Living on Campus: A Good Idea?
Where you decide to live each year will have an enormous impact on your overall college experience. While a big part of the decision is personal preference (and your budget), it’s a good idea to run through the following questions before you make your decision:
1. What are the price differences? At first glance, it may look as if opting to live off-campus is the less expensive way to go. But don’t forget that apartment living (or a house rental) has more costs involved than the monthly rent. You’ll have electric, gas and cable bills to pay and a kitchen to stock. And then there’s the additional cost of transportation (and parking) to and from your classes every day.
2. How will my mailing address impact my social life? A lot. If you choose to life away from campus, chances are, you’ll also be somewhat removed from the spontaneity of the social life in the heart of the university. For some students, that could be a good thing, while others would miss the energy involved in living among other like-minded people. You’ll need to ask yourself if you are the type of person who requires privacy and down time. Apartment living would provide more space when it comes to bathrooms and sleeping arrangements, but would likely lack in the social department.
3. Study support: Living on campus definitely has benefits when it comes to studying. Most campus libraries never close, in fact. For students who like to study the night away, there’s a safe and quiet place to do so. Living on campus also provides ample opportunities to meet with study groups or attend extra lectures, and so on. If you need to take a bus or drive into the heart of the scholastic activities, bad weather could prevent you from doing so.
4. The overall college experience: While it won’t really matter how much fun you had in college twenty years from now, where you end up living has a pretty big impact when it comes to ‘experience collecting’ in life. While you’re probably a little young to start writing your ‘bucket list’, some would consider a full on-campus college experience to be among the things they want to do during their lifetime. Others, however, want to get that degree and move onward to higher earning.
After giving these things some thought, it should be pretty clear to you which type of living arrangement would best suit your needs. If, however, you are still confused, take heart. Most college towns offer rentals within walking distance of the heart of the university. You could have the best of both worlds if you find one of these gems.
Bob Rome is a higher education writer and part time university instructor. He has contributed to websites on online degree programs and online degrees in education.