Tips for Choosing Student Housing

If you are just about to head to college, you might be considering living off-campus for whatever reasons. Or it could be that you cannot find accommodation on-campus and have been left with no choice but to find student housing outside of campus. If you are in such a predicament, knowing what to look out for when choosing student housing is important. Here are the things that should matter:

Location and ease of access

You want student housing that is conveniently located to allow you get to classes easily and at the same time access social amenities such as restaurants with minimal hassle. The last thing you want is to spend the best years of your college experience doing hour-long commutes. Not only will you miss out on many hours of sleep, your social life will be compromised as well.

Security

It is paramount that the student housing you choose guarantees your security and that of your property at all times. Make sure you check to see whether there are security features that have been put in place to ensure that no unauthorized persons (read, security threats) get through the gates of the housing community. Surveillance cameras and key-controlled access are features that every student housing community worth its name should have.

Leases

The best student housing is the one that offers flexibility as far as leases are concerned. No one wants to be forced to co-sign on a lease unless that is what they had been planning. It is therefore necessary to go for those housing communities that offer individual leases.

Privacy

You have a right to your privacy, and it should continue even after you have enrolled for college/university. Be sure to check the layout of the student housing and the measures that have been put in place to ensure every student gets the privacy they need. If you have to share rooms against your wish, you might want to look elsewhere. And this also goes for the type of fencing that has been used for the housing community. Does it allow outsiders plenty of view inside? Are you okay with this? These are questions that you must answer honestly.

Parking spaces

There should be plenty of parking space for the students living in the housing community, to prevent conflicts and avoid wastage of time. Bike racks should also be provided for those who use this alternative means of transport. The idea here is to make the lives of the students living here as easy as possible, and you should make sure steps have been taken to ensure this.

Common areas

Common areas such as outdoor kitchens and swimming pools should be provided to enable socialization, especially during those warm months when staying indoors is almost impossible. Remember that college is not just about books, but building relationships and networks too. It is therefore necessary to go for a student housing community that recognizes this fact, and works towards enabling it.

At the end of the day, it is you, the student, who decides what type of housing is best for you. However, with these useful tips, the process of narrowing down to the best student housing will become much easier.

Posted By: Hayden Commons http://haydencommons.net/