Spring 2014 Housing Guide

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 20 FEBRUARY 2014

Housing SPRING 2014

GUIDE

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PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 20 FEBRUARY 2014 | HOUSING GUIDE

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In transition: the move off campus

BY PEYTON SPEAR

Transitioning from the dorms on campus to an apartment off campus brings a lot more than just a change of location and scenery to students.

Many are fresh out of high school and away from their parents for the first time.

Moving into the dorms upon entering college is an exciting moment because the weight of living under parental watch has finally been lifted.

Throughout students’ time in the dorms, newfound independence is provided, but oncampus living may also bring about some restrictions.

Community Manager Yvonne Moody of Lexington Pointe apartments believes there are pros and cons to living off campus and on campus.

“I think it’s good for students to spend their first year in the dorms to build relationships with other students and get the full college experience, but there are limitations when living on campus as well,” Moody said. “Among them are lack of parking, sharing common showers and bathrooms in some cases, and

rules such as who can visit you and when.”

College teaches many lessons, as students work to earn their degrees for post-graduate life, and off-campus living is another important component of that process.

General Manager Michelle Carswell of The Hub at Oxford apartments feels that the experience in living away from the dorms can be vital to experiences students may have down the road.

“Living off-campus offers many perks and is the first introduction to independency and the real world, such as budgeting, time management, problem solving, communication and learning to cope with life’s other important trials and responsibilities,” Carswell said.

Facing the real world in an apartment setting may seem like a scary thought, but it is a crucial step in the preparation for life after college.

Freshman Erik Drew who currently lives in Stockard Hall on campus enjoys his experience in the dorms so far, but he is looking forward to living off campus for the first time next fall.

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“I have gotten really close to the guys on my floor but I am looking forward to the

freedom of having my own bathroom and kitchen to cook in,” he said.

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Five points for the off-campus housing search

BY ELLIE TURNER

It’s that time of year. Students are browsing possible homes for the fall, leases are being signed and landlords are filling their books with new tenants.

This process is not always an easy feat for most college students. Dean Ott, property manager at Rental Central of Oxford, provided five points that students might want to keep in mind as they search for their home away from home.

1.KNOW YOUR ROOMMATES Many tenants do not realize that once they sign a lease with other people, they are contracted by Mississippi law to act as one unit, Ott said. This law makes every person on the lease liable for the house. Unless one person signs the lease, which experts say to steer away from, then every name on the lease is responsible for the whole amount of rent and other expenses.

“It’s kind of like being married,” Ott said. “It’s kind of like an all-for-one, one-for-all type of situation.”

Living preferences can also

be a source of conflict between roommates.

Students should be mindful of who they choose to live with concerning lifestyles like sleeping arrangements, cleanliness, study habits and social preferences, said Jennifer McClure, assistant director for marketing at the Department of Student Housing and Residence Life at the University of Mississippi.

While McClure said choosing the right roommate is crucial, she also said embracing diversity is important.

“It is always a great idea to try to live with people from different backgrounds,” McClure said. “There is just so much you can learn, and you can share your culture. It really helps round out your college experience.”

Some apartments have a roommate-matching program and also do individual leasing if students have no prospects to live with.

2. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS If students want a place where they can have parties, it is best to stay away from residential neighborhoods, according to Ott.

“It’s not a situation where you can throw a party all night long and older residents in the neighborhood won’t call the police,” Ott said. “Because they will and they will call the landlord, and it creates a problem for everybody.”

Ott said students should talk to their neighbors and learn about their situation. That relationship could save tenants from causing complaints.

Ott said that many times, if students tell the neighbors they are planning a party and give them a number to contact if they have any complaints, there are usually less problems.

Students can even have problems with other student neighbors. Sarah Connelly, a first-year education graduate student, has encountered neighbors who “think it’s Spring Break” all the time.

“On weekdays, they blare their music and they leave their door open, so that I can hear it even if I am in my house with doors closed,” Connelly said. “That’s annoying to have neighbors that you don’t really know and you can’t really go and say, ‘Hey, can you turn down your music?’”

3. KNOW YOUR BUDGET

The rate that is given to a possible tenant at first can often increase with the costs that are less noticeable. Ott said that many times students want to be close to the Square, but those houses are old, and therefore, more likely to incur costs. Then again, he said if a tenant’s priority is to be able to walk to and from the Square, that location and possible extra cost is worth it.

McClure said whether students live on or off-campus, money is one of the most important things to think about.

