Every year, college students are faced with the tough decision of whether to live on or off campus. It’s usually mandatory for students to live on campus their freshman year, but after that, it’s completely up to them where they choose to live. There are both pros and cons to living on and off campus. So, in this guide, I’m going to share those pros and cons as well as my own college housing experiences.

Living on Campus

According to a 2021 international report from the Association of College & University Housing Officers, living on campus has been shown to increase retention and engagement rates among freshman and sophomore students.

I lived on campus during both my undergraduate and graduate years, and it was an overall positive experience. My freshman year at Virginia State University was the first time I ever had a roommate. I was kind of nervous because I was living with a complete stranger for the first time. As many college students know, having a roommate can be one of the best experiences of college, but it can also be one of the worst. Luckily for me, I had a great roommate experience.

My roommate and I became fast friends, and we are still friends to this day. Having a roommate can be a pro and a con of living on campus because, depending on how you get along with your roommate, it can have a big impact on your living experience. But living on campus doesn’t always mean you’ll have a roommate. My roommate and I were roommates until our junior year, and that was only because she moved off campus. Then I moved into a single.

Living on campus gives you a sense of community that living off campus doesn’t. One of the best parts of living on campus is having your friends at arm’s length. Being able to go down the hall or even across the yard to see your friends is one of the best parts of living on campus. Some of my closest friends to this day are the ones I met in my dorm. The same thing happened during my time at Norfolk State University. In addition to having your friends within arm’s reach, living on campus makes getting to class so much easier. Living on campus eliminates things like traffic and looking for parking.

Living on and off campus can be pricey, but one of the pros of living on campus is that dorm expenses are a fixed price. Off-campus living expenses include things like rent, utilities, transportation, food, and more.

Living on campus also allows students to have access to resources, such as residential staff, to help with housing issues.

Living off-campus

The biggest pro that living off campus provides is independence. When you live off campus, you’re constrained by campus housing rules. There’s no curfew, no visitation, and no quiet hours. You’re free to do whatever you want. I’ve never lived off campus while I was in school, so I can’t share my experiences, but I had friends that did enjoy the experience.

I chose not to live off campus because I didn’t have reliable transportation when I was in undergrad. Some schools, like Virginia State, might offer off-campus housing through the university. Students would pay using their tuition with a few additional small expenses. Living off campus also gives students a glimpse of real-world responsibilities like paying their own bills, preparing their own meals, and looking for renters’ insurance. Living off campus is great for students who know that sharing a room or living with strangers is not for them.

Living off campus does add on additional out-of-pocket expenses that living on campus does not. Things like transportation, food, utilities, furniture, and the internet are now your responsibility.

Conclusion

Unless you are a freshman, the choice of living on or off campus is completely up to you. My best piece of advice is to do what’s best for you. When it comes to where you choose to live, it’s easy to get caught up in what our friends and family might want us to do, but you have to find the best arrangement for you.

If I had to choose between living on or off campus, I would choose to live on campus every time. Aside from being extremely close to all my classes (my dorm was across the street from my department building), I was able to form a lifetime of bonds because I stayed in the dorm. Those times on campus with my friends truly shaped my college experience.