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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How to Pick a Good College Roommate

Living with a roommate while in college is quite common. But there’s always the risk of finding someone who’s just hard to get along with. So what’s your definition of a good college roommate? Before you agree to share your apartment with someone, you’ll need to conduct an interview to ensure you can live in harmony together. 

What kind of personality do you prefer?

Do you want someone who will be friendly and become a best friend? Do you prefer someone who keeps to themselves and minds their own business but pays their rent on time and leaves the apartment clean? You need to decide what kind of shared living arrangement you are most comfortable with. Have a priority list that you can check off when conducting interviews. 

What’s their schedule?

If you are looking for a roommate who you can at least bond with from time to time, it’s important to ensure your schedules don’t clash. Alternatively, you may want a roommate who is not around when you are in the apartment because you want time to yourself.

Reliability is important

A good college roommate is one who is able to fulfill their commitments. For instance, if you agree on when to pay the rent then he/she should have the money on time. Pick a roommate who can also fulfil their end of the deal when it comes to keeping the apartment clean. If you agree on cleaning up after yourselves, a good roommate should respect this.

A good communicator

Communication is very important when you are sharing an apartment with someone. You need to find someone who is free to communicate with you whenever there’s an issue and likewise someone you are able to talk to if you have concerns. If you choose a foreigner, work out how you are going to communicate.  

Shared interests

You need to find out what the other person enjoys. Do they enjoy listening to music, playing video games, socializing or studying? A roommate whom you share interests with will be easy to get along with. You’ll also have someone to talk to whenever you feel bored.

Make a list of expectations

If you’ve never had a roommate before, you need to realize that sharing can be a little tricky. Have very reasonable expectations of your roommate or you’ll be easily disappointed. Understand that people were raised differently and try to be open and honest with each other. At the end of the day, your apartment should be your next home and the last thing you want is to fight with someone you live with every other day.

Choose a matching personality

It’s important to find a roommate with the kind of lifestyle that is in line with yours. You’ll live in misery if you choose a roommate who wants to party all the time when all you need is some peace and quiet. Someone who likes to socialize a lot will have lots of friends in the apartment when you need sometime alone. So consider all these factors when choosing your college roommate.

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5 Tips to Make Student Community Living a Great Experience

Living in a student community can turn out to be the best experience you ever had. Not only do you enjoy more independence compared to living on campus but also learn how to become a responsible adult by managing your bills and everything around you.

From noisy neighbors to anti-social behaviors, you are certainly going to experience some of these things when living in a student community. But depending on how you choose to handle them, you will love the entire experience. Here are some key things to note when living in a student community. 

Be a good neighbor

There’s nothing wrong with saying hello to your neighbors when you meet them outside. Create these social relationships with people around you because you never know when you’ll need them. Make an effort to become part of the community in which you live by taking part in certain activities that help you to know your neighbors better.

Plan your apartment well

Consider the way you organize your room or house so that you don’t cause any disturbance unknowingly. For instance, you may want to position your TV away from the walls because noise travels easily along walls. If you have noisy neighbors, then you’ll want to keep your doors and windows closed at all times and also avoid adjoined rooms.

Notify your neighbors when planning a party

It is common courtesy to have your neighbors know that you are planning on throwing a party. Let them know in advance when you are planning to start the party and also at what time it’s likely to end. Avoid noisy equipment that will cause disturbance and advertise your party only to your group of friends unless you want to end up with more guests than you expected. Most importantly, avoid throwing parties on weeknights for your neighbor’s sake.

Clean up your mess

Don’t get into the habit of leaving a mess outside your house especially after parties. Remember that it’s a student community and everyone has a responsibility to maintain a hygienic environment. Get rid of trash and keep your environment clean.

Keep your car at home

University parking can be pretty expensive and you may not need a car if you live close to campus. Don’t bring a car if you study in a heavily congested city because it will be a great inconvenience to you. It may be a lot cheaper to use public transport and you will also be contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.

The best way to enjoy your experience off-campus is to make wise choices and take measures to protect yourself at all times. When you get into your apartment, lock your doors and windows before you go to bed. Get a house that is comfortable and offers maintenance when needed. Interact with your neighbors because there is a lot that you can learn from them about living in the community. Most importantly, take your time to enjoy the whole experience because time flies and you’ll soon be out of college.

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Myths About University Housing

Deciding to live on or off campus is one of the biggest decisions that students have to make when they are first starting out at college. Unfortunately, all of the misinformation and hearsay can cloud your decision-making process, especially if it isn't based on truth. There is a reason why, year after year, more students choose university housing over any other type of living arrangements when it is time to go back to school. It isn't anything at all like the myths you may have heard.

It's Too Expensive To Live On Campus

This is simply not true. The truth of the matter is that the cost of university housing is very affordable, particularly when compared to living arrangements off campus. In addition, and unlike off-campus living arrangements, students have numerous options available to help them afford the cost of living on campus, similar to the options available to aid in the cost of tuition and fees. Students can use virtually all forms of financial aid- including grants, loans, and scholarships- to help pay for on campus living.

