Student housing is supposed to be affordable and practical housing options for college students. There's supposed to be many options to choose from, like two bed/two bath apartments, four bed/ four and a half bath townhomes, and six bed/three bath houses. It's Tallahassee, so there's something for everyone's budget.

But, when student housing is looked at closely, it's a complete scam. I worked in student housing for almost a year, and I hated it. I hated the students I dealt with, along with their helicopter parents. I hated the work environment and the ridiculous tasks that were asked of me. Most importantly, I hated how I was a student working for student housing while also being screwed over by student housing.

I remember talking to a prospect (a potential "customer") about signing with my student housing complex, and she asked when the lease ends (to which I replied July 31st) and when the lease started (and I gave the move-in date for this fall, August 19th). She was shocked and practically yelled at me, "well, what am I supposed to do for three weeks- be homeless?"

Yes- you, me, and with the rest of college students that have signed a standard lease will be homeless.

This three-week period is called "turn" and it's the time where student housing personnel, vendors, and temporary help come in to vacant units and clean them, renovate them if necessary, and prepare them for the new move-ins. Imagine an apartment complex that has 750 bedrooms and 600 people move out. That's 600 bedrooms that need the carpet steam cleaned, the paint touched up, the bathroom's plumbing fixed, and the smell of old food cleaned out, all in a three-week period. That's why many places charge extra for an early move-in or simply don't allow it, because there is so much work to be done in such little time.

But why does move-out always coincide with finals week for the summer? Now, students are trying to pack up their homes while simultaneously studying for an exam that may or may not determine if they'll be graduating the following semester. It's hectic and stressful, and often times, students will skip class to go home and pack or head to Strozier to cram for a final, knowing damn well they need to turn in their house keys on July 31st at 10 a.m.

The extra fees: $100 application fee to see if you even qualify to live in the apartment, $1,000 security deposit, $25 to run a back-ground check, $5 green fee for going paperless- all of it adds up for every time that you move. You end up spending so much money renting a two bedroom apartment that you might as well buy a house and pay a mortgage. It's an absolute scam to college students, who have enough on their plates.

Student housing has its benefits, but I'm still convinced that it's just another money-making opportunity for big corporations to prey on naive college kids.