We know some of you are still living on campus and may be thinking about whether to move off campus. We’ve gathered some information on some of the benefits to living off campus in case you are considering the transition
More Space
If you’ve ever lived on campus you’ve probably noticed how small most of the units are. If you are renting a one bedroom or even a bachelor suite off campus, chances are it’s larger than the units that are available on campus. So, living off campus usually means you’ll have more space.
More Freedom
If you are living on the campus where you are attending school, then chances are you spend most of your time on campus. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for some people being in the same place all the time can be frustrating after a while. If you live off campus, you’ll naturally get to split your time between campus and where you live, so you’ll get the best of both worlds.
Building Credit
Being able to demonstrate that you can pay the rent on time and in full allows you to start building credit at an earlier stage in your life. This will help you when you are trying to secure credit in the future, since your history shows you are able to manage debt. It will also allow you to get a reference from your landlord which may help you secure a place in the future if you ever decide to move.
Living off campus helps you learn how to budget your time and money. Sometimes experience is the best teacher, and this is a good example of that. Having to pay for rent, utilities, food will force you to learn how to budget. If you are having trouble with this, most schools offer free student financial literacy courses for their students and some banks do as well.
Save Money
If you have a roommate living off campus is a good way to save money. Not only are you able to split the rent, but you are also able to split other expenses such as groceries and utilities.
You Can Live There all Year
Some campus accommodation options are only for the fall term and winter term, and usually during spring and summer, you may have to move out. If you live off campus, depending on your lease, you may be able to live there for the entire year and not have to worry about moving and relocating during the year.
If you live off campus, you have a better selection of housing amenities to chose from. Weather it’s being able to have a pet, parking, a full kitchen, a private bathroom or private bedroom, there are more options to choose from than living on campus.
Meals and Variety
If you live on campus, it usually comes with a meal plan, so you may be less likely to cook at home. This usually means less variety at a fixed price. If you live off campus however, you need to do your own grocery shopping and your own cooking. The upside is you get to determine how much you spend, plus you get to decide what you cook, so you have a wider selection and variety to choose from.