Off Campus Housing - Moving Out of the Dorms

Ask any student and they'll tell you they've considered moving to off campus housing at least fleetingly during their stay at college. While staying in the dorms offers some advantages, nothing can quite compare with the first taste of freedom that comes with one's own apartment. Even if shared with roommates, living outside the watchful eye of school officials can bring with it a tremendous source of liberty. Still, it isn't for everyone. There are some things to think about, if you're considering a move away from the school.

Proximity

You can't get closer to class than actually living at the school. If you're the type of person who likes to roll out of bed a few minutes before class, throw on a shirt, and finish your sleep in a desk, you might have to adjust your habits when moving to off campus housing. Of course, there are often good apartments in very close proximity to the school, so you don't necessarily have to turn your trip to class into a genuine commute. Still, those apartments fill up quickly, so you may not be lucky enough to nab one. Even if you can, a short drive is still different than a short walk.

Noise

While it's important not to set your hopes too high when it comes to the levels of quiet you can expect in off campus housing since an apartment is an apartment after all, you will almost surely have a quieter space than you had in the dorms. Dorms are legendary for their paper-thin walls, so if you have been banging your head against the pillow and investing in good headphones to avoid your neighbor's noise, moving into your own apartment could be just the solution you've been looking for.

Cost

Off campus housing, if decent, isn't going to be dirt cheap. But, unless you're on a full ride at your university, it will almost certainly be cheaper than living in the dorms. Tuition fees for the dorms are often outrageous, as schools can maintain their low regular tuition fees, while sticking a lot of their money-making fees into the cost of room and board. If you're paying your own way through school or looking for a way to persuade your parents into getting you an apartment, this is certainly something to consider.

Rules
While this type of housing is going to come with its own set of rules, they will be much less stringent than those found at school. Plus, if you break them, you won't have to worry about it endangering your future.