College is one of the biggest turning points of many young adult’s lives. The dewy-eyed high school student starts thinking about many situations and circumstances that they had never thought they’ll ever think about. When the time comes to choosing a college, a lot of factors are taken into consideration. One of the most important factors is the distance. A lot of students prefer to live close to their parents while still being close to their college. Some students prefer to stay in college dorms, as it’s the closest possible residential area near their school. But for those who choose to stay in an apartment during college, a lot of other choices should be taken into consideration..
Unlike dorms or parent homes, choosing an apartment involves controlling a lot of variable elements. Many young adults view college as their gateway to their successful career, which means that they have to get the most out of their college experience. This is why an apartment is usually the first option for someone interested in privacy, independence, and practicality. Unfortunately, not any apartment can be suitable for a college student. A well-maintained apartment at the right location is the prime choice for a young adult and many other reasons.
Benefits of Living Off-Campus
While the campus experience can be fun, it’s not really the best choice for all college students. The convenience of dorms is quite attractive to many people who don’t want to partake in the hassle of finding a well-maintained apartment in a limited time frame. But the benefits of living off-campus can surely steer many into a hunt for an apartment.
- Affordability
Dorms are designed to zap as much money as possible from students just for the privilege of being inside the campus. You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for daily meals on campus. You can find apartments almost as close to campus for much cheaper prices, especially if you split the rent with a roommate or more.
- Fewer Restrictions
The dorm experience is a pretty restrictive experience where you’re not allowed to do a myriad of things that are somewhat convenient and practical for you. You cannot bring pets or candles into your room, not to mention that you have to sign in every guest that visits you. You’re also required to follow the guidelines of quiet hours in your dorm, restricting your freedom. A well-maintained apartment will get you the flexibility you need to live conveniently.
- Flexibility
All rooms in dorms are pretty much the same, not to mention that they’re quite small and cramped. When it comes to apartments, there is no such thing as a limit for space and choices you can get. Whether you’re going with multiple bathrooms or terraces, you can bet that you can find what you want in a relatively short time frame.
- More Amenities
While some dorms could be fancy enough and provide you with a lot of amenities, they are quite rare and come at a pretty high cost. Apartments are usually much quieter and more private thanks to the wide living space. You can find pools and gyms in many apartment complexes near your college, in addition to other amenities like free parking spots.
- Stay All Year Round
Dorms often close during breaks and vacations, which means that you’ll have to find somewhere else to live in if you aren’t particularly planning on visiting someone or taking a vacation. Whether it’s Christmas break or summer vacation, you don’t need to move when you’re living in an off-campus apartment. This also means that students with jobs will be able to continue working without relocating.
Settle Quickly
A well-maintained apartment is a pretty good opportunity for you to move in and get settled in a few days. Unlike with dorms, you don’t have to face the chaotic lines of people walking around everywhere as they move into cramped rooms. Moving in a well-maintained apartment is relatively stress-free because you know that every small detail is taken care of, with no need for you to compromise. Nothing is stopping you from picking up your bag and moving into your apartment at the time that suits you most.
As a college student, you don’t spend a lot of time waiting for the apartment to be available. Since well-maintained apartments always come with attentive and responsible landlords, you can expect them to be quite quick in getting your apartment ready right on time. As mentioned by the students living in the centrally located Sunrise Village, financing options are provided to students to help them navigate the college experience. Student-specific apartments are also often friendly when it comes to providing a few tips and services that can help you save some time and money.
Working Appliances
Getting a well-maintained apartment ensures that all the appliances in the house are working exactly as they should. No need to worry about getting an electrician to fix a spotlight, or a plumber to unclog the sink. While a lot of real estate agents and landlords boast cheap prices, they may not care that much when it comes to ensuring that all appliances are working. A well-maintained apartment will protect you from having to pay extra money to fix things that should’ve already been working the moment you stepped into the apartment.
Enjoying the luxury of appliances is something you probably won’t experience in dorms, making the apartment the clear winner in terms of convenience. But it’s important to note that an apartment not taken care of in terms of maintenance can bring a lot of trouble, especially for students who don’t have a lot of time or budget to waste on fixing malfunctioning appliances.
Dependable Infrastructure
Well-maintained apartments are either recently built or renovated, which translates to a stronger and more efficient infrastructure. You wouldn’t believe the number of problems that you can find yourself in just because of things like old pipes, AC, or breezy windows. You may not notice it soon enough, but the old or bad-quality infrastructure can cause you to pay a lot of money on bills and constant repairs. Well-maintained apartments should keep you covered in terms of infrastructure that you know you can depend on.
