Whether you’re joining college for the first time or an ongoing student, it’s essential to know that living in student housing has immense benefits. Apart from mingling with other students, student housing helps you get exposure since you’re in a new environment. Moreover, you’ll also learn how to stand up for yourself and develop skills like saving money, which will help you as you transition to adulthood.
There are two common types of student housing found inside the campus – residence halls and dormitories. You can also get off-campus student housing options if that’s what you prefer or if the dormitories and halls in your school are completely occupied.
Since this may be your first time searching for housing, you might be unsure of what to look for while choosing your student residence. You can consider clicking https://www.sunrisevillageapts.com/ to see some modern student housing options that could interest you.
To get further enlightening, you can read through this blog to get tips on how to choose the best student housing option in college.
Table of Contents
1. Check If There’s A Stable Connection
Since the world has gone digital, living in a student apartment with unstable and slow internet connectivity is the last thing you’d want to do. The reason is that you need a fast and 24/7 internet connection to help you do the following:
- Attend online classes
- Conduct research on your assignments and papers
- Communicate with your family members who may be far away from you
- Participate in online group discussion
- Stay up-to-date with global news
- Get online tutoring on courses that you have trouble understanding
- Earn money online
From this list, you can tell that a stable connection has many benefits. Therefore, if you’ve got an apartment with all the features that you like apart from good connectivity, there are two options you can consider. First, you can choose another housing option with a better connection or consider hiring an internet service provider to install WI-FI.
2. Check If The Place Is Secure
Since chances are high that you’ll live in your student housing throughout your college years, it would be best to choose an apartment in a safe location. This is especially important considering that you’ll be leaving your money, laptop, and other personal belongings in your apartment.
Also, you might go on a school trip or extend your stay at school and leave when it’s a bit dark. Thus, it’s essential that you live in a secure area to avoid experiencing any inconveniences or safety issues when you want to go back to your house at night.
Some of the things that you can check out to confirm whether the student housing is secure include:
- Availability of streetlights around the area where the student apartment is located
- If there are security guards to patrol the grounds
- Perimeter wall around the building
- If the door locks are top-grade quality and secure enough
- The presence of an electric fence
- If there are security cameras
Once you’ve ascertained all the above, you can be confident that the place you’ll live in is secure. Thus, you can go ahead and sign the lease contract. Another advantage of having a security assurance is that you’ll be able to concentrate better in class, knowing that all your belongings are safe and secure in your student apartment.
3. Consider The Location
Most students get carried away by the affordability of an apartment and forget to consider where it is located. The student house can be affordable, but you may have to spend more if you’ll have to incur extra costs like transport. Also, you may have to travel for hours to get to school, which can be stressful.
For such reasons, living in student housing near the campus is better. Not only is it time-saving, but it’s more cost-effective. Moreover, you won’t have to go through the hassle of waking up extra early to get to school or leaving earlier because you have a long travel.
Another thing is that if you live close to the school, you can go back to your apartment and do your chores when you have idle time between your classes. This, however, may not be the case if you live far away. Thus, it’s better to live near your school.
4. Confirm The Cost
Most students operate under tight budgets because they still depend on their parents or guardians. Others have part-time jobs, which they do when they’re not in school. However, even with the additional funds, they are unable to afford expensive housing. This is why most of them prefer to reside in apartments that are nonetheless reasonably priced.
Thus, it’s essential to ensure that your student accommodation is within your budget and has the amenities that you require. Try as much as you can to avoid succumbing to peer pressure by making unnecessary demands from your parents just to fit in.
Its, therefore, essential that you learn to live within your means and appreciate the student housing that your parents are paying for you. The last thing you’d want to do is strain them financially without a good cause.
5. Check If You Can Access Essential Services
You’d want to live in student housing that is easily accessible to amenities like:
- Gyms
- Study areas
- Laundry services
- Cafeteria
Gaining access to such facilities while living on campus should not be difficult. The problem is that if you’re living off campus, you’d need to spend more time searching for such amenities.
The other aspect of accessibility is the availability of transportation if you live far from your school. It’s essential that you live in a place where you can easily catch a bus or train to drop you off at school on time. Otherwise, if you settle in a remote location where getting transport is a hassle, you may struggle to go to school, which may affect your academic performance.
6. Confirm If You’ll Be Comfortable
If you’ve been living at home throughout your life up until you join campus, you may experience a great challenge transitioning. This may be a result of your unfamiliarity with the school environment or the current responsibilities placed upon you.
To quickly adapt and get used to the new setting, it’s essential that you find comfortable student housing. If possible, you should have your room custom-furnished so that it resembles your room at home. Being in a familiar environment can comfort you can make it simpler for you to acclimate to your new surroundings.
Also, if you’re not used to sharing a bedroom, you can decide to live alone and make adjustments at your own time.
7. Select A Housing With Other Students Who Share Your Interests
If you want to have roommates or want to have study discussions in your residential area, it’s essential that you choose an apartment where your classmates live. This is due to the fact that you have the same schedules, assignments, and tutors. Thus, holding academic discussions and forming close friendships will be easier. Moreover, you’ll feel safer living in student housing with people you know.
In essence, even if you don’t choose your classmate as a roommate, you’d want to ensure that you have mutual interests with the person you choose live with to avoid unnecessary clashing.
8. Confirm If There Are Hidden Costs
Some landlords take advantage of tenants they believe to have a lot of money. They do this by including additional fees in the housing rent, which you may not be aware of. As a result, before signing anything, always ask what the extra costs are for and thoroughly read the terms and conditions of your contract before signing it.
This will help you ascertain whether the property owner has any intention to exploit you. Also, you’ll have a clear plan and budget for the amount that you’re required to pay the landlord every month. You’ll also be able to designate funds for utility costs like electricity or other monthly bills.
9. Check If The Place Is Close To Recreational Centers
An adage goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Even though you need to take your schoolwork seriously, you also need to keep in mind that you are still young and need to have fun once in a while. For this reason, you’d want to consider living in student housing near recreation centers where you can play and hang out with your friends. Some of the activity areas to check out include:
- Swimming pools
- Basketball Courts
- Gyms
- Skating rinks
You can go to these places on weekends, in your free time or after you’re done with your exams.
Conclusion
When joining campus, you’d want to live in one of the best student houses that’ll give you maximum comfort. This is where you’ll spend most of your time when you’re not in school. Some of the things to consider as you look for the best student housing include the following: security, stable internet, accessibility, convenience, costs, comfort, and closeness to recreational areas. If you get a student apartment that meets all of your requirements, you’re sure to have a fantastic campus life experience.