After freshman year, everyone is looking to move away from the dorms. Being in close proximity to so many people can make or break your first year of college. Moving off campus into an apartment or house seems like the only alternative and a way to have more freedom and space. However, living off campus does have its drawbacks, as well as its definite pros. Here are a few of the ones I have noticed.
The cons to living off campus are as follows:
1. Not being able to walk to your classes
Depending on where you live off campus, it can be too far to walk to your classes. This means you have to drive to campus in order to get there on time. But if your campus has terrible parking you may not find a spot to park and have to end up parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus or even purchasing an overly priced parking pass for the year (which still may not ensure you a spot).
2. Bills
Oh bills…between rent, utilities, groceries and internet/cable it seems at the end of the month there is no extra money to do anything fun with. Bills are something you didn’t really have to deal with in the dorms. You paid one lump sum to live in the residence halls and called it good. Once you move off campus, it is harder to come up with some of the money. Everything has to be paid at different times and you are crossing your fingers hoping you worked enough this month to make ends meet. However, this is good practice for after graduation when you have to make all of this work without housemates in a new state.
3. Not in close proximity to all of your friends
In the dorms, you lived right down the hall from your closest friends. Making plans to see them was easy, as you simply walked down the hall and asked them to go get food with you. Now, it’s not as easy. Chances are you do not live next door from your friends. Calling to make plans can be hard as everyone has different classes, work and extra-curricular schedules. Don’t take for granted the availability and closeness of your friends because it dwindles as the years go on.
Don’t let the cons discourage you because there are upsides to living off campus as well.
Here are some pros:
1. Independence
Coming and going as you please without a roommate constantly nagging you about where you have been or how you need to spend more time with them is a true blessing. Even if you do have housemates, everyone is respectful of each other and their individual schedules. Also, there is the ability to get away from the university when you have just had enough. You can escape home to a place where you don’t see everyone in your classes or have to talk to strangers about how their exam went. Being able to get away can save your sanity.
2. You can make your own rules
Quiet hours? Only if you need them. Alcohol in your room? Go for it. Can’t have pets? Living with a dog/cat makes this whole experience so much better. Having to go to dorm meetings to discuss how someone on your floor got a ticket or someone got arrested? Those things do not exist when you live off campus. To clarify, it is not a free for all, you still have to obey legal rules, but no being allowed to adjust your thermostat is a thing of the past.
3. More Productive Environment
The atmosphere in having our own place is different than that of a dorm. There isn’t constant loud music or people yelling to communicate between rooms. Having a calm environment that is homey and quiet can do wonders for your mental state and for your GPA. When you are surrounded by a world that's moving one million miles an hour, it is hard not to get swept up in the chaos. Living off campus gives you some degree of separation from the craziness.
Deciding to live off or on campus is an individual decision. I am grateful for the friends I made and the experiences I had while living on campus. That being said, living off campus is something I treasure. My own space and independence I will never take for granted. However, I do miss being incredibly close to friends and the convenience of classes. Where will you live next year? That is completely up to you but I wish you all the best.