She suggested looking at amenities, inclusions and proximity to other transportation.

The residence halls on campus have everything included, so though the visible costs seems higher, it may not be once other expenses are factored into a budget.

Some students and parents may be thinking of buying a place.

“To me the perks of buying is that you’re not throwing your money away,” said second-year pharmacy student Lauren Brady. “With rent, you are throwing your money away every month and when you buy something, it’s yours and if you don’t want to keep

it whenever you finish school, you can turn around and sell it.”

4. KNOW YOUR LANDLORD While there are many reliable landlords in Oxford, Ott said faulty landlords do exist and students should be careful where they do business.

“We’ve seen situations where people rented a house and the owner goes into foreclosure,” Ott said. “You need to deal with reputable folks.”

Ott’s main piece of advice is to do research when looking at housing companies.

McClure said on-campus living is more beneficial if residents meet their residence hall directors.

No matter where students live, landlords can be a student’s most helpful resource, according to McClure.

5. KNOW THE AREA Where students choose to live can affect their safety, time management and convenience.

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tant to the student. If that is the Square, then students need to keep in mind that some housing options are further from the Square than others.

Connelly lives a half-mile from the Square, and she said she is thankful she chose to be in walking distance of the places she goes to the most.

“My friends that live way out, even though their house is less expensive, always have to drive everywhere and I don’t have to do that,” Connelly said.

Living on-campus allows students to be centrally located and have active safety measures, but McClure has lived off-campus as a student and a professional and she understands the importance of placement.

“Drive by at different times of the day and night to get a feel for the area,” she said.

“Somewhere that looks really great during the day may be poorly lit at night and somewhere that you don’t feel safe and comfortable.”

If you are not familiar with Oxford and the housing scene, Ott suggested going to the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Oxford. He said they will be able to help guide students to the most reputable businesses.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Study finds steady decline in young people’s interest in saving the environment

BY MARTHA IRVINE AP NATIONAL WRITER

CHICAGO (AP) _ An academic analysis of surveys spanning more than 40 years has found that today’s young Americans are less interested in the environment and in conserving resources – and often less civic-minded overall – than their elders were when they were young.

The findings go against the widespread belief that environmental issues have hit home with today’s young adults, known as Millennials, who have grown up amid climate change discussion and the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle.” The environment is often listed among top concerns of young voters.

“I was shocked,” said Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University who is one of the study’s authors. “We have the perception that we’re getting through to people. But at least compared to previous eras, we’re not.”

Twenge, author of the book “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled – and More Miserable Than Ever Before,” has spent much of her career publishing work that challenges or attempts to explain com-

monly held beliefs about young people.

This study, published online this month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, looked at the life goals, concern for others and civic orientation of three young generations – baby boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials.

Based on two longstanding national surveys of high school seniors and college freshmen, Twenge and her colleagues found a decline, over the last four decades, in young people’s trust in others, their interest in government and the time they said they spent thinking about social problems.

Steepest of all was a steady decline in concern about the environment, and taking personal action to save it.

Researchers found that, when surveyed decades ago, about a third of young baby boomers said it was important to become personally involved in programs to clean up the environment. In comparison, only about a quarter of young Gen Xers – and 21 percent of Millennials – said the same.

Meanwhile, 15 percent of Millennials said they had made no effort to help the environment, compared with 8 percent of

young Gen Xers and 5 percent of young baby boomers.

Millennials also were the least likely to say they’d made an effort to conserve electricity and fuel used to heat their homes.

In the case of heating fuel, 78 percent of young baby boomers and 71 percent of young Gen Xers said they cut back, compared with 56 percent of Millennials.

It is important to note that most of the survey data available for Millennials was collected before the country’s most recent recession hit.

Even so, those working in the environmental field – including some Millennials themselves – aren’t that surprised by the findings.

Emily Stokes, a 20-year-old geography student at Western Washington University, grew up in the Pacific Northwest. She thinks people there are more likely to take environmental issues more seriously because of the natural beauty that surrounds them.

“But I still find myself pretty frustrated a lot of the time,” said Stokes, who wants to go into marine resource management. “I just think our generation seems fairly narcissistic _ and we seem to have the shortest attention span.”

Kelly Benoit, a 20-year-old po-

litical science student at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, went as far as calling her peers “lazy.”

“I think it can be due to our upbringing. We want what we want when we want it,” said Benoit, who has worked with lawmakers in her state to try to ban the use of plastic bags in stores.

