Not sure whether you want to live on campus or off campus? Living off campus gives you many major benefits that you might not realize at first. Though on campus living is often encouraged by universities, it’s usually more expensive and offers far less freedom. Here are just 5 benefits of living off campus.
On campus living is often touted as being the affordable option — but, in fact, it’s often more expensive for less. On campus living usually requires that you purchase meal tickets or spend money on expensive on campus dining options. Parking is also more expensive on campus, and you don’t have access to many features that you would ordinarily have in an apartment, such as affordable washers and dryers. That says nothing of the amount of money you can save by cooking in an apartment as opposed to always eating out.
Many on campus dormitories have lengthy waiting lists, and you may not even know where you’re going to be living until school is about to start. If you don’t want to worry about your living situation, getting an apartment is a much better solution. With a dormitory, not only will you not know whether you’ve “won the lotto” until the very last minute, but you could also lose your spot in the dormitory at any time. An apartment gives you a lease and you’ll know exactly when that lease ends.
Going to college is all about learning to be an adult — including managing your responsibilities. In the dorms, you’ll need to get home by a certain time each night, or you could get locked out. Off campus living gives you the freedom to come and go as you please.
Dorms are all about rules. In addition to curfew rules, you have rules about overnight guests, what you can and can’t have in your dorm, and rigid noise violation and parking rules. Living on your own gives you far more freedom. In a dorm, you often can’t evencook for yourself because the common areas are taken up by other people — and that isn’t going to give you the experience that you need to be an adult.
When you live on campus, your life is all about college. It can be difficult to relax with college life everywhere around you, and that’s one of the major benefits of living off campus. If you enjoy studying, you’ll find the dorms occasionally loud and rowdy, especially on the weekends. If you enjoy relaxing, you’ll find that you’re constantly reminded of your assignments and your work because campus is right next door. Give yourself a break by getting away.
Convinced that off campus is the life for you? Contact us today at The Retreat at College Station! We have the luxury off campus living that students need to enter into adulthood.