Is Student Housing Getting You Down? When It’s Time to Move Off Campus

Are you ready for your next big move? Every year, more than 35 million American relocate to a new city: it could be for work, to pursue a new relationship, or just to find a positive change of pace. Most of us move during the summer months, and we can expect to move at least 12 times throughout the course of our lives. Moving can feel stressful: more high end rental units are offering moving help to their clients. If you are moving soon, there are a few things that you should bear in mind before your moving day.

If you are a college student who is moving into off campus housing for the first time, try to get back onto campus a few days before the school year starts. You may have to make several trips to home furniture stores to decorate your home. You may also have to schedule meetings with cable or gas company representatives to have your utilities turned on. If you wait until classes have started up, you may find yourself dashing back home in a mad rush, only to find out that your electric company doesn’t have any appointments available for another week. You don’t want to have to do homework by candlelight, so try to get back on campus two or three days before you have to start classes.

Many companies that offer high end rental units want to rent to college students, but they also want to make sure that their student renters are quiet and focus on school work more than parties. Most towns have noise ordinances, and if you are hosting a small gathering that goes past midnight, you may want to turn the stereo down a few notches. Take the time to meet with your neighbors when you move in: high end rental units often have on-site locations where people can meet up and hang out. You should look for a rental that has a pool, onsite washing machines, off street parking, and a meeting room or clubhouse that residents can use to watch movies and get to know each other. They may also have room that you can use to study, just in case you need a little break from your roomies for a few hours. Look for places that have onsite exercise equipment for residents: exercise can help you stay healthy and focused at school.

Socialization is a large part of the college experience, and if you’re moving off campus for the first time, you will probably have a few roommates. Sit down at the beginning of the semester and talk about how you want to divide up the household chores, food shopping, and bills. Walk around your apartment and see if you can find any small repairs or defects that need to be addressed: if you don’t let your rental company know at the outset of the semester, they may charge you for damages. Take pictures with your phone of any repairs so you can show your rental company what they need to look for when they come to make repairs.

In general, high end rental units want to attract college students who are tired of student housing. If you are making the switch to off-campus living, you should know that you can never have too many blankets or too many towels. You should always look for rental spaces that offer surveillance and safety patrols, and you have the right to go to your management team if you have any complaints. Staying up late and bonding with your roommates is one of the best parts of having your own apartment, and as long as you take turns doing the dishes, you should have a stellar school year. College is a time for personal growth and new friendships, and you may be surprised to find that you feel as close to your college roomies as you do to your friends from high school.