Young concentrated brunette woman in glasses working with laptop in her apartment.
Living in a dorm is an essential part of the college and university experience. Starting out in a new place, it’s important to be around people who have similar interests and have gone through, or are going through, the same experiences. Dorms are conveniently located on campus making transportation easy and giving the new student as much time as possible to adjust to a new life with new expectations. However, there comes a point in every college career when a student should look for places like the Ohio University rental houses in Athens, OH, to move to. How do you know you’re ready?
You’re Ready to Commute
One of the most difficult things for most students is getting to class on time. Moving off campus only makes that more difficult. Whether there’s good public transportation from your new place to the college or you have a car, commuting will be part of the time management lesson that off-campus housing has to teach you. A car is convenient because you can go from door to door, but you’ll have to deal with parking space availability and costs associated with the vehicle from gas and oil to parking meters and lots.
You Want More Amenities
Most dorms offer the student a shared bathroom, which is more or less well cared for, and a shared kitchen, which is usually not that well taken care of. If you want a kitchen to yourself where you can prepare your own food without having to worry about an unidentifiable someone stealing your food, off-campus housing may be for you. Chances are your bathroom won’t be cleaner than the dorm’s, but you can always dream!
Your Budget Will Allow It
Happy young friends having fun at home listening vintage vinyl disc music in living room – Group of people enjoying their time in apartment drinking shots and laughing
If you’re receiving grants and loans that cannot be applied to off-campus housing, you may find the move too expensive. However, most off-campus housing ends up being less expensive than a dorm, especially if you move in with roommates to split the rent and utilities and watch your food budget. When looking at Ohio University rental houses, be sure you consider all of the costs involved. Water, electricity, cable, garbage, parking, and the Internet are bills that you may receive in addition to the monthly cost of rent. Once you’ve established that it’s time for you to enter into the world of renting a home, you will also have decided that it’s time to be a little more grown up. There are responsibilities that come with renting, but there are also amazing perks.
