It’s easy to be overwhelmed with all you have to do when you are selecting a college you’d like to attend. Hours spent online looking through university websites and browsing academic programs is just the start of a gauntlet of necessary tasks. From there, you’ll be filling out lengthy applications and trying to come up with captivating and unique thoughts on your all-important college essay. You’ll also want to take some trips and visit the schools that really call to you.
Once the applications are finally postmarked, the period of anxious waiting begins. Finally, you receive your first acceptance letter and from there you have to select a final choice and soon you are in. All the hard work does not end there, though. You’ll still have lots of things to do, from saying goodbye to friends and packing for the trip to school. You’ll also need to decide where you will be living for your first year.
Choosing Between Dorms and Off Campus Apartments
In years past, universities set it up so you had to live in dorms at the beginning of your college time. They got to control your housing situation and thus could charge what they would like even though space and amenities in the residence halls were very limited. Now, fortunately, you have far better choices you can make
If you’d like a better living situation, where you have more freedom and can save money too, it pays to see what off campus housing is available in your university town. Unlike crowded dorms, in an apartment each student gets their own private bedroom and bathroom. In addition, there’s a living area and full kitchen in each apartment too.
Selecting the Right Roommates
When you are going to be sharing an off campus dwelling, it’s really important to pick the right roommates. Ideally, you’ll be able to share the rental with people you know or come highly recommended by good friends or others you know. Similar personality types can also help contribute to roommate harmony.
You’ll also want to pick how many roommates you want to share space with. If you have three or four people rent the unit together, then you’ll be able to save money as the rent is divided three or four ways. If you are a more introverted individual you might consider just renting a unit with one other person.
Checking Out the Condition and Safety of the Apartment Complex and Neighborhood
Before you rent any off campus dwelling, you’ll need to check out the apartment complex and the surrounding neighborhood. It’s a good idea to go online and read a lot of reviews on the property, so you can get a sense of how current or past tenants feel. Walking the property, both during the day and at night, will also give you a feeling as to what the upkeep is like and whether you feel comfortable there.
In addition to a great complex, you really want a good neighborhood too. Explore the neighborhood on foot during the day and pay careful attention to how everything feels. You will also want to walk the route you will have to take to the university, and see if you feel secure along the way. It’s also wise to go back to the neighborhood at night so you can see if you’d feel safe coming home after dark.
After you are accepted at a university, there are many tasks that still need to be completed. One of the biggest items on your to do list, deciding where to live, is important enough that you’ll want to devote as much time as you need to make the right decision.
