Something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is where I’m going to live next year. Yeah, I have someone I’m planning on living with… but we have no idea where that is going to be.
At first the choice to move off campus seemed obvious. Of course I wanted to move, dorm life is terrible, right? But then I started talking about it with my friends and we decided that there are definitely benefits to living on campus that will be missed.
For starters, it’s nice to be able to roll out of bed and go to class. I don’t think I’d make it to my 8 a.m. if I had wake up before 7:40. Besides that, parking for people that live off campus sucks. Plus, when else will I ever be able to live within walking distance of all of my best friends.. I have to admit, living on campus has actually been a pretty cool experience.
Are having your privacy and more space worth moving off campus? Ultimately I think so. I'm so tired of eating in Umph every day and getting sick all of the time. I guess moving into an apartment is just the next step in growing up though and as scary as that is, I think it's time.
I had the same problem you did and I really couldn't decided between the dorm, an off campus apartment or the sorority house. I ended up having to do a pro and con list (as stupid as that sounds). I decided that it was much easier to live in the dorm just because the campus was situated around the dorms. I agree though on the getting sick all the time and how old umph gets just after a couple of days. Maybe I am just holding on to the last fringes of childhood, or just too lazy to look for an apartment.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I am in the same position that you were in while writing this blog. Where to live next year is a very persistent question in my mind. I didn’t even consider living on campus again until reading your blog. You make a valid point that it is very nice to be able to wake up late and make it to your class in virtually no time at all. If I live off campus next year, I am going to have to wake up so much earlier than I do now, just have enough time to find a place to park before class. Another thing I will miss if I move off campus is being so close to my friends. You make another good point that it is convenient to have all of your best friends around. I just don’t want to live in a tiny room anymore and share a bathroom with fifteen people. I mean the dorms aren’t terrible, but I am tired of eating at Macs Place everyday of my life. I’m also tired of getting sick every time my roommate gets sick, which creates a big cycle of illness in our room. I think it is scary, but it is time to look for an apartment and move out of the dorm at the end of the year. Like you said, it’s the next step in growing up.
ReplyDeleteI contemplated the same thing at the beginning of this year. Although I was so sick of living in a tiny dorm with my roommate always within 5 feet of me, I wondered if the problems of distance would outweigh those of comfort for next year. It wasn't that hard of a decision for me, I knew I needed to get out. But just to let you know if you are looking for someone to help you find an apartment I know of a guy friend who works with Rogers Healy, a real estate company. He specialize in finding SMU students affordable and convenient places for the upcoming year. It depends on what you are looking for but he can help you find something suitable to your needs. Just go to RogersHealy.com and send him your information! Hope this helps
ReplyDeleteI am definitely in this position too. I'm a picky eater so I rarely eat ate Mac's Place of Umph and find that the $4220+ per year I pay just aren't worth it if I'm not going to use those resources. With all the problems with the economy, the damage caused by the hurricane in Houston last semester, the fact that my family has two kids in college right now, and how expensive SMU is, I'm definitely trying to find the cheapest decent place to live. The dorms just aren't that. I made up a list of the costs of living in 10 different apartment complexes less than 2 miles from the school and on campus dorms and apartments, and living on campus was always more expensive. I'm not much of a social person so it's not like I'll miss campus life and I tend to wake up 2 hours before I have class every morning. Living in an apartment seems perfect for me. The problem for me is a roommate. My suitemate originally wanted to live with me in an apartment, then just last week announced she wanted to stay in the dorms. Well she passed up the deadline to apply for the same dorm, so now she wants to live in Moore on campus. I understand why she would want to stay on campus - she tends to sleep in and can't drive - but for me I really just didn't want to share a room again. So now I have the dilemma of moving off campus and finding a new roommate (it's too expensive to live by myself), or living on campus and not getting my own space.
ReplyDeleteI think living situations for next year have been on everyone's minds lately. It has been an exciting process for my friends and I thus far, but I think we have finally decided on a house. In fact, the realtor is sending the papers to us as we speak.
ReplyDeleteTowards the beginning of last semester, the general thought amongst my friends was to live in the Panhellinic house next year. But as the year has progressed, and we've visited our friends' apartments, we realized the numerous benefits of having our own house. Everything feels homier, and not as impersonal as the dorms.
But there definitely are drawbacks to this. Now, we we won't be able to wake up only a few minutes before class, walk down the blvd. and make it to class on time, but we'll have a commute. But all of us will have our cars next year and I think we could even carpool, which will be fun and ensure we all make it to class. Also, I am going to miss meeting everyone in the dorm. You make so many friends just by walking by passing them in the hall.
However, for us, it seems that living off campus is the best option and I can't believe we'll actually have our own house! It seems so scary that we've reached that point in our lives!
I too have been debating whether I want to live on or off campus. My roomate and I would love to live off campus. However, in order to afford a two bedroom apartment close to campus we would have to bring in a third roomate. To be honest, I think that living with three people can be awkward. There will probably be at least one person who feels left out at one point. So that rules out a 2 bedroom close to campus.
ReplyDeleteNow we are looking for a one bedroom apartment close to campus, specifically in mockingbird station. However, my parents aren't willing to pay any more than on campus housing. So with utilities and furnishings, I would probably be over budget at Mockingbird Station.
Honestly, I think we will end up living in Moore Hall next year. It has a kitchen so I would be okay with that. I am just sick and tired of eating at Umph all the time!
There really are so many things to consider with staying on or off campus with housing. Both are great for different reasons for different people.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you can do before you make your final decision is to check out what some of your other friends have experienced. Did they have a good or bad experience on or off campus? Did they like the landlord? Would they do it again?
Services like www.RateMyStudentRental.com are helpful for getting peer reviews and using other services to help you make the best decision.
The website focuses on students, ratings/reviews, and availabilities posted by other students like you. Landlords are also invited to join the online community; so connecting with landlords is so easy.
Good luck everyone making the decision. Remember to always know your lease terms and worse case it's up to a year commitment and you've learned a lesson.
From my experience you grow so much in either situation. Hopefully whatever you decide can contribute to the best college experience!
I'm contemplating the same things as my friends and I have been looking for a place to stay. One alternative that I turned down was the panhellinic house, which I now regret. First semester we always went to parties and I always heard how nice some of the upper classmens' dorms were and I was so excited to leave the dorm, especially for more closet space and privacy. But, now that I have taken a step back and fought with realtors, prices, and even my own friends I think that living in the panhellinic house or on campus would have been a better bet. Like you said, it is nice to be able to just roll out of bed in the morning, or live down the hall or in walking distance from my best friends. This will be missed. I sort of wonder why SMU isn't more focused on keeping upper classmen on campus. It came as a surprise to me when I was visiting to learn that pretty much only freshmen live on campus. Most of the other schools I applied to, and my older friends in college didn't move off campus until at least junior year. It'll be a big and exciting adjustment I guess, once I figure everything out.
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