Regardless of what college a student decides to attend, one question that will always come is: “Where am I going to live?” Every university holds different options for students as they forge themselves a new path in life. Though at their core, the options remain the same: on-campus dorms, nearby student apartments or living at home. Not every student is the same, therefore their needs will dictate their options and the track that follows.
For Autumn Johnson, living at home wasn’t an option. She lived three hours away from her dream school in Houston, Texas. On-campus dorms was the best thing for her because it gave her access to vital lifelines when starting in a new city. As a freshman, the dorms allowed her to grow new relationships and explore her creativity within her major. Johnson, now in her sophomore year, still lives on campus and this has given her some great opportunities. Her dorm was the perfect place to start her new art business, which has been successful, she says. Also, her relationships sprouted the fruits of their labor as she recently premiered a short film she helped produced titled “This Is Real Life.” For Johnson, there is no downsides to on-campus living, not even security is an issue, but not everyone will feel that way.
Not all students are able to make their own decisions. Sometimes, it is forced upon them. During his senior year in high school, Anitiz Muonagolu knew that college in California was the only option for him. His freshman year, he was able to live that out. But for his sophomore, the coronavirus pandemic uprooted his plans. His university shut its doors and sent students home. Now, Muonagolu is living in that aftermath. Being at home with his family has its challenges, especially with his three siblings who can’t quite leave him alone, but he is making the most of it. Muonagolu has been able to virtually work with his school newspaper to advance skills for his career, along with with taking part in online organization meetings.
He has been able to maintain relationships with his friends from high school, which has left him with some remains of a social life. Though it isn’t the community he dreamed of being in while in college, he chooses to look at the positives of his situation.
To keep up with the demanding coursework that comes with being an architecture student, Darren Mayo needed to be as close to school as possible. Though his home was only 30 minutes away from college, that was too far of a drive to stay on pace with the onerous major.
After living on campus in dorms his freshman year, Mayo was “tired of sharing bathrooms with people.” He needed his own space to think and breathe. That’s where a nearby student apartment complex came into play. Mayo was less than a five-minute drive away from campus, providing him with the constant access that he needed.
No single student is the same as another. They all study differently, they choose a major differently, they live differently. There are more factors than just preference when it comes to living situations. Costs and payments also play a role. Some students find the exuberant prices of on-campus dorms outrageous. For others, having to not worry about monthly payments and getting a job is a removed stress; they can just focus on being a student.
For students deciding where to live to live, it is all up to them. No one else can help them make that decision. It is all about what they are ready to undertake and what their circumstances dictate.
