It is that time of the year again. No, not winter ... lease time! If you haven’t already, you need to start thinking about where you will be living next year. Living on campus or off both have advantages and disadvantages. Whichever you decide, you will definitely want to start getting people together now, especially if you are looking to move off campus—the good apartments get taken quickly. Furthermore, you don’t want to get stuck living with people who you don’t enjoy being around.
Living on campus is a good option. You are close to campus, which is nice for rolling out of bed and going to class. If anything in the room or dorm breaks, it is just a quick call to FIXX and you will have someone down to look at the problem. There is always someone responsible for everything, and you won’t have to worry about your landlord coming through for surprise inspections. Also, if you are having a party, on campus, you only have to deal with Public Safety. Taking it off campus results in dealings with the Troy Police Department, which are rarely good things for an RPI student.
So, with all these benefits, why would anyone want to live off campus? The biggest complaint against living on campus is that it’s simply more expensive. I am not going to argue against that; no matter how you slice it—even with cable, Internet, heat, and whatever else you throw on—there is no way one person should be paying $700 a month for one RAHPS room. There is one caveat, however, that many people forget. Financial aid, if you have it, can be applied to on-campus housing. This is a big issue for many people, and it is something you need to seriously consider before deciding to move off campus.
If you do decide to live off campus though, I must issue you a warning. Do your homework—know the people you’re renting from. Anyone who knows me has heard me tell the story countless times of the crazy experiences I had living off campus. From the time that I didn’t have heat for the coldest week of the winter, to the time that I got a phone call on July 4, to tell me that my landlord had started the process of evicting me ... I’ve been through it all. Get a lease, have it checked by a lawyer; the Union offers a free service that you can use. Talk to people who have rented from the landlord before. All these things can make your off-campus experience better. One group to be especially wary of is Troy Student Housing. In the past, this company has promised many things to its renters, everything from basic maintenance to renovations. It got so bad that the Student Senate voted to not let them advertise in the Union or the Mueller Center. This resolution was passed last year, and I believe is still in effect. So wherever you choose to stay, whether on or off campus, make sure to research your decision and choose wisely.
