When I first applied to Boulder, housing for the coming years did not ever cross my mind. Although it wouldn’t have changed my college decision, it has played a much larger role in my life and future than I expected. From breaking friendships to countless uncomfortable conversations in leasing offices, Boulder housing is a mountain awaiting any CU student.Â
My first encounter with the CU housing crisis was in my journalism class on the second week of classes. As one does, I was eavesdropping on the conversation in front of me between two freshmen girls. One girl mentioned she had just signed a lease with her brand new freshman roommate and a girl from their hall. Similar to my reaction, the other girl was shocked at how early the other girl had found sophomore-year housing.
In the forthcoming weeks, my best friend, her roommate, and I scoured Trulia and Zillow for Boulder housing. We looked for houses, apartments, and townhomes that fit our needs. But as fresh-out-of-high-school 18-year-olds, we had no idea the challenges that would come before us.Â
Our first challenge was the location. Lucky for any CU Boulder student, the locations of rentals are endless. Our first stop was Superior. The cheaper prices with nicer finishes caught our eye at first but as we left Boulder and started to drive, and drove some more, and then some more, it became clear our perception of how far away Superior was not completely accurate. What seemed like a quick 7-minute drive turned into a 20-minute endeavor stuck in traffic on the Interstate. We realized a sudden transition from a 10-minute walk to anywhere on campus to a 30-minute drive to class during rush hour would be a sudden change we weren’t quite ready for.Â
Another mistake we made was checking Google reviews. As potential renters, our first thought was to check the reviews for each apartment complex or property management office. From “slow maintenance” to “rude employees,” the reviews we saw only proved to steer us away from properties and ruin our perception of properties that were otherwise perfect for us. We quickly learned that to college students, Google reviews are not a place to share truthful experiences but rather air grievances and only the negatives.Â
I was lucky enough to eventually sign a lease with my two best friends. However, that came at a cost. What once was a group of four girls is now a group of three. As amateur renters and girls who had not previously had roommates with others until freshman year, we had done no previous research before adding a fourth roommate. The extra expense and the foreseen time spent together became too much, and while ultimately this was a hard decision and conversation, this experience has only taught me how to better handle sensitive topics.
Boulder housing is nothing to underestimate. However, the experience has only taught me more lessons about being independent and living on my own. Navigating housing, having difficult conversations, and living with others are all part of becoming independent and moving away from home. While I am so lucky to have found housing, I feel immense empathy for freshmen still going through the stressful process of finding Boulder housing.