Posts published on September 9, 2015

College Housing Tips For Prospective Students

 Melissa Burns

When you are preparing for college, one of the first questions that you will have to answer is whether you want to stay at the college dorm or to use some off campus solution. This is not a simple decision because there are many health, safety and financial factors that college students should take into consideration. It is important to understand that students are different and they have their own specific needs and requirements. So, before making a final decision, it is a good idea to take a close look at all the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

When it comes to first-year college students, this dilemma may be absent because there are many American colleges that require freshmen to use their campuses for one year. They believe that this is the best way to help students adjust to the changes. Of course, students can choose their housing arrangement starting from the second year on college. Now let’s check the pros and cons of each option by starting with off campus living.

Living off campus is more affordable (in most cases), but the truth is that not every college student can use this option. For example, if the apartment or house is located far from the college and students don’t use cars or the public transportation system is not well-developed, this might be a problem.

Many commercial real estate agents can confirm that living off campus can save up to 50% of the money spent on dorms. In addition, unlike living on campus, most housing solutions outside the campus allow students to use the space during the entire year. This means that they can live their belongings including fridges and other big items there. Moving these items can be very difficult and unpleasant.

What many students find as a con to living off campus is the fact that there is no campus security present. This problem can be solved by choosing a safe neighborhood for example. In addition, the cleanliness of dorms cannot be compared to the cleanliness of any other building (except hospitals). In case you are interested in off campus housing you should start looking for a solution early. You need to sign a contract too.

As previously mentioned, the second option is living on campus or dormitories to be more precise. The vast majority of dormitories are relatively small and don’t have enough storage room. But, what makes them good is the safe and secure environment. In most cases they are more expensive compared to off campus options, but they have much better location which provides access to almost everything a college student needs.

It is also good to mention that most colleges today are offering scholarship and financial aid with an obligation to use on campus housing. It is up to the student to do the math and see if this type of incentive is worthwhile or not.

There is another interesting thing related to using college dormitory – you can become a dormitory supervisor. This is an excellent way to save some money because in this way the cost for the housing will be reduced. Keep in mind that this is a job that requires time and suitable training. You will have to be present in the dorm at certain period of the day and you will have to visit training classes. On the other hand, this activity will help you make new friends.

As you can see, both options have some advantages and disadvantages and the decision you make about the housing should be based on your own requirements. You don’t have to rule out any option before you evaluate each of them. If you still have dilemmas even when you look at all the cons and pros, you should remember that you can switch the housing type in the end of the year.

We hope that these tips will help you make the right decision.

Author’s bio:

Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University in 2008. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Her sphere of interests includes startups, information technologies and how these ones may be implemented in the sphere of education. You may contact Melissa: burns.melissaa@gmail.com