Everyone talks about how stressful it is being a college student. Academics, meeting new people, living independently for the first time — I could go on and on. As a sophomore pre-medical studies major at Thomas Jefferson University, I wholeheartedly agree. Though, most people overlook perhaps one of the most stressful aspects of being a college student: finding housing. I knew well ahead of time that housing was not guaranteed after sophomore year; the reality hit me fall semester this year. In preparation for the fall, I need to move in during the summer. In order to move in during the summer, I must find a place to live and sign a lease in the spring. Uh oh. That means I have to start window shopping now, and how do I do that with all my exams? What about touring? I have no time, and I go home for breaks. Even if I find a place I like, what about the cost? How far is it from campus? Does it have enough bedrooms for my roommates and I? How about parking, and most importantly, safety?
These are just a few of the questions I need to consider; most likely, I will not find a place that checks every box. So, what do I give up? As a Jefferson student, it would be ideal to stay in the East Falls area. However, considering it is a nice suburban area in Philadelphia, there aren’t many affordable apartments still available for all students. Now, I must venture further from campus, where there are more reasonable options. What did I lose this time? Convenience in terms of getting to campus for my morning classes while I am sleep deprived, and cost in terms of more money spent on gas. Public transportation would be nice, but there may not be a nearby bus stop, and I could walk a little but what about safety? Even if I’m not walking, what if my house is in a bad area? As a woman, it’s not uncommon to experience terrible things such as stalking, robbery, or even worse. These concerns are on top of my academics, work, extracurriculars, personal life, and wellness. Oh, and what about the logistics of signing a lease, assuming I magically find a decent place?
Yay, we found something! Whoop whoop. I’m sure you can sense my enthusiasm. Now it’s time to sign the lease. How about a 12-month lease? Do you have the money to pay an extra three months of rent over the summer even when you don’t live there? I definitely don’t. Most leases are a full year, and while I need housing both my junior and senior year, there are a few months that I will not be living there at all. Wasted money, awesome. Onto the most obvious issue: cost. Though I do work, it’s only part-time with my full schedule; I don’t make enough money to pay hundreds of dollars in rent every month. Don’t forget utilities! The security deposit and parking permit in addition is so nice, too. Also, how am I supposed to have a credit score and rental history when I don’t have a credit card nor have I ever paid rent on my own at the old adult age of 19? Maybe I can get by with one of my parents co-signing, but that’s assuming the landlord prefers a broke college student over a more financially stable adult.
Let’s say I find a place I can actually afford, and the landlord decides to rent to me instead of a more established adult. I move in, and everything seems great until… oh, the walls began to peel. Oh, the plumbing doesn’t work, let me call the landlord. They missed my call and haven’t gotten back to me in over two weeks. I guess I just have to deal with it. I don’t have the time or money to fix it on my own, so I don’t have much of a choice. What else could possibly go wrong? Well, there could be a bug infestation. Additionally, there’s the possibly of having a creepy landlord, especially as a college-aged girl. I know I’m a paranoid person, but it’s not unheard of for some landlords to set up cameras or come in randomly. Though it’s unlikely, while I was searching on Zillow, I found a place that stated in the fine print that the landlord will need to stay in the basement or one of the bedrooms 2-3 days per week for work. I found that to be odd and quickly un-hearted the listing. Remember: always read the fine print.
Obviously, not all these things I described will occur, but they do happen to some people. Most people experience obstacles such as cost, uncommunicative landlords, safety concerns, and transportation issues on top of simply finding a place in the competitive housing market. Picking a place to live in college requires careful consideration, and many struggle to find the time and energy to focus on it when we have assignments and exams. There is no easy way around it unless you have lots of money and connections, which unfortunately many of us don’t have. Overall, finding housing while in college is a huge source of stress that many people underestimate. My advice: start looking way ahead of time and try not to be too picky while still having some standards. Good luck, and we got this!