like to tell you about my dorm life.

　My dormitory life has both good points and bad points. I'll give you two examples of each. First, I can't live with my family. Sometimes I feel lonely and I want to go home. Even though I have these feelings, there is not so much I can do but wait until I can go home. And when I'm very tired, I must wash my own clothes and cook my own meals. Also my time is restricted because my curfew is at seven p.m. Additionally I have to take a bath as quickly as possible because other students are waiting to use it, too. It's really hard for me to take a bath in a hurry, but now I can do it in five minutes.

　Now, for the good points. I am very happy to live in the dormitory because there are more strengths than weakness. First, I have built good relationship with other students and teachers living in the dorm. For me teachers are my parents and the students are my siblings. So when I feel alone, I can think that I'm not alone because I am always with my family - my family away from home. My teachers and seniors often help me. We support each other so that our lives will become better. Second, I have become much more independent than before. Doing housework makes me tired, but doing these chores has made me into an adult. Now, I realize how hard my mother works and I've also found out how important my family is. They are always worrying about my health and I worry about them, too. We have been thinking about each other more and more since I left home.

　At first, I was full of anxiety about my dormitory life. But now, I am enjoying my life and I am more confident than before about myself. Dorm life has made me confident and making friends is now an easy thing for me. Now everyone, don't get me wrong, "Dorm Life is challenging but fun. Wow ! Without experiencing the life in the dormitory, I wouldn't have known how truly blessed I am to have a family.