On Campus VS Off Campus Apartments

She was born yesterday, but she is already headed off to college. There are a lot of decisions to be made about the big move including where to live. Dorm life seems to be the epitome of college life, but off campus apartments readily compete with the experience. Check out the pros and cons of each living situation before making living arrangements for your child. Living quarters, eating arrangements, and socialization are three things to consider.

Movies and sitcoms portray dorm life as happy and conducive to higher education. The truth is you live in a tiny room with someone you may not know. There is almost always an appeal going on in campus government regarding a living situation. When one roommate does not follow rules and regulations, the other is exposed and plagued by the wrong doing or worse- influenced by it. Even if the roommates get along, there is the dormitory bathroom to navigate. Do you shower at night; do you get up at four o'clock to snag hot water? Maybe you come home between classes for privacy. And, you NEVER get to emerge in a relaxing bath. The camaraderie and support, however, of being among others in your exact stage of life, having the support of a dorm mom or sister, and being steps away from your seven AM class are all pluses.

Living in off campus apartments, if you spring on rental opportunities at the end of the prior semester, can be just as geographically close to campus classes. You will likely have your own room sharing only common areas, and you can have the bathroom to yourself every day. If the apartment is large enough, you may even have your own bathroom.

Most dorm residents will immediately bring up eating as a downside to on campus life. When you live on a dorm ticket, your nutrition is at the mercy of the cafeteria hours. If you sleep late, you miss breakfast. If you have class during lunch hours, you are on your own. These meals are paid for as part of your room and board, so not utilizing them means losing money and paying for meals elsewhere- a double expense. Of course living in off campus apartments, you have the freedom to eat when you want. You can eat a midnight when you are up studying, and speaking of midnight, so dormitories post a curfew. This conflicts with work schedules of some of the residents.

Lastly, you may see it as an upside or you may see it as negative, but dorm life cannot escape socialization. If there is a function in the dorms, forget studying, sleeping, or anything else that requires quiet and privacy. Some young kids may need a boost in socialization, but it can be a real detriment to others who are easily influenced. This is often the source havoc for those who fail out of school in the early years.