When I signed my first lease I told my dad all about the apartment. I was so excited about it; I thought my apartment was perfect. And I was so excited to be signing a lease for an off-campus apartment!!
Confession One: I only looked at my apartment. My fairy tale of a housing story is that I walked into that apartment my first or second night of freshman year. I turned to my new friend Britt and said, “we have to live here junior year.” The same five girls who I’d met with and bonded with that first week of freshman year were the same girls I signed a lease with in that very apartment a year later.
Confession Two: I actually think my college apartment was pretty close to perfect.
Confession Three: I know I am really, really lucky.
At my school, the first week’s of your sophomore year is when people start apartment searching…for next year (most people live off-campus junior and senior year, like I did).
There are tears over finances, friends leaving friends out, locations, bad landlords, and just about anything else you can think about. Plus scheduling with your future roommates to tour a bunch of apartments is a pain. I’ve heard more than enough people complain about it.
Students at Miami University in Ohio realized apartment searching is an issue. You’re relying a lot on word-of-mouth as it is, but this website, College Housing Review, consolidates all of those opinions so that you can make educated decisions about your new home. It’s kind of like the ever-popular RateMyProfessor.com which I’m sure many of you check before enrolling in a class.
So check out the site, see if your school has some properties on it, and get educated about your next off-campus house or apartment. And if you already live off-campus, do the site a favor and submit your property! If you loved your apartment, like I did, share the news. If you got majorly scammed and lived in an awful place, warn those younger than you so they don’t have the same mistake!
Let me know what you think! Don’t you think this is an awesome resource?