The desire to get in the off-campus apartment is a clear indicator that you desire to embrace your full independence and the responsibility that comes with it. Usually, when college students search for an apartment away from campus they are either seeking a roommate to share the cost or plan on working a job to pay their own rent.
The latter is most likely a graduate student who already has a foot in the door of his or her career. Nevertheless, getting your own apartment comes with pros and cons which need to be carefully considered.
Things you’ll need to consider
Money
The first thing you have to consider is money. Sure, living in your own apartment may be cheaper than living in the dormitory, but are you able to pay the rent without the help of financial assistance from the government.
As a college student, I lived in the dormitory for nearly four years. I knew that I didn’t have the money to cover the rent of an off-campus apartment, even though I would have preferred that type of independence.
Time
Do you live near campus or do you have to commute? If you don’t have your own automobile, you will be either walking or catching a ride to school. The question is, “Do you have enough time to make it to your classes? Will you always be a little late because you have to travel from across town or rush from your job all the way home and then get ready for classes?
If this is the case, you may want to consider living on campus. But if you can make it to school on time, then you are fine. Being punctual is not a problem. You can enjoy your journeys to campus and back.
Effort
How much effort does it take for you to get to classes and back home? Do you be exhausted form carrying a ton of books in your back pack? Carrying a back pack filled with books for long blocks can wear you down over the long haul, resulting in increasing back problems.
Experiencing back pain while taking classes can be very distracting, resulting in loss of focus and comprehension of vital information and facts.
However, if the effort is not a problem, then you will have enough energy to attend classes, fully participate and complete your classwork and homework with ease instead of stressfulness.
Roommate
Are you able to get along with another student? Are you willing to share your side of the responsibilities to make things work? Living with a total stranger can be uncomfortable, especially if a certain level of trust hasn’t been obtained yet.
Conflicts may erupt if a communication channel isn’t established between the both of you. I rarely got along with my roommates in college. Dealing with likes, dislikes, and character faults were challenges in which became very distracting. Therefore, I chose to live independently.
You may want to go at in alone if you don’t want the challenge of sharing responsibilities with a fellow student.
Surroundings
If you are getting an off-campus apartment you better be sure that the environment is safe and secure, especially if you are going to be coming and going day and night. Some environments are to dangerous to risk walking alone at night. You could be robbed or even worse.
I remember a fellow student who attended the University of Wisconsin –Milwaukee the same as I did. But he lived off campus. While coming from a party one night, he was robbed and killed, a victim of the crime infested area he live in.
However, if your surroundings are secure and respectable, you have made a good choice in terms of protecting yourself from harm and danger.
The Choice is yours
Getting an off-campus apartment can be fun and exciting. You get to be responsible, take control of your own space, and go and come whenever you want to. But make sure that the move is right for you and that you can handle the ups and downs of living independently.
