I decided to move off campus my sophomore year of college because I did not like my experience with the dorms. Your first move to an apartment is one of your rites of passage to adulthood — freedom, independence, and responsibility. I moved off campus because of the huge increase in space and lower rent prices compared to closer apartments on campus. Although I love my apartment, there are so many things I didn’t realize when I made this move. If you’re thinking about living off campus soon, here are five things I wish someone had told me ahead of time.
1. Cooking takes so much more time than you think.
I knew I’d be cooking more, but I completely underestimated the time and energy it takes. The last thing you want to do when you have a long day of work, classes, exams, and club meetings is come home and cook for yourself. I found myself living off Trader Joe’s snacks and Chipotle bowls way more than anyone should. What really saved me is meal planning, easy to put together meals, and intentional grocery shopping. Things like pastas, bowls, and soups are things that I enjoy and are easy to prepare. Learning how to feed yourself on busy days is honestly a skill and one you can develop to set you up for the rest of your life because, let’s be real, it’s only gonna get busier from here, and food is fuel.Â
2. Groceries add up fast.
Dining hall prices suddenly don’t seem so outrageous once you start buying your own groceries. Between produce, pantry staples, and the “treat yourself” snacks, the total climbs quickly. Self control is also a skill that I’m learning to apply. Things that help are actually asking myself if I need an item, apps with student discounts, splitting bulk items with roommates, and shopping store brands. Little things that you save up on can really accumulate over time.Â
3. Chores don’t do themselves.
When you’re living with another person in the dorm and sharing a living space and/or a bathroom with someone else, there’s this pressure to keep your living area clean. However, when you have your own space, holding yourself accountable, especially if you’re someone like me who hates cleaning (and there isn’t someone to yell at you like your mom when your room was unclean back home) is difficult. There are also other chores you didn’t do in the dorms which you are required to do in the apartment, like doing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen and laundry area, and keeping the space livable becomes a constant part of your routine. Scheduling cleaning assignments with roommates can also be tricky taking into account people’s energy and business levels. It took a while, but coming up with a routine that works and sticking to it is the only way to keep things manageable.Â
4. Budgeting is suddenly nonnegotiable.
Rent, utilities, internet, groceries, gas or bus fares — it all adds up. When you’re on campus, most of your big expenses are bundled into your housing plan, but off campus, you’re responsible for everything separately. It’s really hard to tell how much you’re spending if you don’t sit down and actually calculate it, so keeping a simple weekly budget kept me from accidentally overspending.
5. You really have to plan your day around transportation.
If you don’t have a car, getting around becomes a thing you have to think about constantly. Grocery trips require planning, rides from friends, or hauling bags onto the bus. Walking to campus can be great — until the weather says otherwise. You also have to plan to leave early to get to your classes or work, especially because the buses come only at scheduled times and they run slower than a car. This becomes even more difficult if your clubs are in the afternoons because the off-campus buses run less frequently after around 5 p.m. I definitely wish I had thought more about location before signing my lease, because a 20 minute walk feels very different when it’s 20 degrees out. Things that have helped me though is the app Transit, which helps you track the bus so you can get to the stops on time, and also using the time commuting to do something useful other than scroll, like podcasts, answering emails, going through lectures, reading a textbook, or other small tasks you can do on the bus that would save you time. The trick is to flip your mindset from “Ugh, I have to ride the bus” to “I get this time to myself.”
Living off campus is exciting, and it really does make you feel more independent, but it also comes with responsibilities no one really talks about. If you’re preparing for the move, take some time to plan ahead, build a few go-to recipes, and think realistically about your budget and lifestyle. There are definitely pros and cons to living off campus, and knowing more about how off-campus lifestyle works can definitely help you make an informed decision.