Going off to college is an exciting time in your life! Everything is changing, and you’ll be out on your own for the first time. Some students choose to live in campus housing, which might be dorms on the school grounds or houses converted into house shares for students. Other students live a little more independently and take it off campus to find a room, apartment, or apartment share.
Not every college in the US allows students to live off campus. If you choose one that does, living off campus is the best way to get a real taste of what living alone (or at least outside of your parent’s house) is really like. There’s a lot to think of, get together, and do whether you choose on- or off-campus living, but the off-campus requires that little bit of extra preparation and forethought. For example, usc student housing off campus will mean you need to understand a lease and the basics, like how to pay for your water and power if the landlord doesn’t do this themselves. Let’s find out how to get your off-campus apartment or room all ready for move-in day.
Which colleges allow off-campus living?
These are the most popular US colleges that allow students to live off campus while studying. Their housing options are top-notch.
- Brigham Young University, Idaho
- James Madison University, Virginia
- Washington University, Missouri
- Utah State University, Utah
- Liberty University, Virginia
- University of Alabama, Alabama
- Texas A&M University, Texas
- University of Southern California (USC), California
What should you be prepared for?
If you have never lived alone or away from your parents, moving out can be a shock to the system. You might have had to do chores at home and make sure your room was tidy, but life after high school and off-campus means grocery shopping, making sure you’re stocked up on toilet paper and lightbulbs, paying your bills on time, and cleaning an entire home space by yourself or with housemates. You also have to figure out how far your home is from campus when there’s a ton of traffic in the mornings and how long it takes you from the bus stop or parking lot to get to each of your classes so you won’t run late. Everything in your life is now up to you – a very freeing thought – but this comes with responsibilities.
What to consider when choosing off-campus housing
Whether attending USC in sunny California or tripping through the Idaho snow to make it to class at Brigham Young University, off-campus housing has its perks and drawbacks. Thankfully the drawbacks are pretty much nonexistent if you know what you need to look for and avoid when looking for your home.
Firstly, you must consider your potential home’s proximity to your school. If it’s further than a half hour away, are you up for a long drive to and from classes, possibly more than once a day? We advise looking only for places within a 25-minute radius of the school to avoid lateness, spending hours on a bus, or spending hundreds on gas for your car every month. Secondly, look at the safety of the neighborhood and home you are considering and the amenities in the area. Having a grocery shop or bodega on the corner is a plus, but having a ground-floor window with no burglar bars in a less-than-savory area is a definite minus. If you don’t have your own car or bike for transport, you need to be able to rely on the trains or the buses in the area to get you to and from class safely and on time.
Thirdly, if you are living with friends or roommates you meet through advertisements, you should carefully consider the lifestyle you are signing up for when moving in with them. Be clear with any roommates moving in with you that school is your priority, and only answer adverts for roommates that sound like they offer a sane, sensible but not too dull environment. Lastly, though some people may argue that this should be the first point, you must consider whether the house or room suits your needs. Is the kitchen big enough to accommodate more than one person cooking at a time? Is there enough storage built into each bedroom for your things, or will you need to find an armoire or chest of drawers for your clothes? If you live in a cold climate, is the heating maintained and working well? Is there a reliable internet service provider that covers the area so you can research all your homework properly? All these adult concerns are ones you’ll have to check off your list when viewing or discussing the home with a landlord or potential roommates. Your home should be where you can get your studying done, relax, and recharge. You want to be sure that your area is quiet enough to offer a relaxing atmosphere.
Wrap-up
Getting your college housing sorted out might seem like a lot to handle, but you’ll breeze through it if you tick all of these points off your list as you go. This exciting time can be made smooth and stress-free if you stay on top of everything you have to do and all you have to remember.
