Before starting my freshman year at FSU, I knew my college experience would look a bit different. Instead of moving into a dorm or an apartment in College Town, I moved into an off-campus apartment a bit further from campus. Honestly, I was super excited about it. I’d have my own room, my own bathroom, a kitchen, and I wouldn’t have to experience communal showers. I still stand by all of those benefits.
What I didn’t really think about was how living off campus would affect my overall experience at FSU.
My apartment is only about 15 minutes away, which sounds like nothing until my classes are over and I’m deciding whether I want to stay on campus or go home. Going home almost always sounds better. The problem is, once I’m home, I’m home. If I see something happening on campus later, suddenly that 15-minute drive seems a lot longer. I can’t just walk out of my apartment and already be on campus for an event.
I’ve realized that if my FSU routine becomes driving to campus, going to class, and driving straight home, I’m probably going to miss out on a huge part of what I was excited about before I chose to go here.
- Staying On-Campus
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One of the easiest changes I’ve made is simply not leaving campus the second I don’t have somewhere I need to be. If I have more than 30 minutes in between my classes, or if they’re finished for the day, I stick around instead of treating the end of class like the end of my time at FSU.
That can look like getting food at an on-campus restaurant, walking through the Student Union, finding somewhere on campus to sit and get work done, or simply exploring and seeing if anything is going on. I’ve started noticing how much I probably would’ve missed if I went straight from class to my car every day.
FSU constantly has events happening, and I’m realizing that part of actually feeling involved is simply being there for them. Even things like the Garnet & Gold Tailgates give students something to do before football games instead of just showing up for kickoff.
- Doing It Alone
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This is probably the most important factor, and something I’m honestly still working on.
Whenever I find something happening at FSU that looks fun, my immediate reaction is to figure out who I can convince to come with me. The introvert in me is completely fine going to class alone, but walking into a random campus event alone isn’t happening. This doesn’t always work when everyone has a completely different schedule.
Going somewhere alone really isn’t that big of a deal. I wanted to get more involved and meet people at FSU in the first place, and I’ve realized that won’t happen if I’m at home, sitting on my couch watching Gilmore Girls because I couldn’t find someone to go with me.
I’m definitely not quite at the point where I’ll confidently walk into absolutely anything alone, but I’m getting better at not automatically saying no.
- Making It My Own
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At first, part of me was worried that living off campus meant I was missing the “freshman experience.” I don’t have a roommate down the hall asking if I want to grab food two buildings over.
I’m realizing now, though, that my freshman year doesn’t (and shouldn’t) look exactly like everyone else’s does. That’s the beauty of being in college. We’re all here at the same school but can have completely different lives and experiences.
I’ve joined organizations, started spending more time on campus outside of class, and I’m slowly finding the places and routines that make FSU feel more like home.
Sometimes, making the extra effort to stay instead of automatically choosing the comfort of going home is necessary. Will I sometimes still immediately drive back to my apartment after a long day? Absolutely. But I only get one freshman year at FSU.
I’d rather stay on campus a little longer to go to something that interests me and feel a bit awkward because I showed up alone, than spend the year feeling like I only came to FSU for class.
Sometimes we have to make the first move and show up alone, and the people and connections will come along the way. Living off campus isn’t taking away from my college experience; it’s making me put a little more effort into creating one that feels like mine.
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