Unbeknownst to some at NU, after freshman and sophomore year, housing is not guaranteed. While you may have your heart set on a West Village apartment with your best friends or a studio apartment on Huntington, it may be wise to be realistic and consider your options in case the worst scenario occurs.
- Figure out what you would want
While you may who you want to room with in mind, that can all change with lottery numbers. You and a potential roommate may have completely different price ranges or want to live in completely different places. In addition, living off campus means more responsibility. Your friend who is always asking to borrow money may not be the best option when a monthly rent payment is involved.
2. Go to the NU apartment fair
Every year Northeastern hosts an apartment fair with some of the more well – known reliable realtors of the Back Bay area (Read: NOT Craigslist “realtors”). It’s a great way to talk to property managers and get more information about living off campus.
3. Look at different apartments
There are many places to look for apartments, such as Trulia or Zillo, but Northeastern has a website for your apartment hunt as well. This website has many resources just for NU students! You can look for apartments inside and outside of Boston and search for roommates as well. The dates for the Apartment 101 info sessions are also on this site. They are all throughout January.
4. Tour an apartment
Even if you aren’t sure at all about moving off campus, tour an apartment just for the experience. Practice makes perfect and touring one will let you see firsthand what you really want out of an off campus apartment.
5. Consider moving into a sublet over the summer
If you do end up living off campus, consider trying a small commitment first. Spend your Summer I session in a sublet of another NU student who has to leave Boston for the summer to see what it is like. This will teach you more about living away from the immediate area, without a proctor or an RA, and on your own in general.
Remember, if you don’t get a lottery number, it may be inconvenient but it is definitely not the end of the world. It’s just a leap into an i