It’s almost February and before you know it, Spring Break will be here. It’s time to start looking for a place to live. I may sound crazy, but in March all the good houses and apartments will be gone, And chances are you’ll probably have a harder time finding roommates that far into the semester. Don’t fear, my friends, as I present to you my guide to housing and living at N.C. State.
There are three choices for housing: on-campus, off-campus and at home. For the latter, if you’re from Raleigh and money is a concern, living at home can be a great option. Plus, mom’s cooking beats dining hall food any day.
On-campus is a great choice for underclassmen. Living on-campus is a great transition from living at home to living in an apartment or house. Residence halls provide students with independence from their parents while also providing them with guidance from RAs . On-campus living is convenient for getting to classes and dining locations. Everything a student will need—housing, food, classes, a gym and even hang-out spaces—can be found on-campus. I love being able to roll out of bed and get to class in under 30 minutes.
Additionally, everyone should experience the University atmosphere, and living on-campus is a great way to immerse yourself in it. For a lot of people, on-campus housing provided them with friends they kept throughout college. My freshman year a girl lived in my suite and we bonded over our mutual love of the tv show Lie To Me. Now, we’re best friends and have lunch together at least three times a week. The reapplication process for on-campus housing is February 13-25.
Students who choose to live off-campus are usually upperclassmen and live in either a house or an apartment. Because most of these students choose local apartment complexes, I will focus on those.
The first thing you should do when looking for a house or an apartment is to determine is your price range. Call around and check out the monthly rent for the various places you’re considering. Then, make an appointment to tour the apartments within your price range. Don’t tour apartments you cannot afford; you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Another big thing to consider is how far the apartment complex is from campus. If you’re someone who wants to have an apartment that isn’t surrounded by other students, the commute will be longer. If you don’t want to buy a parking pass for campus, pick an apartment complex from which you can walk, bike-ride or take the bus. Overall, you need to find an apartment that fits your lifestyle.
You could even consider people you may know in the apartment complex you’re looking at. If your best friend lives at Village Green, then you would probably take that into account. If you have friends living off-campus already, ask them for advice. They might bring up some important things you may not have even thought about, such as a garbage disposal.
For any student, regardless of whether you’re living on-campus or off, picking a roommate or roommates is the key to a successful living arrangement. If you share a dorm room, it’ll be easy if you have the same sleep schedule and study habits. Last year my roommate and I both loved Springsteen. We always listened to it together when we were studying or just hanging out.
Make sure that you and your roommate(s) split the chores and the grocery bill evenly. This will make everyone happy. Also, make sure you have some similar interests and lifestyles. For me, having someone to go on late-night Cook-Out runs with or to browse wedding blogs with is a must. Make a list of what you want in a roommate before jumping at the first offer you get.
Be prepared and reflect on this guide, because the time to choose where you’re going to live will be here soon. But remember, have fun too; choosing your housing should be exciting.
