Housing 2010: Top 10 reasons to move off campus

Feel like you’re at home

Tired of your feet touching the cold tile of your dorm room floor? Are you completely uninspired by your stone and white walls? Moving off campus helps you create a more homey atmosphere to enjoy while you’re living in Columbia. Some apartments allow you to completely furnish your own space, so if you have an interior designer inside your mind waiting to break free, this could be your big opportunity. Even in the furnished complexes, you still have more of an opportunity to decorate your space to your satisfaction. If you feel seriously inhibited by your lack of closet space, then moving off campus can definitely help you with this problem. Many apartment complexes offer walk-in closets or door closets with large amounts of space to create room for the purchases you make on impromptu shopping sprees. 

No more quarter searches

If you are irritated with having to sit watch over your clothes so nobody steals them in the common laundry areas, it could be time to find a place with its own washers and dryers. Many complexes in the area offer spaces with their own washers and dryers inside each home. Not only will you avoid those late-night quarter searches to fund that last load of laundry, but you can also have more flexibility in how you do your laundry. No longer will you have to set aside hours of time to make sure it gets done. If you want to do a load of laundry and run errands before you put it in the dryer, you can do it without having to worry it will be stolen- that is, as long as you trust your roommates.

Your own bathroom

If you’re annoyed with having to deal with communal or even suite-style bathrooms, moving off campus can help. Many apartment complexes give each bedroom its own bathroom so you can enjoy full privacy. No longer will you have to run late because you had to wait for your suitemates to shower before you could hop in. Even if you don’t have your own bathroom, you probably will end up sharing it with only one other person. If you’re sick of the hall bathrooms, this could be a great option for you. Though you do now have to worry about cleaning said bathroom, it’s great to have more privacy.

Cook your own food

If you’re sick of having to depend on the meal plan hours or only enjoy frozen meals or microwave Ramen, you could be craving having your own kitchen. Having your own kitchen can not only give you the opportunity to eat more of what you want, but it can also save you money. Instead of shelling out bucks for a meal plan every semester, you can buy cheaper groceries and save money. Your roommates could even organize different days to cook for one another. You also have more room to store your food, since you’ll have an actual refrigerator and can say goodbye to the days of the mini-fridge. 

The amenities

Depending on where you live, you can enjoy all of the extra amenities that are offered. Almost all of the complexes in Columbia have their own pools and hot tubs, and unlike at the Strom, you can lie out with your favorite alcoholic beverage in hand without catching too much flack. Some complexes have movie theaters where you and your friends can sit and watch a movie on a huge screen at your leisure. And what happens if your printer runs out of ink? Many complexes offer business centers with computers and a printer at your disposal. And what about being farther away from Five Points? Not a problem. Many complexes offer drunk busses to transport you to Five Points for nights filled with fun without worrying about finding a DD. 

No more randos

Since you are no long dealing with University Housing, you won’t get stuck with random suitemates who decide to have loud sex at all hours of the night — you now have the power to pick who you want to live with and where you want to live. If you want to live by yourself, you now have the option. If you want to live with your four best friends, you can do so. However, as appealing as this may sound, pay close attention to the decisions you are making. Breaking a lease is a big deal and could create serious consequences. It is not as simple as asking to move to a different dorm or room like it was when you lived on campus. 

Bye, bye lines at the Strom

At most of the apartment complexes around campus, you will have your very own fitness facilities to use and won’t have to wait in line to use the machines at the Strom, especially during January when people are still trying to keep their New Year’s resolutions. At some complexes, the gym is open 24/7, so you can fit in your gym time around your own schedule. For those of you that work late at night and can’t make it to the Strom before it closes, this could be a viable option for your lifestyle. Though the gyms are definitely smaller and have fewer machines to choose from than the Strom, a treadmill is a treadmill. Even if it isn’t the 2009 edition, it will still get the job done. 

Be done with elevators

Everyone’s been in this scenario: you woke up 20 minutes late and need to scramble across campus to make it to your 9:30 class on time. You rush and quickly get ready and then run to the elevator because you’re unable to run down 10 flights of stairs without sweating like a pig. You wait and wait as the time slowly ticks by and when the elevator finally comes, you’re already late for class. If you have grown an unabashed hatred for elevators, then this could be the time for you to break free from these time-consuming oppressors. At many apartment complexes around Columbia, you won’t have elevators or even need to use them, since most complexes only have two or three floors.

No-hassle parking

If you choose to live off campus, you will no longer have to worry about parking near your dorm. Gone are the days of having to fight for a spot in the cramped Capstone/Columbia parking lot. In most apartment complexes, you will be able to park right next to your unit, so you won’t have to make any more scary trips walking from the Bates parking lot late at night. You also won’t have to make excruciating trips up and down the elevator to move into or out of your room. And if you don’t want to, you won’t need to shell out the extra couple $100 per semester to park at the Bull Street Garage. Your friends can easily come over and have places to park without paying per hour at a parking meter.