Accommodation – On campus vs Off campus

College students in the United States are presented with two options regarding accommodation during their college years. Students can opt to live on campus or off campus in rented apartments or houses. Both these options have their advantages and disadvantages and international students should review carefully where they want to live and make proper arrangements before leaving their home country. Typically students live in campus residences their first two years and move out to off campus digs in the junior and senior years.

On campus housing

Most colleges and universities will have dormitories for students managed by Residential Life. Living options are diverse and students can choose to live in co-ed dorms, thyme style dorms (e.g. dorms with an international focus) and first year dorms and the like. Students usually share rooms in double or triple occupancy rooms. Single rooms are available at some dorms upon request but can set you back by a few hundreds extra dollars per month.

Picture By: El Mariachi

The best part about living on campus is the convenience of being so close to school. There is no commute to get to classes and all campus resources are only a short walk away. A lot of us college students hate to wake up for those morning classes and it is no surprise that a lot of us that live on campus just wake up 10 minutes before class, put some clothes on and sprint to class. Also the ability to come back to your room during class breaks to take naps, alone should make living on campus the first preference for sleepyhead students.

There are no additional bills when you live on campus. You pay only one room and board fee pre semester. This includes utilities, internet, cable and land phone connection, newspaper subscription and easy access to a host of other campus resources. Therefore you are not tearing out your hair at the end of each month trying to figure out what bills you need to pay. Every floor is usually equipped with a mini kitchen and a lounge where friends can hang out. Some dorms will allow you to opt out of campus dining and allow you to cook your own food.

Many college campuses in America are dry campuses. This means that the college does not allow alcohol consumption on its premises and students found drinking on campus face a disciplinary committee. This however does little to discourage the binge drinking that goes on in college campuses all over the country.

Off Campus housing

When students decide to live off campus, there is a host of things that they need to consider. International students need to find affordable housing that is close to campus because most of you will not have cars the first few years and will depend heavily on public transportation. However, it turns out that digs that are closer to major university campuses rent at a higher price. In case you are unable to find reasonable housing within a walking distance to campus, at least find a place that is on the bus line. When renting you can rent one bedroom apartments (really expensive) or just a room in a three or four bedroom apartment or house (most popular). When you rent you will be required by the landlord to sign a 9 or 12 month lease and put down a security deposit (the lease term can vary depending on the landlord). The security deposit usually is equal to or less than one months rent. Some landlords will also want to last months rent upfront. It has been my experience that the landlord will NOT return most of the security deposit once you vacate the apartment at the end of your lease. You will get charged carpet cleaning fees, common area maintenance fees, etc. Also, if you break any terms of your lease (leave before the lease ends), your security deposit can be forfeited and the landlord can pursue legal action against you. Therefore when you put down a security deposit, it is best not to expect all of it back. Only you as the leaser are allowed to live in the unit you rent. But college students have been known to share their apartment with more people than specified in their lease in order to save money. If you decide to do this, make sure it’s not too obvious to the landlord. Consider what utility bills you need to pay before you sign up. Water, heating, garbage and sewage are usually included in the rent. Electricity, internet and cable you have to pay separate. In states with severe winters like Minnesota, heating bills can set up back $50-$60/ month if it is not included in the rent. Therefore it is best to ask before you rent.

Important questions that you should ask when considering to rent a place are:

1. What utility bills are included in the rent?
2. Does it provide adequate security (locked entrances, etc.)?
3. Is subleasing allowed (in case you want to move out early)?
4. Is the apartment furnished or unfurnished?
5. Does it come with dishwasher and microwave oven?

On campus or off campus?

This decision rests solely on you. If you have the extra dollars and want to have the complete college experience, then by all means live on campus. I would suggest that you live on campus for at least your first semester so you get the know everything. But if you cannot dish out the extra few hundred dollars and feel confident that you will be fine living off campus, good for you. You’ll be saving tons of money. But whatever you decide to do, make sure that you have arranged housing before you get on that flight. Trust me; you don’t want to live in a hotel while you look for something permanent. A room at motel/hotel will set you back $50-$70 at the very least.