Like every other current freshman at Florida State University (FSU), for the last four months, I’ve been on the hunt to find my very first apartment for next year. Although freshman year has been great for me, I went into this process knowing I would do absolutely anything to get my own bedroom sophomore year. I also preferred to do on-campus housing because I’m from Chicago and didn’t want to sign a year-long lease. Unfortunately, it eventually came down to choosing between my own bedroom and summer in Tallahassee.
As a freshman, I didn’t know how hard this process would be. Everyone told me FSU is overpopulated, yet I didn’t believe it. Like the green little first year I am, I told everyone that I was planning on living in Ragans next year. Until I went on the housing portal and realized my dream apartment was completely gone.
I was lucky enough out of my roommate group to have the most credits, so I could access the housing portal earlier. For months, we all hoped to get Ragans because the lease went by semesters and everyone would get their own rooms. So, the minute my housing portal opened at 2 p.m. EST, I logged into the portal, desperate. A red notification saying “Try Again” kept popping up with each configuration I tried. Ragans wasn’t available.
A few weeks and many anxious discussions later, I eventually signed a year-long lease for the 2022-2023 school year. I won’t disclose exactly where I am living next year because generally, it is in poor practice to put that information widely available on the internet. However, I will say that I chose an apartment that is a few minutes’ walk from Doak Campbell Stadium, where I will get my own bedroom and bathroom. This apartment is also dog friendly, so when you visit the pool, about five to ten dogs will run up to you. There’s a two-story gym and the building is only two years old. Although I didn’t get the on-campus apartment like I originally wanted, I will have my own room, which is crucial for my independence next year. Truly, finding an apartment in Tallahassee is a lot like being on House Hunters, except your parents have to agree and some of the places might have vomit on the floors.
Of course, this apartment wasn’t the only place we looked at. My friends and I also saw the Standard and Onyx, which are wildly different experiences. The Standard is a beautiful apartment, but too large and overpriced for my taste. My friends said the same, as it would be about $1,000 for each of us to live there in a three-bedroom. Yet, the front desk was very helpful and communicative. Onyx was another atmosphere entirely; it felt like I was on MTV. That apartment is great if you have an extroverted or partying personality, as the complex is situated between the bars and Greek life housing. Although the apartments themselves were beautiful inside, I realized this wouldn’t be the place for me when I saw all the frat guys lined by the pool with their White Claws and likely dishonorable intentions.
So, what have I learned? Finding an apartment in Tallahassee was as difficult as everyone says it would be. Once our dream of an on-campus apartment crumbled, we spent weeks looking at places online and contemplating what we should do. We also ran into issues with our original roommate plan, as not everyone could agree on price and location. Overall, when finding your off-campus apartment, know what you’re willing to compromise on and what are your dealbreakers. As privileged as it sounds, my dealbreakers were sharing a room again and being too far off-campus.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!