Your Guide to Living on campus or off campus

Living Off Campus or Off campus is a super important, and exciting, decision you make when going to college. Keep in mind that being off campus doesn't necessarily mean staying at home, you could get your own place and commute to school.

There are a few different factors to consider but it's important to understand and remember that neither choice is right or wrong, what will work best for you really depends on your situation.

Some things to take into account are:

Finances

There is no rule that applies to all students when considering the costs of on-campus vs. off-campus housing (unless you're staying home and don't have to pay rent). It depends on your individual financial situation. If you ant to save money, figure out the cost of your room and board fees you pay out of pocket (monthly) vs your potential monthly expenses when living off campus.

Also think about whether your lease requirements would require you to continue paying when not in school? ( ie during summer break)

Privacy

Okay. So in my experience, most kids who moved here relate to this but in my household, the concept of privacy is literally non-existent. I didn't even understand how important it was to have my own space until my sophomore year of college. (I lived in a triple freshman year, I do not recommend. My roommates were cool but the place was CRAMPED.)

In most cases, you might still have to share a room with another student but if you value your privacy (or wish you had some), that is still major upgrade from being at home.

Transportation

This one is less complex. When making your decision, think about the implications of commuting to school. How far is your campus from your house/apartment? Is it doable? How easy or hard is it? Is it practical? (in other words do would you have to take a train that comes every hour and half and is often late when taking morning classes)? Most importantly, do you want to?

Make sure to also think about other off campus commitment that if you have any, such as work and hat it would mean to get there on a regular basis.

Food

I'm sorry to say this but as a rule of thumb, college food is nasty. I go to a school with award-winning dining and I still spend all my money on eating out (please don't do this in college or anywhere). So your food options are something to definitely keep in mind when making your decision.

Medical Care

Last but not least! Consider the medical services available on your campus or around it, how close they are , how often you might need to go to an off-campus facility depending on your health , etc. Think about how accessible medical services would each situation when deciding if you want to live on campus or off campus.

Can you?

Aside from the aforementioned factors, make sure to find out if your colleges allow you to live off campus before signing a 12-month lease for an off-campus apartment or missing the deadline to get a room on campus.

There might be other factors to consider in your on individual situation not listed here. Think about what's most practical but also what's most important to you and to your well-being. There is no inherently right decision, only what's right for you!

Source: https://www.collegechoice.net/college-life/living-on-or-off-campus/