It’s the question that every college student begins to usually ponder once experiencing on-campus living, “Should I continue to live on campus or move off campus?”Making the decision to live in off-campus housing is usually the most appealing option for many college students. Living outside the university system has its advantages and disadvantages. Wanting to attain the sense of the “grown-up” lifestyle and having more freedom is common for students who want to move outside the campus perimeters. Often times the need to save money on the extra fees that come with on-campus living leads to necessity for many students to find housing elsewhere. Before making the decision to sign that first lease for off-campus living, students should consider many factors.
Just as in society, there are many different classes of students on the Prairie View campus, meaning that all students are in different predicaments such as money availability, students who put themselves through school alone, students whose parents put them through school and so forth. Depending on the situation that a particular student may be in, depends on their individual reasoning behind why they may or may not want to move off campus, and also which is best for their lifestyle.
Two of the major factors that are taken into consideration when making this decision is weighing the time spent at school versus time spent at work. For many students who have to manage their time between school and an off-campus job, off-campus housing may be the best option for their lifestyle to manage time spent on the road. “Living off campus is better for me because it’s closer to where I work, and I’m at work more than I’m at school,” said Shannan Mckinley, a junior communications major who works in the Houston area.
Many times students complain about not wanting to eat the food that is provided in the MSC. A meal plan for on-campus living can range anywhere from $800-$1000 or more a semester. For students who don’t take advantage of the meals available, this can result in a waste of money that can go towards something else. On the flip side, even though off-campus living will save a student this money, it comes with extra responsibility. “By living off campus, I have more cleaning and cooking to do, and that mixed with school is a lot,” said Candice Bogan, better known as “Chi-town”, a junior communications major.
For all students who have had problems with the reliability and availability of on-campus housing and roommates, moving off campus is a major decision that needs to be discerned. Niandrea “Sleepy-time” Howard, a senior business major, said that living off campus is just an overall better experience. “I like being able to pick my own roommates and knowing who they are going to be before they move in. I also like having my own privacy, no break-ins, and it’s more quiet than the Village.”
On top of the reasons that these three students have given when trying to make the decision to move off campus there are many more things to consider, such as cost and is it worth it, gas, time, responsibility, safety, landlords, apartment or house and many more that may pertain to different lifestyles. Off-campus living is good for some who have already made that decision, and may not be good for those wondering about the new lifestyle. Whatever the case may be, weigh all your options.