You have been getting pretty excited about finally moving out of your mom and dad’s house, ready to take the plunge into living away from home while you attend college. Looking around at homes for sale near campus, it became evident that you did not have nearly enough money saved for a down payment this semester, nor would you have enough to manage monthly mortgage payments.
This means that you will either have to make the long commute from your parents’ home to campus every day, or you will need to plan for other living arrangements. This can sometimes be a tough and even stressful decision–especially if you are not completely certain about your options. However, with a little forward thinking, it may be possible to determine the best course of action to secure proper housing while you finish your degree.
Dorm Life
The first option that many people consider, when moving away from home to attend college, is to try to tough it out in the dormatory. Generally, most modern dorms consist of four or so rooms connected to a shared living space, such as a kitchen and living room. This usually means that you have your own private room, but have to fight for access to the stove, the kitchen sink, and possibly even the washer and dryer. Where the dorm usually gives you fairly immediate access to your classes, it does mean that you will have to put up with the other people you are sharing a dorm with, which you often have little control over who those other people might be.
The Frat House
Many Greek organizations privately own houses near most college campuses where they have a local chapter. Generally, the option of living in a frat house is not available to Freshmen students, and space is typically limited. This might mean that you will be at the epicenter of the social scene on campus, and even get to attend some of the wildest parties around, but this option can often leave much to be desired.
Like dorm living, you likely will not have much control over who else is living in the frat house, and with all the activities going on night after night, it does tend to beg the question as to how you are ever going to keep up with all that homework that requires your regular attention. It is a situation where you are kind of forced to ask yourself which is more important, your social life or your grades.
Renting An Apartment
An alternative to living on campus is to live in an apartment off campus. When choosing the right apartment for your needs, it is important to pause to realize that apartments close to campus are strategically located to provide easy access to students, but chances are you are going to pay more for this convenience.
Renting an apartment further away may serve your purposes well and give you a quiet place to study, however, if you share the rent with one or more roommates of your choice, this may help keep the bills from getting out of hand. Though apartment living may not put you at the center of the campus social scene, it does provide you with a calmer atmosphere in most cases, making it possible to hear yourself think when studying for that next Calculus test.
