5 Big Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Student Housing

Being in the first year at a university can be somewhat overwhelming. You are forced to interact with a bunch of people you’ve never met, find a roommate you can get along with and get on track with your studies. One thing you have to do is to settle in and that’s starts with getting suitable accommodation for yourself. You should never rush into finding student housing or you’ll make major mistakes that you might regret. Here’s a few mistakes to avoid when choosing student accommodation in your area.

1.      Choosing the wrong roommate

Take your time when deciding whom you are going to live with. If you have an option of choosing a roommate, find one that you can get along with. Living with someone 24/7 can be difficult especially if they have certain habits you cannot stand. Avoid anyone who is messy or doesn’t consider you when it comes to communal living.

2.      Living with too many people

Deciding how many people you want to live with is just as important as choosing a suitable roommate. The number of people you are going to share the apartment with will impact your house search and the type of accommodation you choose. Remember there is the cost involved as well as your comfort at stake. If you choose more than 2 roommates, be prepared to have very little privacy in your apartment. However, this could be a suitable option if you really want to cut down on accommodation costs.

3.      Looking for accommodation at last minute

A lot of students make the mistake of searching for suitable housing at the very last minute. What happens is that they end up paying a lot more for a below average housing and settling for the wrong roommates. You need to start planning early for your accommodation if you want to have good options to choose from. Most importantly, don’t rush into signing a lease for the first house you see simply because it seems to have a good price. There’s a lot more to consider when it comes to student accommodation other than just the price.

4.      Failing to perform adequate background checks

Most students rush into choosing accommodation before conducting the necessary background checks. They end up in houses that are poorly maintained, insecure or too expensive. Do whatever you can to find as much information as possible about any housing option before you settle for it. Find out whether it is in a secure neighborhood and ensure it has been properly maintained. Take your time before you settle for housing especially if it’s your first year in college.

5.      Paying too much for student housing

Student housing should never cost much. There are so many ways that you can save and still enjoy a comfortable living environment while on campus. For instance, you can lease a full house and share the cost among a group of friends. You get to enjoy communal living and still feel like home. It’s wise to save up some money while in school and avoid the kind of splurging that would put you in early debt.

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Tips for Living a Stress Free Life off Campus

Living off campus can have its challenges. Whether it’s getting up early to get to class on time or dealing with noisy neighbors who make it impossible for you to study for an exam, there are a couple of things you have to prepare for when living off campus. It’s important to learn how to make your experience as fun and pleasurable as possible. Here are a few things you can do to make off campus living a lot more bearable.

Choose good roommates

Your roommates will also determine how well your life turns out while you are off campus. If you make the wrong choice, you’ll not enjoy the off campus experience as you should. Stay with a group of people who value respect. You don’t have to be best of friends but you can be good roommates.

Scout for a decent apartment

The apartment you choose to live in off campus will contribute greatly to your overall experience. If you choose an apartment that is poorly managed, you’ll be very frustrated with your stay. Take your time when choosing an apartment and make sure it’s the best bet.

Start your days early

Wake up early and start your day on the right note. You don’t have to sleep all day and wake up when you have classes. Take up extracurricular activities to make the best use of your free time. You’ll be in a better mood to take on the rest of the day. 

Communication is key

If there’s something that’s making you uncomfortable, it’s best to speak it out with the concerned parties. It could be your noisy roommates, someone who doesn’t clean up or the management is taking too long to do repairs. It’s good to communicate about issues instead of sulking and expecting everyone else to know what’s going on.

Make use of the school library

Unless you have to study very late, try and avoid going with your books back to the apartment for some serious reading. Your roommates and neighbors may not make the environment conducive for studying. You can do your reading at the library as much as you can and go back to the room to rest. You can’t force everyone else to be super quiet just because you have an exam.  

Maintain proper etiquette

Other students will treat you just the way you treat them. It’s good to be polite, maintain cleanliness and be mindful of other people’s property when living off campus. Take up the habit of borrowing things before using them. Don’t be too quick to pick fights with other students. Maintaining a peaceful environment will make your campus days more enjoyable so always respect the people around you.

Make changes when necessary

If there’s something you can change to make your life off campus a lot easier, don’t be afraid to go for it. This could mean finding better roommates, moving to a better apartment or taking up morning classes. Look into some of the things you can do deal with any situations you may currently have. Don’t be stuck in a situation you can change.

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Questions to Ask before Choosing a Student’s Housing Community

College dorms are not as glamorous as most people think when they are fresh out of high school and excited about joining college. They can get pretty noisy and crowded and facilities such as bathrooms are shared. Student housing communities outside of campus provide a wide variety of living arrangements for students near most campuses. There are shared living quarters where you have the choice of who to live with, a lot of freedom and self-management. Before you choose which student housing community to settle in, you should ask the following questions.

What is the distance to your campus?

You should not choose housing communities that are more than a couple of blocks away from your campus. First you do not want to waste too much time communing to school every day in the morning. In case of late nights in the library, you need to be sure that the housing unit is close enough to access safely. If the housing community is farther than a couple of blocks, find out the nearest and most convenient transport roots in the area that you can use.

What are the security measures in place?

As a college student, security is very important. You do not want to end up living in an area with frequent break ins, you may lose something as important as your laptop with all your semester notes and assignments in it and that would be devastating. Security surveillance systems, controlled access to the housing units and good security lighting are just some of the things to look out for. For your own safety, choose a housing community that is located in a great neighborhood.

What are the amenities accessible to residents?

The housing community should have ample parking spaces for residents who have cars. You do not want to risk parking your car out in the street. Your campus pool may be crowded most of the time so find out if the housing community has a pool that you can use. Buying household appliances is also a big challenge when moving into your own living quarters. You can choose to live in student housing communities that provide furnished apartments including basic amenities like fridges, cookers and power kettles among other things.

Can you get individual leases for shared housing?

It is always best to get an individual lease for your stay in an off-campus apartment. Even when sharing a single apartment unit, everyone should have their own leases detailed with the terms of their stay in the apartment. This will help you avoid bearing the brunt for all the roommates in case of any problems in the apartment. 

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