I’ve lived in the same dorm for three years in a row. In a way, it’s become a comfort zone, my own little bubble. I can get to class, the dining hall, and the library all within a 10 minute walk. Everything I need is so close that it almost feels foolish to want to venture out. But as senior year draws closer, I’ve realized I need to take the next step: my very own apartment.
The downside of dorm life
There are a lot of aspects of dorm life I actually enjoy. The proximity to classes, not having much to clean, and no monthly bills are all things I’ll miss once I move out. But the longer I’ve lived in the dorms, the more I’ve realized just how incompatible they are with my lifestyle. For starters, I’m a raging introvert and a neat freak. While my dorm is a single, meaning I don’t have a roommate, I still share a bathroom and other facilities such as the laundry room and study lounge. After 3 years of dealing with moldy showers, stolen laundry, and unkept common areas, I think it’s time for a space that’s all my own. The other drawback is the design of the dorm itself. My dorm is a “balcony style”, meaning it directly faces the outside. While it’s not inherently bad, it becomes a huge problem when it’s hot out. All the bugs, especially crickets, are able to crawl under my door, and many of them have made themselves at home in my windowsills. Combined with the walk up four flights of stairs (which is also home to many crawlers), I’ve started to get a bit paranoid. But despite my best efforts to bug-proof my dorm, nothing seems to work, and I’m ready to leave it altogether.
The search for something better
When searching for an apartment, I first had to consider my budget. I knew I would be paying for it myself from my summer internship and my savings, so the first priority was cost. Since I was late to the search (I started this process in January when most started it in November), availability was also obviously a must. Next, I developed a list of secondary priorities in order from most to least important. Since my biggest issues with the dorm were shared spaces and bugs, I knew I wanted an apartment entirely to myself that was indoors, preferably with an elevator to avoid climbing stairs. After that, I moved on to the amenities that would be nice, but not deal breakers: covered parking, included furnishings and utilities, and no more than 20 minutes from campus. Then, the search began.
The final decision
Before going to any third party sites, I decided to start with places I had heard good things about around campus. While I was unsure if they would actually live up to the hype, many of them met a lot of the criteria on my list. Still, there was one thing I hadn’t seen: an indoor entrance. As I searched through the apartments, all of them were the same balcony style of the dorms. I finally decided to try Realtor.com, and luckily for me, found an apartment that fit ALL the major criteria. While it was at the higher end of my budget, it was also in a convenient location and along several bus routes, which was a perk I hadn’t even considered. After taking a tour and talking with the leasing agents, I knew I had found the place. I signed the lease the same day and couldn’t be happier with my decision.
While living in the dorms is a rite of passage, I’m excited to take the next steps of my college experience, and more broadly, my adult experience. I’m grateful for all the dorms have provided for me, but I also know this is the right next step.