Good Facilities
It’s quite hard to study when you feel that the common areas around your apartment are too chaotic or run down, and end up zapping your capacity to focus. Whether it’s the exterior or interior of the building, well-maintained apartments are guaranteed to be professionally cleaned and organized to look their best. Landscaping and other services should be provided to you by professional companies, with no need to handle the issue yourself. Even repairs and installations are done quickly because the landlord or the owner of the apartment complex ensures that the apartment stays in its best shape.
While it’s not a strict rule, well-maintained apartments are often in a prime location, real estate-wise. This means that your neighborhood is most probably safe and protected, which will give you proper peace of mind as you come and go. The convenience of well-maintained apartments is also directly related to access to nightlife, hospitals, transportation, and many other important facilities. Living on-campus will restrict you to campus-specific facilities only, which may not be enough in most cases.
Extra Privacy
Whether you have a roommate or not, you’ll be able to get some much-needed privacy that allows you to completely focus on your studies, instead of being constantly distracted with someone always in the room with you. You’ll be able to stay up as late as you need to finish what you’re working on without disruptions such as enforced quiet time or signing in guests. You’ll also get the opportunity to choose your roommates, which will also add to the convenience because you can be staying with your friends, whether they’re in the same college or not.
Financial Control
Even though a well-maintained apartment can cost more than a regular one, there are often many financing options available to you if dealing with a company or a professional landlord. There is also the popular option of splitting the rent with one or more roommates, which ends up costing you much less than a dorm room. You won’t need to pay for a costly meal plan on top of a dorm’s fee. There is also the added long-term benefit of establishing a rental history and good credit at a pretty young age, opening more financing opportunities after you’re done with college.
Learning Responsibility
A lot of students’ first stop in learning responsibility starts by getting an apartment. Dorm fees are paid yearly with everything included, and while that’s convenient, it doesn’t cover nearly half as much of the benefits. When you don’t have to pay any bills except once, you’re not able to factor budgeting into your life skills. Budgeting isn’t a light skill that can be disregarded; you can use budgeting to save for emergency expenses and even luxurious ones. You’ll probably start learning to cook for yourself to save bills and eat healthily. Whether you’re budgeting for groceries or utilities, you’ll be able to get a lot out of it if you do it right.
Community Presence
Well-maintained apartments are usually close to various social communities, which enriches the experience of socializing and learning new things. You’ll find many venues where you can learn new things, in addition to numerous cafes, bars, and restaurants that will make sure you never get bored. Since you’ll be living for a long while in a well-maintained apartment, the odds of making lifelong connections are pretty high. Even though living on-campus surrounded by other students is a fun experience, it can get quite boring and stagnant in a relatively short time.
Maintenance
Well-maintained apartments are routinely repaired and maintained by professional staff, and you probably won’t need to pay an extra cent to get the apartment taken care of routinely since it’s the landlord’s responsibility. Whether it’s your dishwasher or AC, you can count on having a team of experts ready on-demand to fix any problem you may face inside the apartment. Dorm rooms do not provide such level of maintenance, not to mention that there is barely anything to maintain since it’s mainly composed of furniture.
Good Views
While any apartment close to college can do the trick, well-positioned apartments provide you with a great view that you can use to your advantage. If looking out of the window is enough to provide you with a fresh and replenishing view, your mood will significantly improve over time. You can even get a cool apartment with a balcony where you can soak up some sunlight. It doesn’t have to be a luxurious apartment; you can find well-maintained apartments for a pretty good price.
Proper Bathrooms and Kitchens
Unlike dorms, you’ll have the freedom of having your private bathroom and kitchen. Since both the bathroom and kitchen are essential rooms in an apartment, choosing a unit includes looking for stylish and practical bathrooms and kitchens. You get to pamper yourself while still learning how to take responsibility at the same time.
Important Considerations
Living in a well-maintained apartment is better for you as a student, but you also need to keep an eye on your situation as a fully responsible adult. This can be considered as a transition from teenage years into adulthood, thanks to the extra responsibilities you’ll have. The first thing you should consider is your budget; a well-maintained apartment with terrible financing options is a very unwise choice. Look for flexible leasing terms even if you aren’t looking to stay that long.
If you don’t want to bleed money, moving from one apartment to another, you need to take your time to find a well-maintained apartment because the last thing you want is to waste your time and money trying to find an apartment in a very limited timeframe, especially when you’re a college student.
College is a great experience, but a lot of wrong decisions can make it significantly harder for you as a student. Make sure to take into consideration important factors like the distance to college, budget, roommates, and the state of the apartment. As long as you focus on finding a well-maintained apartment that checks all the boxes, you’ll be able to focus more on your college experience.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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