| At many schools, you don't have a choice of housing | | | | private school, especially, you'll probably get more |
| on campus or off campus until you're a certain age | | | | freedom to come and go as you please in |
| or at a certain level in school. Once you are faced | | | | off-campus housing. |
| with this choice, though, it can be pretty tough to | | | | 2. You can live with more of your friends. Living with |
| decide. Before you sign up to stay on campus or | | | | five other people isn't always a problem for some |
| rent the biggest house you can find within five blocks | | | | people, so this could be a big plus for you. |
| of school, consider some of the pros and cons of | | | | 3. You might get your own room. You can choose an |
| each type of housing. | | | | off-campus house or apartment where you can have |
| Pros of On-Campus Housing: | | | | your own room, which can be great. |
| 1. It's close to everything. Well, some schools have | | | | 4. You can do laundry and cooking at home. Get an |
| technically on-campus housing that seems to be (or | | | | off-campus house with a laundry room and a great |
| is!) mils outside of the center of campus, but for the | | | | kitchen, and you can do it all conveniently. |
| most part, on-campus housing is going to be closer | | | | Cons of On-Campus Housing: |
| to your classes and such than off-campus housing will | | | | 1. You have limited choices as to your roommate and |
| be. | | | | what you can do in your room. You probably can't |
| 2. It's probably cheaper. Check out the breakdown of | | | | cook anything that doesn't go in the microwave or |
| your college costs to determine exactly what living | | | | hot pot, for example. |
| on campus costs you each month. Then compare | | | | 2. You have to follow the rules. Your landlord in an |
| that to the average rent you'd pay off-campus, and | | | | off-campus house would probably have a few rules, |
| see how big the difference is. | | | | but in on-campus housing, you may have to be in at |
| 3. You don't have to find as many roommates. Many | | | | a certain time, and you may be barred from having |
| college students who live off campus choose to live | | | | things like cats in your room. |
| in houses with four or five other people, which can | | | | Cons of Off-Campus Housing: |
| be fun, but which also means that you have to find | | | | 1. You have to pay for rent and utilities in most |
| four or five other people whom you can stand to live | | | | places. Deciding how to divvy out utilities can be |
| with and whom you can trust to pay the rent on | | | | hairy, especially if one person is always home running |
| time. Living in a dorm or on-campus apartment means | | | | the heat and lights and one person is only ever home |
| less roomies to deal with. | | | | to sleep. In fact, unless the rooms are all roughly the |
| 4. All your costs are paid at once. Paying rent every | | | | same size, dividing out rent can be tough, too. |
| month can be tough, but with on-campus housing, all | | | | 2. You have to pay for both of these things on time. |
| your costs are paid at the beginning of the school | | | | Months where you don't get too many hours aren't |
| year. | | | | going to matter to your landlord and roommates. You |
| Pros of Off-Campus Housing: | | | | have to pay your rent and utilities on time every |
| 1. It can give you more freedom. If you go to a | | | | month. |