She thinks members of her generation, like a lot of people, simply don’t want to give up conveniences.

Or are they just overwhelmed?

Mark Potosnak, an environmental science professor at DePaul University in Chicago, has noticed an increase in skepticism – or confusion – about climate change among his students as the national debate has heightened.

That leads to fatigue, he said.

“It’s not so much that they don’t think it’s important. They’re just worn out,” Potosnak said. “It’s like poverty in a foreign country. You see the picture so many times, you become inured to it.”

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Long Island.

When she attended Rutgers University in the 1980s, she said it was unusual to find a fellow student who hadn’t hiked and spent time in the woods.

“Now a lot of these students have very little experience with the unpaved world,” Christensen said.

So one of her goals is to get her

students out into marshes and onto beaches – and even coral reefs in Australia – to help them connect with a natural world many have only seen on television.

Some of her students also volunteer with a group that cleans up trash in the bays that surround the island – one of many examples of young people who are taking environmental issues seriously.

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Tower,” where residents focus on conserving resources. It is a growing housing trend on many college campuses.

At Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania students are running a biodiesel plant on campus and building “permaculture,” or indefinitely sustainable, gardens in their back yards.

They’re less likely to write a letter to their member of Congress or to try to change things on a global level, said Richard Niesenbaum, a biology professor at Muhlenberg. They also don’t like to label themselves as “environmentalists.”

“In a lot of ways, they’re more pragmatic,” he said, roughly dividing his student body this way: – 5 to 10 percent “committed environmentalists” – 5 percent “anti-environment” (These are the students who purposely avoid putting their trash in campus recycling bins, for instance.)

– 85 to 90 percent “open to protecting the environment and natural resources, but not leaders and not interested in being seriously inconvenienced or paying a cost to do so” “The last group is obviously the environmental educators’ potential gold mine,” said Niesenbaum, who directs the college’s sustainability studies program.

Twenge, the study’s lead author, is sometimes pegged as a critic of this generation because of her work about them. But the numbers speak for themselves, she said.

FILE PHOTO | The Daily Mississippian

“I hope that young people see these findings as a challenge rather than a criticism,” she said, adding that the lack of interest in environmental issues isn’t exclusive to young people.

“This is a change in overall culture,” she said, “and young people reflect the changes in culture.”

The analysis was based on two long-term surveys of the nation’s youth. The first, the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future project, is an annual survey

of thousands of high school seniors, from which data from 1976 through 2008 was used.

Other data came from the American Freshman project, another large annual national survey, administered by the Higher Education Research Institute. Those responses came from thousands of first-year college students, from the years 1966 through 2009. Because of the large sample sizes, the margin of error was less than plusor-minus half a percentage point.

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Space is scarce, I promise you don’t need that

BY MEGHAN MASSEY

When moving into the dorms or an apartment, it’s important to think ahead about what you may need.

Cookware, decor and furniture are only a few of the items that make a place your home.

Space is scarce, though, and most of us are on fairly low budgets, so it’s also important to limit your purchases and the items you take with you on your move.

It is all too easy to move into a new place with so much stuff that your apartment or dorm becomes too crowded and uncomfortable to be in.

That being said, here are some things to pass on, at least for now.

NICE DISHES

They will get chipped. They will get broken. Nearly every plate, bowl and mug I moved into my apartment with has a scratch at this point.

There’s no point in having nice dinnerware in a college apartment. Get something cheap for now or hand-medowns from mom. Trust me.

You won’t regret it.

EXPENSIVE APPLIANCES The same rule applies here.

A lot of your kitchen appliances will probably end up broken or just not getting used.

I have a griddle that comes out maybe once a semester for pancakes and a George Foreman grill I’ve used twice.

A cheap slow cooker, blender, toaster and maybe a hand mixer are all you need. Get the nice stuff when you’re ready to settle down in a place of your own and don’t have roommates who might be careless with your things.

HEAVY FURNITURE If you live above the first floor, you will hate yourself for having heavy furniture, or at least the people helping you move will. My first year in my apartment, we had a wonderful, comfy couch, but we also had to take the door off its hinges to get it into the living room. Consider how long you’ll be living in your new place and ask yourself if it justifies the pain.

CABLE Okay, a lot of you might disagree with this one, but if cable isn’t included in your housing package, I say don’t buy it.

Go the cheaper route: Get a Netflix subscription and watch new episodes of your favorite shows on Hulu. You’ll save plenty of money that way. I mean, really how often do you complain there’s nothing on cable?

