Living on-campus vs offcampus

The Pros and cons of living on-campus compared to off-campus

By Zackary Vaughn

Edited by Scout Duncan

Every college student must decide where to live for college. Some students prefer to live on-campus, while others prefer to live off-campus, and some students do not have much of a choice. Living on-campus benefits those who need to go in the campus buildings most of the time. Living offcampus may benefit those who need a cheaper option. Both options have upsides and downsides.

Living on-campus can allow a new experience for new students. It gives students a better chance at meeting people and making friends. When a student needs help with an assignment, speaking with their professors might be helpful. Speaking with a professor in-person might be more helpful than speaking over a virtual meeting or through email. Students can get to their professors quicker on-campus.

Living off-campus can allow students to be in a more comfortable environment. Some students might live at home because they do not live far from campus. Other students might live in an apartment because they want to experience something different. Not everyone has the money to live oncampus; both home and apartment options might be cheaper than living on-campus.

Living on-campus can be an intimidating experience for new students. Everyone has varying levels of comfort in certain situations, and some students might not be comfortable living with people they do not know. Others may simply be homesick, not everyone enjoys living apart from their family. Another downside might be that a student may not find an on-campus job or might not have proper transportation to have an off-campus job.

Living off-campus can create conflict with attending in-person classes on campus. Some students might not live close enough or do not have reliable transportation. Most assignments also require a computer to accomplish, and some students may not have access to computers or reliable internet connection off-campus.

Living on-campus might seem like the ideal option at first, and living offcampus might seem like a bad choice; each option has its own pros and cons. Financial availability plays a big part in each student’s choice, as well as transportation availability. Some students have a choice while other students do not have much of a choice. It all depends on each student’s specific situation.