One of the many stresses of college is to choose where to live for the upcoming academic year. Should students find a dorm on campus, or rent an apartment somewhere else? Some students believe living off-campus is the better option because it is cheaper and they have more privacy.
However, some NC State officials argue that living on-campus is better. Donna McGalliard, executive director of University Housing, stated that on-campus housing offers a supportive staff that cares about the well-being of their students. In addition, the Pack Essentials program helps students who may not be able to afford to pay for housing.
When students are deciding where to live for the next academic year, should they live on or off campus? While each option has its own benefits, it all depends on what a student is looking for. If students want to save money, they should live off-campus. However, if students want to be more involved with the NC State community, they should live on-campus
One advantage of living off-campus is that it is generally cheaper. Most apartment complexes offer lower rates when compared to off-campus housing. For the 2019-2020 academic year, two semesters in a double occupancy room will cost $6,075 dollars. However, a four-bedroom apartment at the Raleigh U could cost $619 dollars per month, which would cost around $5,571 dollars for a 9-month lease.
Besides the cheaper price, living in an off-campus apartment provides certain benefits as well. For one, a student will have their own personal room and potentially their own bathroom. This may appeal to students who feel uncomfortable sharing their room with another person. In addition, some apartment complex like Valentine Commons and LiveOnHillsborough, don’t charge students for utilities.
In addition, students can choose to opt-out of purchasing a meal plan. As many students know, meal plans are very expensive. The “Every Day Meal Plan” for 2019-2020 academic year will cost $2,095 per semester, totaling in $4,190 dollars. Not only is this expensive, but according to the Beauru of Labor statistics, it is also almost a thousand dollars more than the average family spends on dining outside of the home.
By living in an off-campus apartment, it will encourage students to cook their own food, which can help them save money. Weilo, a service that delivers groceries, conducted a study that tracks the average cost to cook certain meals. They discovered that on average, a person spends $4.31 cooking a meal, compared to spending $20.37 at a restaurant. The results do confirm the general notion that it is cheaper to cook your own food than eat out at restaurants.
However, by choosing to live off campus, students might miss some of the benefits of living on NC State.
One reason students should live on campus is for the residential communities or the Living and Learning Villages. Donna McGalliard stated that students residing in these villages share similar interests and academic focus, making it easier for students to make friends, and more importantly, be more academically successful.
Her rationale is supported by studies conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles, University of Iowa and Pennsylvania State University that discovered a correlation with students living on campus and strong academic performance.
In addition, Donna McGalliard claims that living on-campus gives students better access to academic resources. Besides being closer to classes, it allows students to form connections with career advisors and other employees. The easy access to NC State staff can help students assistance for certain courses or prepare for their careers, giving them a better college experience.
Although Donna McGalliard provides an excellent reason why students should live on campus, students should remember that they still have access to resources at NC State. Not all Living and Learning Villages require students to live on campus to partake in various activities, and students can take time out of their day to meet with advisors or other NC State faculty.
Clearly, living off campus will help students save money. Although students may lose easy access to academic resources, they will save more money in the long run. However, students should keep in mind that the closer they live on campus, the more expensive the rent will be. Living off-campus will help save money, but students should continue to be fiscally responsible to conserve their finances.
