As a college student who used to live on campus, there are a bundle of things that no one ever tells you about living off campus. As with anything in life, living off campus comes with its pros and cons. But if the pros outweigh the cons, then, if you can, living off campus may be right for you.
One of the biggest giveaways with commuting is the commute itself-- to get to your school and to get home. Depending on where you live, the commute there and back may be smooth or may be difficult. You have to plan in advance when you’ll leave-- and take into account the traffic-- so that you will arrive to class on time and even early. Always plan for unexpected delays.
If you go to a college where the weather changes in accordance to season, you will have to plan to drive in various weather scenarios. For example, if there is rain, you can be sure that everyone on the highway will drive 20 miles per hour slower all because of water. If there’s snow, you can be sure that your commute time will be reduced to half or more, depending on how bad the weather gets and/or if there is an accident along the way. Either way, always drive safe.
Other than the weather issues and occasional traffic, the commute to school and back can be really fun. You can drive on the highway-- responsibly that is; blast your favorite music, and get really pumped up for your day. I believe driving is a great way to get a lot of things off your mind. It’s a great stress-reliever.
You also have to plan for what you will need the whole day. Before a day of class-- whether you will be on campus the whole day or not-- you will have to plan in accordance to what you will need for your schedule. I’m sure you don’t want to burn another half tank of gas to go back home all because you forgot a book you needed. Once you have everything you will need for the day, you won’t have to worry about missing anything important that you needed to bring to class.
During and after a long day of class, you will begin to get hungry. It’s nice to have the option to drive somewhere else to get food instead of using up your meal plan for average or below average quality food. On the other hand, it will cost you a lot of time to drive elsewhere to buy food. Maybe you don’t have a meal plan and hate taking out your cash or card. Either way, having to legit buy food can be bittersweet.
Speaking of ridiculously-priced foods and meal plans, housing and room and board on campus can be ridiculously-priced, too. For my university, living on campus for one year has increased to $15,000 a year-- a year! How ridiculous is that price? If you live close enough to campus, why would you even want to spend that much money when all you’ll have to worry about is gas money to show up to class? You can even find an off-campus house or apartment for a cheaper price and split it with your friends!
Living on campus isn’t a bad thing, though. In fact-- especially if you are an incoming freshman, it can be really fun and a great way to meet people! There’s nothing like visiting your friends right down the hall after a long day of class, talking about your struggles, ranting about certain professors, courses, and homework, doing random things with your roommates and neighbors, and getting invited to crazy parties on campus Friday night.
With that being said, I believe it’s good to live on campus for the first year or two just so you get the complete 'college experience.' If you do live off campus, you will miss a lot of your friends. Sure, you can still see them when you drive to campus, but half the time, your schedules may conflict and you will find it challenging to meet up with them.
When you live off campus, there is nothing like the feeling of having your own room-- your own room! It is very peaceful, comfy, private, and relaxing. Coming home after class is a great way to unwind. Class feels like work. After class, you always want to 'get out of here,' and by going home, you can not only 'get out of here' once by getting out of class, but you can do so twice by going all the way home and off campus!
Another plus of living off campus is that you will not have to deal with roommate drama or unwanted noise-- especially when you’re trying to study and don’t have time for nonsense! It’s always nice to come home to a nice, quiet, peaceful room to do what you got to do. And, you can be sure you will get more sleep when you have your own room! If you are a light sleeper, you won’t have to get woken up by someone else’s alarm clock! If you're splitting the house or apartment with friends or roommates, then living off campus can still be as exciting!
There are pros and cons to whether you live on or off campus. Depending on the type of person you want to live with, what you want more, or what would make the most sense, living off campus may be the right choice for you. Living off campus may not be the same and as exciting, but you can still get involved with certain activities, see friends, and still go to those crazy parties! At the end of the day, living on and off campus will be your decision and something you should feel content and happy about.
