ABC’S Of UMass- O- Off-Campus Housing

When sophmore year rolls around students have the big deicion to stay on campus, or move off. 

After living in one of the five living areas of UMass Amherst, students get the chance to trade in their dorm life for off campus housing. The problem is however, how are students supposed to know which is best for them? 

Here are the pros and cons for moving off campus. 

Pros of Off Campus h0using:

No R.A.
students may be moving out of their family homes for the first time when they arrive as a freshman, but are they really on their own. Students who live off campus love that they do not have someone checking in on them 24/7, and they have the access to do what ever they want. 

Quiet:
Have you ever been in a noisy dorm trying to do homework or sleep but your noisy neighbor wont stop blasting Kanye? I have, and it is not fun! Living off campus provides you with a house that can be as noisy as you want, and as quiet. 

Location:

As a senior that lives right inn the middle of uptown Amherst, I could not be happier. I live close enough to campus to walk to class, while living across the street from all the restaurants and bars. 

Cons to living off campus:

Isolation:
Students who go from living in huge towers to a small house tend to complain of feeling lonely at times. When you are bored, it is not as easy to visit friends. In the dorms students have the ability to go up a floor in their pjs to visit friends. Off campus however, most of the time you would need to drive to a friends house. 

Cooking:
Unless you are a gourmet cook, living off campus could be a hastle sometimes. Coming from someone who is not the best cook by any means, ordering in becomes your go to plan. This could be expensive and a hastle. Having access to the diner commons is a major pro to loiving on campus.