Choosing Between Living On-Campus versus Off?

Answer 1

Going through the process of deciding where you will live as a student can be a tug-a-war between your rational side and your self-pleasing side. The clock is ticking as you sit and try to make a decision about which direction you will go in, on campus or a place off campus. Knowing the person you are, you would rather not be trapped in a living situation you will regret for the entire semester, or worse, for the entire year. Compare the two avenues before you buy because the wrong determination about the place you will call home is just as major as choosing the school that gives you more bang for your buck.

Campus Living

The major pros for taking a dorm room or student apartment on campus are proximity to classes and services, cheaper expenses, and opportunities for socializing. The responsibilities associated with being a student almost necessitate an campus living because everything is at your fingertips. Review each of these points.

1. The chances of making it to class late everyday are cut at least in half (this highly depends though on your nightlife habits).
2. You almost do not need a car if you live on campus. The only time it is necessary is when you want to go home, get away for the weekend or for those crucial trips to the market for scavenging while you study.
3. The library is but a few yards away and your tutor may even live down the hall.
4. You also have easy access to the gym, the pool, and university concerts.
5. Inclusive internet services are also a super plus for on campus housing. You do not have to worry about a bill every month for something you will use exponentially during your life as a student.

Briefly, there are just too many benefits to staying on campus as opposed to across town, on the outskirts of town, or out of town all together back home with your folks.

Living off Campus

With all of the practicalities of living close to your campus, some students simply cannot gel with the idea of living in a dorm or even a student flat. These students are probably less than extraverted or are upperclassmen who cannot deal with all of the downsides of living on campus. These cons include the inability control when the lights go off and when the noise stops.

1. Loud music
2. Loud talking
3. Horseplay around
4. Constant laundering
5. Countless showers

All of these things grate the nerves of some and for that sector of university students, an off campus apartment or house is a definite requisite. Skipping campus living and going straight away to shopping for roommates and an affordable place is the first step that this type of student has to make. Forget trying it out for a while and being stuck in a dorm that you hate with people you despise. No amount of convenience will be enough for you to consider even one semester amongst your peers on campus. Take the money included in your grants and loans for room and board and stash it for rent, furniture, and utilities in your own place. If you are smart enough to rent out to roommates (with enough matching rooms), you can decrease your total bills by a large sum every month. This adds up and frees up cash for food and transportation expenses. Though you will not be a campus resident, you can still use many services without the curfews and food you would rather not touch with a ten-foot pole.

Choosing to live on or off campus depends highly on what type of person you are, what you can deal with and what you expect out of your living arrangements through college. By choosing one over the other, you will have to deal with a negative nonexistent with the opposing option for sure but you will have to pick something or get comfortable at home with mom and dad. If that is not motivation for you, then forget college altogether and get comfortable in your spot in the middle of the couch between the two. You are going to be there for a long time baby.