HELP!!Where should I live?
Written: Sep 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: many different
Cons: many different
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| amandaw99's Full Review: University of Pennsylvania |
First off…
There are many different considerations when deciding whether to live on or off campus. Most importantly, as a freshman, you basically would be crazy not to live on campus. Most freshman either go to the Quad or Hill House, but I think the most optimal place would be the Quad.
The Quad?
The Quad is awesome for many reasons. It has tons of history, is a beautiful building, and is where most freshmen are housed. The rooms are decent (the older part of the building is being renovated). Being surrounded by freshman will let you meet people you will see for the next four years – trust me, it’s an awesome place to be.
I had a single in Goldberg house in the Quad. I loved it because I had my own space, but could always leave my door open to socialize with my awesome hall mates. It was the best of both worlds. Goldberg house offered many activities and was the newest part of the Quad when I was there. Since then they have began renovations and have newer sections in baby Quad (Community House) which means air conditioning. Not many singles there, though.
Alright, freshman year is over, now what?
As a sophomore, you have many options. If you are in a frat or sorority, you may live in their house. If not, you have to choose between on or off campus. Many students would opt for on campus in the High Rises in the apartments they offer. Only problem is that supply is much less than demand, so students are forced to search elsewhere.
If you really want the High Rises, I would suggest looking into Community Living. This means you and a group of friends get together and sign up to live together in the High Rises (in certain size apartments, like a 2 bedroom triple, which means 2 bedrooms for 3 people – leaving one person in the common room).
If you want, you can opt to stay in the Quad, or get a bunch of your friends together to stay in Community living in the Quad, which I would think would be the optimal way to go. This way you aren’t surrounded by a hall of the incoming freshman, unless you’re into that.
The pros and cons of on campus
First, the pros…First of all, there’s Resnet & Ethernet. This means you get cable and Ethernet 24/7 and it’s included in your rent. Your semesterly rent is charged on your bursar bill, which for most means your parents just fork up the money, no need for you to get checks and pay rent on a monthly basis. All dorms are equipped with security, an important thing to remember.
High Rises (and now part of the Quad) have air conditioning. Also, you don’t have to pay for any utilities. Some of the High Rise apartments have kitchens, if you are looking to cook meals frequently. Maintenance is there to fix emergency problems within hours, or a day or two for non-emergencies (light bulb replacement, etc). Furthermore, generally, the on campus dorms are closer to classes and dining halls for most people.
You stay in your apartment or room from Sept-May. This is really important, because if you live off campus, most of the leases are 12 months. This means you either stay there in the summer, find someone to pick up your lease, or pay for 3 months when you aren’t there. Very annoying, although it isn’t usually hard to find a subletter.
The cons? Well, you have RA’s. Most RA’s never bother you, though, but if you get a horrible one, it can be a pain to avoid them. If you are neighbors to party animals, it can be a pain if you are trying to study, but you can always complain to an RA.
Signing friends in is annoying if you have people over often. Elevators in the High Rises are SLOW, and it will take you longer to get to class in the morning than you may think. It can also be more expensive to live on campus, depending on the type of housing you choose. And the single beds are tiny, and not necessarily comfortable. Buy an egg crate for the mattress, it helps.
What about off campus?
The pros, well.. basically it’s opposite of on campus. No RA’s to deal with, you can get a whole house and fill it with your friends with basically no supervision. No need to sign anyone in, and you will probably have a kitchen to cook in. You may be able to have a pet, a plus for many.
The cons…Generally, off campus means you will have to walk farther to and from class. Maintenance can be an issue because you are dealing with realtors. You have to pay rent to them, which means you have to work as a middle man between them and your parents. Also, most don’t offer any type of security.
You have to pay [usually] for furniture, electricity, and a phone bill. It can be a pain finding furniture, unless you buy it new, which is very expensive. If you are going to do this, check out upenn.forsale and get the seniors stuff when they are moving out. Although the rent itself is usually cheaper, if you consider paying for cable, an ISP or DSL service, furniture, electricity, phone installation, sometimes it isn’t as great as deal as it appears. You also may have to pay for food just because you are further from dining halls as you may be used to. One of the biggest drawbacks I think, is that if you aren’t going to stay on campus in the summer, you are responsible for finding a subletter to stay in your apartment or room – or you will be stuck with paying for summer rent when no one is there. Most leases are 12 months, which is very annoying.
Any other suggestions?
There are 2 apartment complexes, Chestnut Hall and Hamilton Court – which are a nice middle ground. They offer various size apartments, with security measures. You can “rent” furniture, and get cable easily. The leases are 9 months, which is very convenient. I don’t know how they are priced relative to dorms, but it’s a nice alternative. Moreover, you are close to many students in the building.
All in all…
There are many alternatives… you just have to weigh what’s best for you, and whether or not what you want is available. Always have a backup plan because you never know if the Housing dept. is going to be booked – or if that lease will fall through. Keep your options open, and you will be find.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
amandaw99
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Member: Amanda
Location: Pa
Reviews written: 72
Trusted by: 45 members
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