How to Find the Right Student Cottages

Making the transition from high school to college can be a scary experience. You get to move away from home and live on your own or with roommates for the first time in your life. Your first taste of independence can leave you with a taste of excitement and craving for more. Before you get too excited to the point that you throw all caution and responsibility to the wind, you need to look at some student cottages if you don't want to stay in the dorms on campus. Finding the best student cottages can take some time, if you have never shopped around for housing before. There are some things you want to make sure you do to ensure that you get the best deals available. If you just go look at a handful of student cottages without a plan or idea of what you want, you could end up with the lease from hell. First, you need to figure out what your budget is and how much you can afford each month for rent. You don't want to end up in an apartment where you can barely afford to pay the rent. This will leave you penniless when it comes time to buy food, pay utilities and even put gas in your car. A good rule of thumb is to expect to pay at least a third of your monthly income for rent. You want to find housing that is close to your campus. If you are lucky, you can find a place that is so close to campus that you can walk to class every day and save on gas money. This will also keep you close enough to eat on campus and get to all of your classes and extra-circular activities on time. If you have a friend or two that you don't mind having as a roommate, you can divide the expenses up and increase the amount of money you have available each month. Be careful about who you choose for your roommates. If you choose someone who is flaky and irresponsible, they could potentially leave you on the hook for the entire amount of rent and bills if they decide to bail. No matter where you decide to live during your time away at school, remember that there is a time for work and a time for play. Don't get so enamored with the idea of being on your own so much that you start to throw wild parties every night. Even though your parents' house had rules, some of which you did not agree with; your dwelling should have some rules as well. They don't have to be as structured as your parents were, but they should be structured enough to keep a sense of order and responsibility in the atmosphere. This will help your guests to be mindful and respectful of your place when you have them over for company in the future.