3 Reasons To Live Off-Campus

By Danielle Wirsansky on April 30, 2019

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Most college students are very eager to live off-campus. Of course, there is the time old rite of passage, living in an on-campus dorm, to experience. And you should definitely experience that! However, participating in that tradition does not mean that you need to do it all four years of college. One year, maybe two, and you will be good to go!

Students want to live off campus for many reasons, like having freedom and more independence. While these are good lures, they are not necessarily the best reasons to live off campus. If you dig a little deeper, however, there certainly are reasons, and good ones at that to live off-campus as well.

Curious?

Read on to learn some good reasons why you might want to consider living off-campus (and that might convince your parents to let you do it, too!).

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Cheaper

One of the biggest selling points for living off-campus is the cost difference. Maintaining your own (or if your parents are paying for it, a second) home can be quite expensive. The cost of living on-campus is quite high, though you get good perks for it. You enjoy the close proximity to campus (in fact, you are ON the campus). You usually have dining options so you do not have to worry about cooking for yourself. You are way more immersed in life on campus. And you have the campus security, Resident Assistants, and more monitoring your safety. Your parents may be hesitant to pull you away from that.

But if you can demonstrate how much cheaper it would cost to live off-campus, you might be able to convince them to let you make the change. My College Guide explains how “Students at public schools can expect to pay an average of $8,887 [for room and board] and those at private schools will pay an average of $10,089 per year.” That is a whole lot of money!

Trulia also recently did a national study to compare the costs of living on or off campus. The study proved that a majority of the time, it was equal in cost, if not cheaper, to live off-campus than it is to live on campus as well! If you truly want to convince a parental guardian of the idea of letting you live off-campus, show them this study. And if possible, do a bit of research on your own to show how living off-campus would be a sound financial decision that would save your family a lot of money in the long run as well.

Teaches Responsibility

Another great reason to live off-campus is the fact that it will teach you some responsibility. For most students, living off-campus is the first time they have lived on their own. It is the first time that they have been in charge of their own living situation and the first time that there could be real-life consequences if they mess up. It can be a lot of pressure, but you have got to learn eventually, right?

It is up to you to find an appropriate place to live, where the landlords do their job, the neighborhood is safe, and the apartment is not falling apart. It is up to you to maintain your apartment, keep it clean and livable, and make your own food to keep yourself alive. And it is also up to you to make sure your bills are paid, that those bills are paid on time, and that you stay within budget so that you have enough money to go around.

Your parental guardians are sure to remember the stress of living on their own off-campus for the very first time—a well as remember the personal growth it helped facilitate.

Helps You Build Credit

This is not always the case, but living off-campus and having to sign a lease and pay rent can help you build credit! Credit.com explains that “ Having good credit can help you rent an apartment, and paying rent on time can help you build good credit…” Of course, the details are a little trickier than that. The most important way renting an apartment can affect your credit score, however, is if you do not pay your rent on time. That will definitively tank your credit score, so that is one part of living off-campus that you will need to be really careful about.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Think about these reasons to live off-campus before you make the big decision. If you think you can handle it, then bring it on! Introduce these reasons to your parental guardians or anyone else that might have a say in whether you live off-campus or not. But if you believe you are up to the challenge, then convince them! Show them these reasons and help yourself get where you want to be—off-campus!

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