Are you heading off to college in the fall? Can’t decide where you should live? The options can seem overwhelming trying to decide.
Students living on campus have been found to have higher grades than their off-campus counterparts.
You don’t want to make the wrong decision and possibly risk your grades falling. But you also want to look at all your options.
Read on to see the benefits of living on campus vs living off-campus. You have other stuff to worry about, such as making it to the social activities each weekend. Let’s help you make the best decision for your personal situation so you can get on to having fun.
Living on or off Campus
As a general rule, most freshmen choose to live on campus for practical reasons. It eliminates the need for a car and it helps you meet new friends. Once you’re an upper-classman, however, where to live can become a very important decision.
Do you want to get a car? Is your town and campus bike-friendly? Would you rather just stay close to your classes rather than move far away?
Is parking on your campus limited or expensive? Do you have a job on campus? It could be a lot easier to live close to where you live and work.
Do you find it hard to focus on your studies when you’re surrounded by 300 neighbors and party animals? Then, it might make much more sense for your academics to choose a quiet apartment off-campus.
Some universities are now offering one bedroom apartments on campus. So, be sure to explore all your options before making your decision.
Benefits of Living On Campus vs Living Off-Campus
There are many benefits to both living on or off-campus. Here are a few benefits listed for both options:
Living on campus
- Save money on transportation
- Don’t have to cook your own meals or clean the bathroom
- Social activities baked into your living experience
Living off-campus
- Much more private and allows for quiet study time
- Will need to worry about adulting activities such as grocery shopping and paying your bills
- You can choose your roommate
You can see that college students living off-campus will need to juggle taking care of responsibilities outside of their academic lives.
You will need to pay your bills, keep your apartment clean, and feed yourself. These could be detrimental to your grades, possibly making the lack of privacy in the residence halls more appealing.
As you decide which living option is right for you, weigh all the benefits for both living on campus or deciding to move off-campus.
So Which Is Better?
As you can see there are many benefits to living on and off-campus. When it comes down to deciding if you should be living on campus vs living off-campus, pick what works best for you.
For more great information about this and other topics, check out more articles on our blog.
