This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ball State chapter.
Living on-campus is great for the first year or two, but what about when it’s time for you to become a real adult? You know, taking care of yourself, keeping up on rent, buying groceries – those kinds of things are important, and living off-campus is a real wake-up call for most people.
Don’t be afraid, though! The experience really is life-changing, and afterwards, you’ll really love that you chose to move into your own place.
So, here’s eight things you’ll love about living off-campus:
1. Without a meal plan, you actually figure out how to feed yourself.
You know, grocery shopping. It has to be done. And the best part? Cooking becomes more than just making popcorn in your hall’s microwave.
2. Decorating is life.
No more RAs telling what you can and can’t hang on your wall! Now you have the freedom to decorate your room how you really want.
3. Living with roommates can really cement friendships.
If you’re living with friends, the bonds created off-campus are so much stronger. Late night talks, cooking adventures, teaming up to kill a rampant spider – it all brings you closer together.
4. Off-campus living means more control. More control means you can SAVE MONEY.
The budget is all yours. Now that you aren’t paying thousands of unneeded dollars on a dorm room and dining hall food, you have the freedom to decide what you really want to buy with your money!
5. House parties are the best parties.
Enough said.
6. There are no rules.
The longer you live in dorms, the more time you’ll have to deal with things like nosy RAs and early quiet hours. While this is perfectly fine for some people, others prefer the idea of living somewhere that doesn’t have strict rules.
7. You’ll have more space.
Another major perk of moving out of the dorms is that, for the most part, off-campus apartments have a lot more space. That includes more storage, larger kitchens, a real living room and your own bedroom – unless, of course, you decide to share a room for cheaper rent.
8. You’ll find yourself becoming more responsible.
One of the main reasons you should live off-campus, at least for a couple years, is that it offers important real-life experience you can build on as you move into post-grad life. Between actually having to pay your own rent (which most students don’t have to worry about in the dorms), and managing all the other expenses that go along with renting your own place, living off-campus is a crash course in responsibility.
