There comes a time in every college student's life when they must decide whether on not they would like to live in the dorms on campus or in an apartment/house off campus. This can be a very difficult decision to make since there are some obvious pros and cons for both options. Even though I enjoyed my first 2.5 years in the dorms at my school, I knew that I was ready for a change for my fourth and final year. And now that I've had a taste of what it's like to live off campus, I'd like to share with you the positives and negatives of this living situation.
The Pros
1. More Space
One of the biggest perks of living in an apartment or house off campus is having more space. You finally have your own place with your own bedroom and a smaller people per bathroom ratio. That's right, no more sharing four shower stalls with thirty other people. Plus, with all this newfound space, you have more room to store all of your things and to do activities. (Step Brothers, anyone?)
2. More Privacy
Accompanying all that extra space is more privacy. You no longer have to worry about the people in the dorm next to you or even in the hallway being too loud when you're trying to study, sleep, or watch Netflix. If you or a roommate has an early class and needs to get up super early to get ready, you don't have to worry about waking each other up. The same goes for staying up or going out late at night. If you need to stay up late to finish a project, or binge-watch a new series, you don't need to worry about keeping each other up either. You can just plug in some headphones and shut your door and you're good to go.
On a more serious note, the more privacy thing also works for when you're not feeling well or when you just don't want to see or talk to anyone at the moment. Because unlike being in a dorm, you can escape to your own room to have some time for yourself.
3. More Freedom and Independence
Another upside to living off campus is having more freedom and independence to do almost anything you want to, within reason (and the law). You don't have to follow all the rules of being in a dorm. You don't have an R.A. to listen to and/or check up on you. You can wake up or go to bed whenever you want. You can shower (almost) whenever want. You get to watch what you want to watch. You get to cook your own food instead of having to eat off the meal plan. And if you're like me and don't like to cook, you also have the option to buy pre-made food or go out to eat. The possibilities are almost endless.
4. Can Be Less Expensive
If you're smart about it and you don't live in too fancy or expensive of a place, living off campus can actually be less expensive. You don't have to pay for a big food plan that you hardly ever use or for other services like a child care center or a sports complex that you never use. Off campus, you only pay for the utilities you do use and the food you actually eat. If you budget all of this well, you'll be spending less than you did in the dorms.
5. Prepares You for Real World
And no, I'm not talking about the reality show. The last pro I'll cover is that living off campus prepares you for what it will be like in the real world. Out there, you make your own food, clean your own house, and pay your own bills. You get a much better taste of what this will be like when you live in a place of your own and not in the dorms.
The Cons
1. Distance from Campus
Even though it can be great to have some space/separation from campus life and people, living off campus does have its disadvantages. Unless you live in an apartment/house within reasonable walking distance of campus, you need to find other ways to get to campus. Whether this means driving, riding your bike, or taking the bus is up to you. Just make sure that you leave yourself enough time to get to class and meetings on time since it's going to take a little longer--something that I still have yet to come to terms with.
This distance can be a little inconvenient at times too. If you forget a book at home or you have a medium-sized break between classes, you can't just go back to your dorm to get what you forgot or to take a nap. It will take more effort to be involved with clubs and other extracurriculars too, since you won't hear about events in your dorm and you'll actually have to walk/drive all the way from your place to go to said events.
2. More Responsibilities
Living off campus also requires a lot more responsibility on your part. You have to pay monthly bills now. You have to buy all of your own food and products. You have to be smart and budget your money so you can do both of those things. And it's not enough to just buy those groceries, you also need to cook them so you don't starve. That is, unless you budget enough money to constantly go out to eat. The point is, there are a lot of things you need to start doing for yourself once you live off campus, which is a big step for some of us.
3. Extra Costs/Bills
You may not be paying for those services you don't need like I mentioned before, but you do have to start paying for things you never had to while in the dorms. Depending on where you live, you might have to start paying for things like electricity, water, heating and air conditioning, and/or internet. This means you actually have to watch how much of each of these utilities you use so you're not paying an arm and a leg for them. Say goodbye to 20-30 minute showers and leaving your chargers plugged in all day.
4. Living with Just the Basics
The last con of living off campus I'll bring up is having to live with just the basics. What I mean by this is that you might not be able to afford all of the things you're used to when you're at home or in the dorms. The biggest losses for me are food and TV. Until I learn to cook, I'll be living off of cereal and boxed pasta. And until I find a way to watch Netflix on my laptop while I'm doing my online homework assignments, I'll just have to suck it up and watch shows from before this century on my TV or hang out at my brother's dorm on campus to get the good stuff.
Choosing whether or not you want to live off campus is a very big decision in a college student's life, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Before you take this big step, make sure you have thought everything through and know what you are getting yourself into. You want to be ready when the time comes to make the move.
