When Davenport accepted me, I dove into looking up housing information. There were a ton of sources that recommended living on campus for a variety of reasons. Most of the sources explained all the great reasons to live on campus and tried to shut down the idea of living off campus. Of course, being from the other side of the state and only just eighteen I had planned from the start to live on campus. I did that for two years before getting my apartment off campus. There are pros and cons of living on campus and off.
On Campus:
On campus refers to living on the actual campus and any “off-campus” apartments owned by your college.
Pros:
Community
Your neighbors are all students you go to school with and in a small school like Davenport, your neighbors could even very likely be in your classes with you. There always people around if you need help with a class or assignment.
Friends
It is easier to make friends. There are people around going through a lot of the same stuff as you and they are right there. I made so many friends when I lived on campus (thanks to my roommate) and now that I live off campus it's harder to make friends because I am no longer a part of the community.
Distance
You are close to everything when you are living on campus. You are close to all of your classes as well as any on-campus dining options. You are also close to all of your friends and everything else
It is also easier to be a part of on campus events. Davenport has a bunch of fun on campus events, but most of those are attended by housing students because it's easier for them to attend.
Save money
You do not have any outside bills related to housing once you pay for the housing cost (and potentially mandatory meal plan) which means you don't have to worry about monthly bills.
Most colleges have furnished dorms. This means you don't have to worry about purchasing furniture for your move in. Furniture can be quite expensive, and this saves money.
Cons:
Cost
Living on campus can be very expensive. You may not have outside bills but on campus housing is expensive. I state earlier that I cut my housing costs in half by living off campus and that is with a pretty high rent because it was a last minute find.
Thin walls
When you live on campus, you do everything there. Including attempt to study with loud neighbors. The walls are thin in on-campus housing, and you can hear everything and everyone your neighbors are doing which can make it hard for you to do homework, sleep, or just relax.
No escape
When you live on campus if you had a bad day you can't just go home to get away because the campus is your home. It's hard to just walk away from a stressful day when you trapped on campus. I use that word because not everyone who lives on campus has a car (aka me for my first two years of college). It can cause you to go a little stir crazy.
Off Campus:
Pros:
Cost
It can be cheaper to live off campus. I know that my housing costs are cut in half living off campus. Off-campus, I have a bigger apartment, bigger bedroom, and do not have to have a required meal plan.
Growing up
Paying bills and doing grocery shopping can help you grow as a person. You are out on your own (or with roommates) and getting to experience the adult life. You grow up, and grow as a person. It's a good experience.
Escape
You don't have to feel trapped on campus. There is some separation that lets you get away. If you had a rough day on campus, you can leave and go home and just get away from it all.
Quiet time
The walls are very thin in on-campus housing, and you can hear just about everything that your roommates and neighbors are doing. Apartments aren't known for thick walls but they are thicker than on campus, and you don't have to hear as much. If you have a house, then that's even better cause you likely don't have to deal with neighbor noise unless it's a party or similar activity.
Cons:
Can't forget things
When living on campus if you forget your laptop charger you can just run back to your room and be back before class even starts but, when you live off campus if you forget something you have to drive home get what you need and return. That wastes gas and can take a bit time.
Transportation
If you have a car, then you have gas costs and car maintenance that you will have to factor into your budget. Yes living on campus you can still have these expenses, but they will increase when living off campus as you will be driving a lot more.
Buses aren't always an option depending on where you live. If they are an option, there is always the issue that buses do not always run on schedule which could mean you are going to be late for class.
Costs
Living off campus means you have to do the grocery shopping and possibly pay bills which are something you wouldn't have to do on campus (if a meal plan covers meals).
Living off campus means having to purchase furniture for your new place. This can be expensive if you don't know the right places to shop.
There are pros to living on campus. There are advantages to living off campus, and different people are going to have different opinions as to which is better. These a just a few of the pros and cons of both living on and off of campus.