EXPENSIVE DECOR DIY is the answer. You never know how you’ll want to decorate your future home, and there’s no sense in buying a lot of stuff you may never use after college. Search Pinterest for cute, DIY projects and ideas to decorate your place. Plus, this gives you the ability to really personalize your room.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against the items on this list, but they aren’t necessary for survival; they’re not even necessary to enjoy yourself and live comfortably for the few years you’re in college.

One day, all of these things may be sensible purchases, but today isn’t that day. On move-in and move-out day, you’ll be glad you didn’t clutter your place with a bunch of things you didn’t really need, and your pocketbook will be glad, too.

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FILE PHOTO | The Daily Mississippian

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Balancing studies and social life while living alone

BY NATHALIE BARRETO

College can be many things to students: a home away, a step toward independence, a culmination of events leading you one step closer to your dream career, but most importantly, experiencing new endeavors.

What makes college students want to gravitate toward living alone rather than experiencing roommates? Could it be they have had bad experiences in the past living with strangers?

Perhaps they have high standards and expectations when it comes to their true college experience? Or maybe it is the fact that they do not need roommates?

All of these are valid points for students to want to live alone, but once they live alone, how can they balance being both studious and social?

Personally, I live alone and it has been the best decision I have made since I decided to rush a sorority. I choose to live alone because I did not have the roommate experience I envisioned coming to college. I love my space. I also have extremely high standards when it comes to organization and cleanliness.

As you know, “organization is the key to success.”

I am more studious than social because I have realized quickly what is more important.

To me, getting grades and being closer to finishing my undergraduate education is more important than going out and drinking that causes me to be unproductive the next day.

It does not hurt that I have a puppy-child that I love spending my time with either.

What makes other students want to live alone?

Senior real estate major Louis Audet has lived alone since his junior year at Ole Miss. Audet says living alone is a privilege that should not be taken lightly.

“I haven’t had any luck finding roommates. I’ve lived by myself once before, and it wasn’t that bad,” Audet said.

“I think that here in Oxford rent is higher than most college

towns. Not everyone can afford $800 a month by themselves so living by yourself is more of a luxury, making it a privilege.”

Audet said he separates his study time from his partying time.

“I divide my time 35/65. It’s a good balance since I live a block from the Square,” Audet said. “At the beginning of the semester I used to go out four days a week, but now that we’re further into the semester, I only go out twice a week on average.

Now that it’s getting more intense, I see myself sitting at my house when I get invited to go out a lot.”

Living alone gives you a sense of independence. It can be fun at first, but when your social calendar is filled more than your academic planner, an issue might arise.

Audet said that if he lived further from campus or the Square, he would have better grades.

“I get my stuff done but I still get distracted. It’s possible to balance studies and partying but it’s a challenge,” Audet said. “It’s a maturity level.

You make your own priorities.

If you get a bad grade it’s your fault. If you think that going out and getting drunk is more important than getting an A you made your own choice, you can’t get mad at yourself.”

Anna Ashford, Lafayette Place leasing and marketing manager, said that each year one-bedroom apartments are the first to lease.

“This year we had an overflow of students wanting a one-bedroom,” Ashford said.

“We had some residents in single rooms that needed their apartment sublet and they got taken as well with an additional waiting list. Their reasoning for wanting to live alone is that most of them had terrible roommate issues and didn’t agree on most things.”

Senior psychology major Meghan Babson found living with three other girls stressful.

“Before I lived alone, I had three other roommates,” Babson said. “Dealing with their

FILE PHOTO | The Daily Mississippian

schedules and their own individual quirks made it sometimes difficult. It was a party 24/7.”

Babson now lives alone.

“I can just come home and start studying or work on projects. When I lived with my roommates I had to chitchat with them first, taking a lot of my time,” Babson said.

Prioritizing will either make or break you in college, she added.

“You can be both studious and social. You just prioritize your time,” Babson said. “I have a good GPA and I party hard.”

If you feel lonely living alone – and sometimes you will – get involved on campus. Join a fraternity or sorority or a club that interests you. You do not necessarily need to go drinking to have fun.

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HOUSING GUIDE | 20 FEBRUARY 2014 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | PAGE 11

Top ten list: pros and cons of living alone

BY MARKEICHA DICKENS

It is that time of the year again.

Ole Miss students are shopping around for a place to stay for the upcoming fall semester and if you do not have any housing yet, you

PROS

1

may want to head to the nearest leasing office ASAP. It can be hard for some people who prefer to live alone to find a reasonably priced one-bedroom apartment without struggling to make ends meet each month.

