With the second semester of the year kicking off it is time for some individuals to make some tough decisions before the school year comes to an end. While many are deciding majors, future roommates and such, one thing cannot be ignored—where will you live? Many dorms on campus have a four-semester policy, which guarantees you two years in the dorms. So what are your options going into your third year, or any year that you do not want to live in a dorm? Apartment life is right around the corner for many college students and it is a completely new step. Before you can move into an apartment you will need a few key things to make this the smoothest transition into the next chapter of your life.
The first is to figure out whether or not you will have a roommate. I’m assuming that many will have roommates because honestly, one-bedroom apartments are lonely and too expensive. And besides, who will you hang out with if you’re alone and don’t feel like moving? Remember one is the loneliest number. Living with friends makes this transition much smoother and all the more fun. So assuming you have roommates you will need to decide how the rooms will be chosen. Will one pay more for the bigger room? Will there be two people in one room? These are all questions that need to be worked out before hand so there is no confusion. Deciding all of the small details before you sign a lease will be very helpful, even if you don’t figure it all out until searching for apartments.
My roommates and I.
Another key item that is needed is furniture. Without furniture your apartment will be pretty empty. You can move your bedroom from home to your apartment, but what about the rest of your house? Almost all apartments come unfurnished, so that leaves all of the furniture up to you. Its always a good idea to head to your family and see who has any extra furniture that isn’t being used, or that they were thinking of giving away. Another cool place to look is a Salvation Army or, if you want to spend the money, a furniture store to buy new furniture. Talking to your roommates about who could get what furniture may also be helpful. You will be living together for the next year or more. The furniture is a necessity unless you want to sleep and eat on the floor for the entire year, which I don’t think is a good idea.
The next thing to worry about is the actual apartment. There are tons of apartment complexes around the area. There are some on campus, right across from campus, on the shuttle route, and then the ones that don’t have shuttles. Knowing that there are many choices will be very calming, but waiting too late can cause a hectic storm. The first thing you want to think about is the prices of the apartments. Think of a price you are willing to pay each month, including bills—they come with the apartment. After finding your budget talk it over with your roommate and come to a negotiation. Once you have your budget you can work on the location, location, location. Do you want to be within walking distance? Do you have a car to get you to class? Is there a shuttle in your neighborhood? These questions are all very important. There is actually a cool website that Towson offers that shows all surrounding apartments, and can be helpful for finding possible complexes. http://www.towson.edu/housing/offcampus/aptlist.asp
Now for individuals who want to live with your three best friends you could encounter a problem. Baltimore County—where Towson is located—has a rule that no more than two unrelated people could live together in a single-family dwelling. Most landlords follow this rule but some people can find loopholes to get around it. But this is an issue that you should be aware of. If you want to live with three roommates and you don’t want to live in an apartment, a lenient landlord is what you want if you cannot move to the city. Now when I say the city I do not mean down to the harbor. The city line is actually right off of York Road. Looking up the Baltimore City line can be extremely helpful to figure out which houses to visit. However, Baltimore City does have a similar rule. Their rule says no more than four unrelated people can live together in a single-family unit.
When I was looking for townhouses I was constantly on Craigslist. The website has an amazing for “Houses for Rent” section. Towson also has another page that is helpful for finding open houses or rooms that are vacant. http://www.towson.edu/housing/offcampus/housing_availablenew.asp
All in all moving into an apartment has its advantages like no RA’s, no room rules, no visitation monitoring, and more freedom overall, but they can also have some disadvantages, like waking up earlier to get ready, catching shuttles or driving, and paying rent and bills. But the experience can be an amazing with the right people.
Just remember, you have to find your best possible roommate(s), a budget, an apartment, and furniture. Although it may seem like it is a lot to manage, it isn’t. Just squeeze apartment shopping in between classes or lunch and dinner. Before you know it you will be moving into the apartment or house of your college dreams and will start a new and exciting chapter of your life. Grab it by the horns and get going. Be sure to check out the Off-Campus Living Fair this week. Happy searching, and may the luck be ever in your favor!