At some point during college, the dorm life just doesn’t cut it anymore. What once was an exciting and new living experience quickly becomes like yesterday’s French fries from late night at DLG, dull and stale. At UCSB, students typically move out of the dorms by junior year. No doubt you’re tempted to spread your wings – as the old saying goes. But before you take flight, keep the following in mind:
1. Your budget
Generally speaking, moving out of the dorms tends to save a lot of students money, but that doesn’t mean living in an apartment isn’t pricey – especially in I.V. Here, monthly rent ranges from 500-900 dollars on average. This price doesn’t include application fees (you have to submit an application before the apartment is yours btw), utilities or groceries.
2. Can you cook?
Girl, if you move out of the dorms you need to know how to cook. Sure, you can continue to pay for a meal plan and eat at the dining halls, but if you’re going to spread your wings, you might as well SPREAD them. There’s no better sense of accomplishment like the one you feel when you eat a meal you cooked all on your own. When moving out of the dorms, it’s essential that you can feed yourself. Instant ramen noodles, Free Birds and mac ‘n cheese can only get you so far. Trust me.
3. Are you okay living with more than one roommate?
When living in the dorms, it’s common to live with two other people at most. When living in an apartment however, this number grows depending on the size of your apartment. If you’re lucky enough to afford a single apartment (how???) then you won’t have to consider this. Living with more than one person can be overwhelming for some people. Take your personality and preferences into account before moving out. It’s helpful to note that with more roomies also comes cheaper rent. The choice is yours!
4. The length of a lease
Most lease agreements, which is how long you agree to rent the apartment, last from nine months to a year in I.V. It’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into. When signing a lease, you’re basically agreeing to remain a tenant in that apartment until your contract ends.
5. How responsible are the people you plan to live with?
You may be capable of paying your share of the rent on time, but make sure your roomies can do the same. Late rent payments or skipping payments for an entire month is not okay and can get you into situations you don’t want to be in. The best option is to live with those you can trust with important matters.
6. Is the landlord or manager reliable?
Not all landlords are horrible, but they’re out there. Ask around for recommendations from friends or other students. The last thing you want is to be taken advantage of or to live in a place that is poorly managed.
7. The social scene
Certain areas in I.V. are livelier than others. The closer you are to DP, the noisier it gets. Don’t overlook frat and sorority houses either. Again, this is a matter of personal preference so it’s best to always keep your needs in mind.
8. Proximity to campus
A ten minute bike ride to campus? Ain’t nobody got time for that. If you want to minimize your morning commute to campus, it’s best to find housing closest to campus. Although if you enjoy biking for ten minutes daily to and from campus, then that’s cool too.
9. Is parking available?
You’d think it’d be common sense that every apartment complex comes with a parking area, but this may not always be the case. Typically, each unit in an apartment complex is given one parking space, which most of the time is enough, but if you and your roommate have a car, this becomes a problem. Don’t overlook parking options when apartment hunting and work things out with your roommates before hand.
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