Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Should you live on or off campus?

It took only a couple weeks of living in freshman housing before I started thinking and talking about living off campus next year. The freshman dorms seemed so overly controlling at first that I was looking foreword to getting away from all the rules. Since the first few weeks, my attitude has changed about moving off campus for a number of reasons. There are definitely advantages to living off campus mainly freedom, but there are also a number of reasons to stay on. The CollegeBoard provides a pro/con list of moving off campus.
Pros:
- It can be cheaper than University housing
- Greater independence, privacy, freedom, and often space
- Usually quieter and fewer distractions, better for studying
- A good way to build a rental history making it easier to obtain housing following graduation.
- You can make your own meals
- No more community bathrooms
Cons:
- Hidden costs such as security deposits, first and last months rent, utilites, furnature, appliances, and other miscellaneous items needed for living can actually make living off campus more expensive than living on campus.
- You have to pay for your own internet and cable
- Chores
- You have to spend time commuting.
- More responsibilities and liabilities.
- You may need to find a sub leaser in the summer
- You have to find a place
- Financial Aid may not cover the move off campus.
- May feel isolated from campus
Living off campus as opposed to staying on campus depends largely on personal preference and current financial status, there really is no right or wrong answer here.

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