Whether you live in an off-campus apartment or a convenient campus dorm, you need to consider the following student housing challenges before deciding where to stay next semester:
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Costs
The high demand for student accommodation near big schools and urban campuses causes an increase in the cost of student housing. This makes rental houses near campus unaffordable for students. If you live in off-campus housing, such as CoLab apartments for students, you will also have to pay the bills and transport to and from school.Living in the financial district neighborhood would be more expensive, but if you can afford that, it will be an excellent option for living.
If you want to find the best deals in student housing, start your search early and look at several options. This way, you'll have the time to scout for many possibilities and then carefully compare each. Starting your search early is essential as this will prevent you from staying in expensive student housing just because the school year is about to begin.
Space
Dorms are often cramped and off-campus houses might not be any better. If you need space to work on your school projects, space will be a big issue. Moreover, music students need quiet spaces to rehearse, which might be impossible in a cramped space. Luxuries such as garage spaces and yards to play sports are hard to encounter in a student-housing environment.If you want plenty of space, consider living far from your school. If you're leaning towards this direction, include Oldway Centre in your options, especially for young people attending college in Wales. Big apartments near your college will be too expensive, but those farther away will be affordable. If your college is near your home, you should consider living at home to save money.
Convenience and Accessibility
Students prefer to find accommodations close to campus to make it easier to get to class on time. On-campus dorms offer a convenient solution, but securing a spot inside the campus takes work. In some cases, the student population is so large that additional campuses are the only way to give students enough housing.If you go to an urban campus, your off-campus housing options will be limited. However, you can find cheaper housing farther away from campus and buy a car to ensure you get to class on time. If you cannot afford a car, you must rely on public transportation.
For you to end up staying in student housing that offers convenience and accessibility, research your options and start your search early. When looking for student housing, time should be on your side as this will prevent you from staying in expensive accommodations just because you ran out of options.
Privacy
Student housing means that many people will be living in a small space, which brings about privacy problems. Sharing bathrooms is common in campus housing, and most people are uncomfortable with it. Private bathrooms are only available in private schools at an additional cost.Moreover, campus housing has shared spaces such as kitchens and study lounges, which need quieter to study and have a private conversation. You'll be living with many other students in student housing, so expect that you'll only get little to zero privacy in this accommodation type. You might have to walk a few miles away from your campus to find a place to study.
Security and Safety
Safety is a big deal when it comes to student housing. Schools hire security personnel to keep the dormitories safe, but rowdy behavior still occurs, especially when students consume alcohol. This is something that you should expect when you start to live in student accommodations. When you choose to live off-campus, you will not enjoy campus security like the other students.
Neighborhoods, where students live are targets for burglary and theft because students have laptops, money, and vehicles that are disproportionate to the income of those living in the surrounding areas. Coupling this with student tenants' inexperience, you will find that many college kids fall prey to burglars because they fail to install alarm systems and bar their windows.
If you want to remain safe when you start your journey in college, pick a student housing that offers 24/7 roving security guards. They should also have CCTVs around the building to easily monitor who comes in and out. You should also invest in high-quality locks and ensure that your windows, doors, and all other entryways are shut whenever you leave the premises.
