7 Reasons to Live Off Campus Next Semester
Many students move into student residence when they start university for the convenience of being near their classes. However, they soon realize this convenience comes at a cost: dorms are expensive, you have no privacy, and you lack amenities to make your life comfortable. If you’re tired of life in a dorm, it’s worth considering the following benefits of living off campus.
1. Save Money
University is expensive. Whereas there’s not much you can do about tuition fees outside of scholarships, it is possible to manage many of your other costs. One of your biggest expenses will be housing — but you’re paying much more than necessary if you’re living on campus.
There are student apartments available to meet every budget. Sharing with more roommates will bring down the price — and you’ll still have much more privacy than you currently have living on campus. Plus, you won’t have a meal plan, which is a major expense.
2. Have a Car
If having a car is important to you, it’s worth looking for an apartment building that offers onsite parking. Most students who live on campus are unable to have a car due to the lack of parking. This limits your options for a part-time job, returning home at weekends, and visiting friends at other universities.
3. Choose Your Neighbourhood
Although you likely want to live near campus, you still have plenty of options for the exact neighborhood you choose. Think about whether you want to live close to restaurants and cafés to dine out whenever you please, near a grocery store for convenience, or near nature for hiking, biking, and kayaking opportunities on the weekends.
4. Study in Peace
Living on campus may be hurting your academic performance. It’s common to face constant distractions and noise from the multiple other students who live nearby. In an apartment, not only will you have your own room, you can coordinate quiet times with your roommates where you agree to not disturb each other.
In addition, if you look for a building specifically for students, you’ll likely have study rooms on site where you can work on your own or in a group. Some student housing may even offer additional amenities, like ultra-fast Wi-Fi or film and audio recording equipment.
5. Stay Over the Summer
Needing to move out every summer is inconvenient. You need to pack up your life once every year, only to return and unpack again in the fall. This poses a problem if you want to have a part-time job off campus, you find an internship nearby for the summer, or you want to take summer classes. Off-campus apartments offer leases for a year, meaning you’ll be able to stay in the same apartment throughout your entire time at university.
6. Build a Rental History
After you graduate, renting your own apartment will become a necessity. Landlords prefer applicants who can show a rental history, which you’ll only have if you’ve been living off campus. Paying your rent on time each month will make you a particularly attractive applicant.
7. Learn to Live Independently
You’ll also only have the skills to live alone after you graduate if you’ve been living off campus for at least a few semesters. Moving into student rentals is a great way to make this transition, as you’ll learn housekeeping skills but also have the support of an onsite maintenance team. Plus, it’s common to pay an all-inclusive rent that covers utilities.
Now that you’re convinced living off campus is the right move for you, all that’s left is to find the perfect housing. For Carleton University apartments, there’s the Revalie. Choose between your own bachelor or one-bedroom apartment and a shared apartment — you can request to share with friends or ask us to match you with roommates. There’s a bus stop at your doorstep to reach campus and downtown Ottawa as well as parking and electric vehicle charging stations. Plus, there’s plenty to do in the neighbourhood, including shopping opportunities and outdoor activities. Apply now to move in as soon as possible.