Living off of your college campus has its benefits and its problems. Some aren’t a big deal, but others take more of an effort to deal with. Here are some things to be considered when you are thinking about being a non-resident student.
Pros:
1. No dorms.
Most universities encourage students to live on campus and even make it mandatory for freshmen to do so. Some dorms can be nice, but others, especially freshman dorms, seem hardly fit for living. Students have to deal with pipes leaking, heating or air conditioning not working, bug infestations, noisy neighbors, as well as getting their laundry stolen from the washers.
2. No roommates.
While having a roommate is not a bad thing, especially since they might be your best friend, it is easy for people who are used to their own certain habits to get on each other’s nerves sometimes. It is also not uncommon for roommates or suitemates to just not get along at all. This can add extra stress to a college student’s life.
3. Pets and family.
If you live off campus, you might still be living with your family, which can be a comfort. You can also live with your pets, which are often not allowed in college dorms.
4. Food.
Many colleges and universities have restaurants on campus as well as their cafeterias, but some students’ meal plans only cover the cafeteria. This is difficult for picky eaters, especially since some cafeterias lack variety (and quality).
5. Money.
Living on campus can cost you thousands of dollars more each semester than living at home. Tuition and books are already expensive, so sometimes it’s best to save money any way you can.
Cons:
1. Gas.
Depending on how far you live from school and your car’s mileage, filling up your tank every week can get very expensive. Or maybe you have to rely on not-so-reliable public transportation to get to school.
2. Parking.
Students can spend over an hour trying to find a parking spot on campus, especially during the middle of the day. Part of this is because, for some reason, it's okay to park giant construction vehicles, dump piles of snow and ice, and put cones in a dozen spaces when there's already never enough parking for everyone. Then students get tickets for parking in visitor parking or for doing their best to park out of the way by a curb somewhere.
3. Time.
When you deal with traffic and parking every day, it is way easier to be late to class. If you live on campus and you’re running late, you just have to power-walk instead of stroll to class. When you live off campus and are running late, it seems like the whole world is against you. If you have an early class, you often have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to make sure you get there on time.
4. Campus involvement.
Colleges have tons of organizations, teams, and other programs that would be fun to be a part of, but sometimes that’s not easy if you live far away. Going to sports events and plays in the evenings and other types of meetings during weekends isn’t always feasible when it means extra miles-long drives back and forth multiple times a week.
5. Long breaks.
When you can’t go back to your dorm during long breaks between classes, you don’t really have anywhere to go and be comfortable. Most schools provide nice study areas where students are encouraged to relax and even nap, but it’s still a public space in which it can be difficult to really relax.
While choosing whether you should live on campus or not isn't the biggest decision of your life, being a non-resident student can change your college experience.
