After two years of RA’s, shower shoes, and Twin XL beds, my friends and I were faced with the decision most college students contemplate at one time or another: should we ditch the dorms and try our luck elsewhere?
While there are several benefits to moving off-campus, I’d be lying if I said it was all sunshine and roses. At the time my friends and I knew nothing of this matter; all we knew was that the freedom of a college dorm could never quite match the freedom of a house or an apartment. We quickly found a place, signed the lease, and began our lives as home renters. Looking back, I can’t say that I would change anything, but I wish I had known what I was getting myself into. For all those people considering future living situations, here is a very real list of pros and cons for moving off-campus.
Pro: Chances are, it’s a lot cheaper.
Once you compare the costs of the dorms to most rental properties in the area, you’ll generally find that renting is the lesser of two evils. Throw in the fact that most properties in the Monmouth area are already furnished, and it’s a steal.
Con: Driving. So much Driving.
Depending on the distance from campus, it may not be a bad drive at all. There will, however, come a day when the weather is out for blood and the school refuses to shut down. The choice is yours: face the possibility of an untimely death on slick and icy roads, or face the wrath of your professor when you skip his class.
Pro: No more Dining Hall food.
You’ll feel liberated once you realize that you’re no longer subjected to cold pizza and stale bagels every day. The world is literally your oyster.
Con: No more Dining Hall food.
Most of you will quickly realize that you don’t know how to cook oysters, or any kind of food for that matter. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a kitchen savvy housemate who’s willing to share with you, but the simplicity of the dining hall will never seem more appealing.
Pro: You have housemates, not roommates.
Occupying your own room is a luxury that can never be exaggerated. You’re free to make the environment as clean or messy as you like, and you’ll always have a perfect sanctuary when you need time away from the outside world.
Con: The slightly awkward matter of deciding who gets which room.
You will ALL want the master bedroom with the big bed. Admittedly, the issue will be resolved rather quickly, but it still needs to be dealt with. Whether you duke it out or flip a quarter, someone will always be left with a room on the smaller side.
Pro: You no longer have to deal with trivial dorm problems.
Say goodbye to a life filled with floor meetings, shower shoes, and mandatory quiet hours. Those are all in the past.
Con: You have to deal with a whole new set of problems.
Say hello to a life filled with electric bills, broken appliances, and irrational landlords.
Pro: It prepares you for life after college.
Despite the headache it can put you through, it’s still a learning experience. For us, practically everything went wrong. We had squirrels in the attic, water in the basement, and a two week period in the middle of February when we had no heat. It was a spectacular pain at the time, but it taught us how to handle all the annoying curveballs life throws our way.
No matter where you choose to live, problems have the tendency to pop up in some form or another. Neither off-campus nor on-campus living is necessarily better than the other; they each come with their own unique set of issues. The trick is to live with people who can laugh at something as ridiculous as squirrels mating in the attic. Because honestly, it’s actually kind of funny.