You’ve been bugged by your roommate for the entire year and frankly you’re ready to get out on your own, however, you may be signing up for more than you bargained for.

Elementary Education major

4

2

FOOD

All of the food is yours. Every single morsel. You don’t have BILLS to worry about anybody eating your food and you can cook All of your bills are on you. what you want when you want it.

While this doesn’t really sound like a pro, you don’t have to worry about a roommate being late on the rent, the lights being cut SENSE OF off, or the cable suddenly going INDEPENDENCE out, and if you do it will be your fault it happened.

Talk with your roommate and know what each other has or is bringing so you can share a refrigerator, TV or gaming system. It’s a small enough space, CREATIVITY so are you really going to need two fridges? Also, most residence halls feel they provide you with Of course you got to decorate all the furniture you need. Bean your dorm room, but you only bags and extra seating can make got to decorate YOUR side. the room feel smaller real fast.

Now you have the creative abil- Sharing a small space may be ity to make your apartment your just as important as getting creown. The entire space will look ative and physically placing all exactly how you want it to look. your stuff in the room.

5

2 3

CONS

PRIVACY

Want to have a guy or girl over?

No problem. You don’t have to close your door or make sure your roommate is comfortable with having others in the house.

You and your company will have complete privacy. Don’t want to have anyone over? That’s cool, too. The only people coming in and out of your place are the ones you invite.

BOREDOM

Unless your buddies are going to be hanging out at your new place 24/7, be prepared to experience long bouts of quiet, long text conversations, hours of Instagram and Twitter and long phone calls with your mom just to hear another human’s voice.

3

FOCUS ON STUDIES

When you have a roommate, there is a slight chance that you motivate one another to study. When you live alone your studying consists of binge watching Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black so then your studying turns into... well, not studying.

4

Elizabeth Triplett said she regrets getting her own place after living in the dorms for two years with a roommate.

“It’s so expensive. I really wish I would have gotten a roommate or at least shopped around a bit

ment in North MS. Either way all of the housework is now up to you.

5

FEAR

You remember how everything used to be a whole lot scarier when your parents left you home alone as a teenager? Well, be prepared to relive those super scary moments every single night of your solo living life. The toilet running, the refrigerator running, and even the sound of your air conditioning coming on in the middle of the night will cause you to clutch your bedsheets a little bit tighter.

more. I like having my own place, but I am going to have a roommate next year,” Triplett said.

Everyone’s experience is going to be different. Here are my top 10 pros and cons of living alone in Oxford.

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FOOD

The cleanliness of your new digs is solely on you. You and your roommate probably divided up dorm cleanup equally or you didn’t clean your dorm at all and complained to your mom that PRICE your roommate was the nastiest creature ever. When you move in Difficult to find a reasonably by yourself and constantly find priced pad (unless you don’t dishes stacked high to the ceilmind paying nearly $1000 a ing and laundry overflowing you month in rent) may be in for a reality check. Or you may have the spiffiest apart-

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3036 Davis Drive - Oxford, MS 38655 662-236-4749 w w w. o a k g r o v e o x f o r d m s . c o m 2 Bedrooms • Full Size Appliances Cable and High Speed Internet Included Pets Welcome - Kennels Available Fireplace (Wood Provided) Pool • Private Patio • Gas Grill

ONE MILE FROM CAMPUS

36663

lexington p ointe apartments • • •

1, 2, or 3 Bedroom Apartments Sparkling Swimming Pool Fitness Center, Tennis Court, and Tanning Bed

• • • •

Pets Welcome Washer and Dryer in every unit Covered Parking Cable and Internet Included

2000 Lexington Pointe Dr., Oxford, MS 38655 • 662-281-0402

www.liveatlexingonpointeapts.com

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lexingtonpointe@heritageproperties.com

36678

PAGE 12 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 20 FEBRUARY 2014 | HOUSING GUIDE

OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST 1-6 PM

N U F , D O S FO E Z I R P & COME SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT! MEET PROSPECTIVE ROOMMATES RESERVE YOUR NEW HOME FOR FALL ‘14!

NEW LEASES ENTERED TO WIN (2) FLOOR TICKETS TO LUKE BRYAN CONCERT

109 ANCHORAGE RD.

OXFORD MS 38655 662.234.2833 LEASING@HUBATOXFORD.COM 36726