Living on Campus and Living off Campus-Compare and Contrast Essay

Living on Campus and Living off Campus-Compare and Contrast Essay
Introduction
There are a number of decisions students have to make during their university life. This includes the course they are to take, the extracurricular activities as well as events to undertake, and the subjects to major in. In case the students are attending a university far from their abodes, they need to decide where to live during the duration in campus. When making such choices the students might either consider living on campus or off campus. These two differ in terms of convenience, availability,
privacy, convenience, facilities, and legal obligations. This essay will compare and contrast between living on campus and off campus based on the above mentioned parameters. There are similarities between living off and on campus. First off, in both situations the students have to do their laundry (Molinari, 2014). Secondly, the students must be able to regulate themselves in both situations. Thirdly, the students are responsible for their meals. Lastly, the students will be assigned roommates. Difference only comes in on cost, convenience, availability, privacy, furniture, facilities, and legal obligations.
Firstly, when living on and off campus there is difference in cost. The rate of rent on campus is set, meaning that a student cannot negotiate for a better price (New Mexico State University, 2015). “All of your bills, for each semester, are included in single fee charged to your student account. There are no extra expenses and no chasing down roommates for their part of the rent. Bottom line: you won't find a better value-added experience for the money” (UNC Charlotte, 2015).Costs such as cable, Wi-Fi, internet, garbage, parking and electricity are included in the fixed on campus price compared to off campus where the bills each come separately (UNC Charlotte, 2015). On the contrary, students who live off campus have a range of prices to choose from, depending on the type of room in question. For example, the cost of an apartment would differ with that of a single room. Just on the same matter, students living off campus are able to buy food in bulk and prepare themselves, whereas those on campus have to purchase food from food outlets that are in small quantities and costly (College Toolkit, 2014). While this favors those off campus, those living on campus do not have to spend much money on fare since they can access the university easily compared to those off campus who have to pay some fare to reach the university (UNC Charlotte, 2015).
Secondly, the measure of convenience between living on and off campus differs. Students living on campus are very convenient compared to those residing off campus (New Mexico State University, 2015). Since the hostels and residence halls are located in the university, the students can walk to their lecture rooms. In case there is something forgotten in the hostels and rooms, the students are assured of catching up with it and attending class on time (UNC Charlotte, 2015). Additionally, the students on campus are able to conveniently access facilities such as TV rooms, sporting facilities, gyms, library, and study rooms among others. “Why bother driving when you can walk In few minutes, you can be anywhere on campus: from classes, cafeteria, chapel,  gym rooms, library, computer labs, bookstores, friends and campus offices like the Registrar’s office, students union offices to Student Services. Time is money, save it by living on campus” (SAGU, 2014). These facilities may or may not be present for the off campus students. If present, then it means additional costs. Students living off campus can access their houses at whatever time they wish compared to those living on campus where there is curfew and bed checks thus inconveniencing the student. Additionally, those living on campus only do a little cleaning and the rest is left for the support staff (UNC Charlotte, 2015). This compared to those living off campus that have to clear their rooms and activate their facilities, consumes less time. The university also provides a favorable environment to study and consult lecturers. Lastly, in case of bad weather or delay in buses or shuttles, the students who live off campus will be disadvantaged, since they are bound to be late by the circumstances.
Thirdly, both types of accommodation differ in levels of privacy and security.  Obviously, students staying on campus have less privacy compared to their off campus counterparts. This is because of the small space shared amongst individuals on campus housing. Additionally, when on campus students share various facilities such as bathrooms, common rooms, eating bays and to some extent toilets. On the other hand, students who reside off campus have the highest levels of privacy (Molinari, 2014). This is because they have their own bedrooms, bathrooms and other commonly shared facilities while on campus (College Toolkit, 2014). Some roommates are also nosy and would not give someone some peace. However, this is experienced in both cases should there be roommates. While on campus the student’s safety is guaranteed by the campus security personnel (UNC Charlotte, 2015). Students living off campus have to take care of themselves and should anything happen that calls falls in the security docket, only state or county security are involved. In case of any accidents the university is accountable, for those on campus (College Toolkit, 2014). On the contrary those off campus take side the university their own responsibility should anything happen (College Toolkit, 2014).
Both living on and off campus have limited availability. For a student to get on campus accommodation, they must apply. This should be done as soon as possible to increase the chances of getting a room. On the other hand, the best rooms that are close to the university are always booked for long, so getting a room outside is usually a hard task. Even though both have limited availability, with on campus accommodation the student is not guaranteed of getting a room. During winter and spring, students who stay off campus are at liberty to stay or move out of their houses (College Toolkit, 2014). On the contrary, those who stay on campus can only stay in a room when the semester is on and check out after the academic year is over (College Toolkit, 2014).
Living both on campus and off campus has different legal obligations. For on campus accommodation, the student has to sign contracts for the residence halls (Molinari, 2014). Similarly, those living off campus have to sign lease agreements prior to acquiring the room. It is very important to talk with the student legal services and landlord prior to signing the lease agreement to avert problems (New Mexico State University, 2015). In both cases these legally binding documents, stipulate rules that have to be upheld by the students and the period within which they are to stay (Molinari, 2014). The only difference is that on the lease agreements for the students living off campus, the rental fee and other charges are stipulated (College Toolkit, 2014).
Living on campus and off campus is also similar in that both students get the chance to be responsible. Responsibility comes in where the students have to take care of themselves. This includes doing and submitting assignments in time, doing their laundry, and cleaning their immediate surroundings. As the students do this they have a sense of responsibility instilled in them. The students are also responsible of their own meals (SAGU, 2014). They have to ensure that they purchase food on time before the food outlets are closed or timed out. Just like on campus, off campus students can also be serious with their academics by being committed (SAGU, 2014). This could be timely submission of assignments and being in school on time. This can be ensured with a good schedule.
In conclusion, living off campus is very different from living on campus in several attributes. While the students who live off campus are independent, those who live on campus depend on the schedules of the universities. Additionally, those on campus enjoy convenience, security, amenities and one-time costs, students who reside off campus enjoy high levels of privacy and independence at the same time sped less (Molinari, 2014). “Living off campus can truly be liberating! There is basically no one to tell you how you can act or what time you should be home. It’s your life and you have to live it your way”. Students making decisions about their accommodations when attending universities far from home should look at factors such as privacy, cost, convenience, security, proximity to the campus, and availability prior to settling on their choice. While doing this the ultimate goal of joining a campus; academics should be of great held in determining all the factors stated.



References
College Toolkit. (2014). The Pros and Cons of Living Off Campus - College Toolkit. Retrieved from http://colleges.collegetoolkit.com/guides/college_housing/pros_and_cons_of_living_off_campus.aspx
Molinari, S. (2014, June 7). The Benefits of Living Off Campus During College | Big Ideas Blog. Retrieved from http://blog.suny.edu/2014/06/the-benefits-of-living-off-campus-during-college/
New Mexico State University. (2015). Top 10 Reasons to Live On Campus | Housing and Campus Life | New Mexico State University. Retrieved from http://housing.nmsu.edu/10reasonstoliveoncomapus/
SAGU. (2014). Top 10 Reasons to Live On Campus. Retrieved from http://www.sagu.edu/campus-life/housing/top-10-reasons-to-live-on-campus
UNC Charlotte. (2015). Advantages to Living On Campus | Housing and Residence Life | UNC Charlotte. Retrieved from http://housing.uncc.edu/future-residents/why-live-campus