The first-year live-on campus requirement has been pushing students, especially upperclassmen, to seek off-campus housing options as early as their second year. 

Although students have a variety of options to choose from off campus, questions about affordability, convenience and proximity still remain.

This requirement was first implemented in the 2017-2018 academic year, and while there are spots reserved for first-years in dorms and parts of Wolf Village, returning students only had guaranteed housing options reserved for them in Wolf Ridge, according to Katerina Pawvluk, the associate director of housing operations, assignments and conference services.

“Wolf Ridge is an option strictly for returning students, so it gives them that option for them to be able to return if they want to,” Pawvluk said. “There are some other things we are looking at doing to provide more resources to returning students in finding housing accommodations.” 

Pawvluk said that the requirement does have many positive aspects for first-years beginning their college careers. 

“Research shows that students who live on campus do better academically, they transition better, they socially adjust a little faster when they live on campus, when they’re around support services and they’re around other students going through what they’re going through,” Pawvluk said. “They have all of the programs and all of the resources that are here on campus. They do much better in their first year and progress into their second year better.”

In terms of housing options, not only is space limited for upperclassmen, but many students must plan far in advance for the next year’s living situation.

With an early and small window to solidify the following year’s living situation, students may have to make decisions pertaining to housing in a shorter period of time, as explained by Tate Brandt, a fourth-year studying polymer and color chemistry.

“You definitely had to start looking [for housing] before winter break,” Brandt said. “After that, it really filled up quickly.”

Affordability continues to be a priority for students. Although NC State doesn’t have many housing opportunities for upperclassmen, students like Josh Walker, a fourth-year studying business administration and accounting, agreed that off-campus housing can be affordable while still being convenient in terms of proximity to classes and a satisfactory living space. 

Walker stated that there is a variety of housing options available off campus, ranging from affordable apartments and houses to expensive ones. 

“There are super cheap apartments, expensive apartments, cheap houses and expensive houses all over the place,” Walker said.

Even with numerous housing options available, off-campus housing options are being expanded upon, according to ITB Insider. 

The newest residential building “The Standard,” which will be located on Hillsborough Street, is in the process of being built. This will be a new housing option for students within the next few years, as reported by ITB Insider.

According to ITB Insider, not only will this building offer new housing in addition to the existing buildings, like Valentine Commons and Stanhope apartment complexes, but it may also offer a greater variety of pricing options for students.