It's Not Safe To Live On Campus

This is also false. The truth is living in university housing is just as safe, if not safer, than walking the campus during the day. In light of the inherent dangers that are likely to occur with students living on campus, schools take extra precautions to make sure that students living on campus are kept safe from inside as well as outside threats, including having on-campus security available. In addition, students are typically given instructions and recommendations on best safety practices and given information on the appropriate steps to take and who to contact if they are concerned. This community mentality is what makes living on campus a safe option.

There Are Too Many Distractions On Campus

Again, this is simply not true. In fact, students who live in university housing are found to be more focused on their studies than students who commute to school. According to the American Council on Education (ACE), students who live on campus earn a higher grade point average than their off-campus counterparts. They are also said to have higher self confidence, retention rates, graduation rates, and satisfaction with the college/university that they are attending.

On-Campus Housing Has Too Many Rules

Perhaps one of the biggest myths about university housing is that students believe there are too many rules, which will then hamper their college experience. While there are some rules in place, primarily to ensure the safety of everyone on campus, students who live on campus are able to enjoy their freedom without ever feeling stifled. The point of the experience is to learn and explore, and the universities work hard to ensure that both are accomplished.

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6 Reasons Why You Should Find Accommodation off Campus

Going off to college or university is often the first step of leaving the nest for most young adults. Besides getting your education and degree, college also has a lot to teach you about independent living. There is no better way to learn vital life skills than living off campus. There are many campus housing options around most colleges and university so you do not really have to start from scratch when looking for an apartment. The following are some good reasons why you should choose off campus living:

It is affordable

Living in off-campus accommodation is not as expensive as it sounds, in fact, it may be much cheaper. So many service providers set up housing units specially designed for college student’s right outside their campuses. The housing units are cozy and you can share the rent costs with other roommates. They also provide various amenities inclusive of the rental costs such as gaming areas, swimming pools and free Wi-Fi among others.

Get some privacy and get away from the distractions

Sometimes focusing on your studies may need you to get away from the noisy and often crowded college dorms or residential halls. You will probably be crammed up in a tiny cubicle with a roommate who may not have your kind of study-ethic. Living with a roommate in such a small space also brings up the challenge of how to share the space, personal privacy and even maintaining hygiene in the room. All these distractions can greatly affect your school work and that is not something you need when trying to get your degree.

Learn to be responsible

You may know how to solve a polynomial function but have no idea how to make a simple "mac 'n' cheese" dinner let alone pay your utility bills. While you are in college is the perfect time to make mistakes and learn from them. Living off campus teaches you many adulthood responsibilities like making sure the utility bills are paid on time, budgeting for your spending, making your meals and cleaning your apartment. These are all essential skills that will be indispensable in the future.

Learn how to rent

Once you have lived off campus, you tend to develop a knack for choosing great apartments to live in. When you are looking for a second apartment after you graduate, it will be easy to choose a great apartment with good rental lease terms.

Year round housing

One of the problems with college dorms is they are closed during major vacations and you need to find somewhere else to stay in case you want to take summer classes or if you find a part time job around your college. Off campus, accommodation is available all year round and you do not have to make a move every time the campus closes for vacation.

Diversity

Leaving off campus will allow you experience such a huge diversity in the kind people you interact with on a daily basis. You can end up living next to students from other campuses, next door to families or working individuals who may have a huge positive impact on your life with time.

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Three Tips For Finding Off-Campus Housing

Living in the dormitories during your freshman year is a right of passage for any college student. They can be cramped, dirty, and loud. Generally, you have to share a room with a complete stranger. Most people consider it an incredible experience that they never want to have again. If one opts out of the dormitories, then it becomes necessary to find off-campus housing. Here are three tips to help you find a good location.

Check With Fraternities and Sororities

This option is not for everybody. If you are somewhat social and don't mind the occasional party, Greek housing can be a great option. Most Greek buildings have a large number of rooms available for their members to live in. If not all the rooms are filled, some organizations will rent them out to non-Greek members. Since the utility costs are subsidized with the annual dues paid by members, rent is generally very cheap. A study compiled by several of the largest Greek organizations suggests that Greek rental rates are roughly 30% lower than those in the surrounding area. In some cases, rent even includes daily meals served in the fraternity's cafeteria.

Use Social Media

Renting a new place is always something of a gamble. It may look great initially, but you could always experience issues down the road. Problems can arise from the structure itself, the appliances, or even the landlord. The best way to avoid these potential pitfalls is to get recommendations from people you trust. Send out messages through social media to inform your friends that you are looking for new housing. Your friends might know of an apartment that is opening up before it is even on the market. They can warn you away from certain locations and recommend specific landlords. With the average rent in the U.S. over $900, it is important to choose wisely.

Ask Your School

When moving off-campus, it may seem counterintuitive to seek advice from your university. The fact of the matter is that colleges are one of the best resources for finding reliable, off-campus housing. Schools will often compile listings of rentals that have been recommended by other students. If students experience issues with repairs, rent hikes, or landlords, the school will drop the listing from their collection. Many landlords prefer to advertise their listing solely through the university, rather than in online classifieds. In short, the university acts as a real estate agent for the students, but with no financial interest in the situation.

In conclusion, finding your first off-campus apartment is just as much a right of passage as living in the dorms for your freshman year. While the task may seem initially daunting, there are a lot of resources available to students. Other than traditional, online classifieds, students can utilize their social media connections, the school itself, and even the Greek community. Using these lesser known resources can lead to housing at a great bargain.

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Off-Campus Accommodation: Deciding Whether to Get a Roommate

If you have decided that you wish to live off-campus during your college years, it is likely that you are wondering whether to have a roommate or not. Off-campus accommodation comes with many perks, including ample parking and the ability to live independently without constant supervision. There are certain questions that you need to ask yourself when thinking of whether to share your room/lease or whether to live alone.

Can you afford it?

This is usually the first question that comes to mind when one is required to live off-campus, and the main reason why people all over the world decide to split rent. Many college students will decide to share their apartments because they need help coming up with the rent. So if you have a feeling that individual leasing is going to be an issue, you might want to get someone with whom you can share these costs. If lease payment is not an issue, then move along to the next question. 

What kind of a roommate are you?

If you have a hard time sharing space with someone, you might want to live alone, at least until you can comfortably learn to share space. Sometimes, there are conflicts between roommates not because one is bad, but because two very different personalities met and clashed.

How big is the shared space?

Of course, you might be capable of sharing but it so happens that you are confined to a very tiny space; which makes existing as two separate individuals rather tricky. As such, you must consider how big the apartment you wish to lease is. This way, you can determine whether there will be adequate room for the both of you.

Have you met your potential roommate?

The semester drags on forever if you are living with someone you do not like. It is therefore important to ensure that the person you live with is someone you can, at the very least, get along with. If you can, find someone you are already familiar and friends with to share the apartment with you. This way, there will be fewer chances of nasty surprises along the way.

Are you clear on what your responsibilities will be?

Before you live with someone, it is important to establish what will be required of either party. Living together blindly is the recipe for fights later on. Lay the ground rules early enough even before you are done unpacking. This way, if someone neglects the duties assigned to them, they will be held accountable. And speaking of duties, one more question that you should ask is…

How will you operate-separately or as a unit?

You must decide whether you will carry out certain tasks such as shopping for groceries, cooking, doing the laundry etc. separately or together. This way, you will know whether your roommate expects to find a cooked meal on a certain day, or whether they will bring their own take out, and so on.

Living with a roommate in off-campus housing can be exciting, but only if you prepare yourself well for it. 

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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.

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What Makes up Good Student Housing?

As a student, the place you live in during your days in college is as important as the classes you will take, the friends you will make and even the extra-curricular activities you will take part in. This is because if you live in an environment that is conducive, you will be able to achieve so much more as compared to when you live in an environment that does not encourage productivity. The place you choose should be an off-campus housing community that will offer you the privacy and lifestyle you require.

The community should be conveniently located to ensure that you have everything you need and want in one place. You should not have to spend a lot of time walking or driving to wherever you need to if the community is centrally placed at a location that allows easy access to the University, the stadium and even the shopping and dining complexes. Your time as a student is precious, and you need to live somewhere that allows you to grab everything you need within minutes.

The apartments should also be tastefully designed and finished. They could come with a variety of floor plans and individual leases so that you get to choose the apartment that best suits your needs, to ensure that you get the best out of your experience at the university. And you don’t have to stay cooped up in your apartment all day and all night. Some student apartments have a pool and summer kitchen to offer refreshing spots where friends can gather and have lots of fun while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

There are several features that should definitely convince you that you have chosen the best place. These include:

1. Key controlled access. This ensures that only authorized persons get access.
2. Convenient easy parking. Because the last thing you should worry about during your college years is where to park your car.
3. Bike racks. For those who use alternative means to get around.
4. Individual leases. Because you should not have to co-sign on lease unless that is what you really want.
5. Townhouse living. Make memories during your college years by choosing an apartment that supports the lifestyle you want.
6. Resort style swimming pool. For those sunny days and warm evenings when you just want to soak in the pool with some friends.
7. Mail center. For those special moments when mom or dad decides to send you a check, or when you have to correspond with your prospective Grad School.
8. Security lighting. Stumbling in the darkness is not something funny. Everything should stay illuminated and everybody coming and going should be easily detected, ensuring ultimate security.

Make your time at college even more pleasant by choosing a housing community that understands your needs and ensures the right environment is provided for you. Allow yourself to live well and flourish. College years fly by- live them comfortably and peacefully so that you can create memories for the future.