<p>Is it better to live on campus as a freshman or some near by housing center? The prices aren't all that different if not lower for the off campus. Which is better?</p>
<p>For your first year, I'd live on campus. It's closer to your classes and at UT you need that. It's also easier to seek help on campus as opposed to off campus. After your first year, I'd go apartments. It's pretty much a toss-up though, there are several advantages/disadvantages of both.</p>
<p>I lived on campus my first year at UT and loved it. I definitely think that it's helpful to live in a dorm of some sort your first year so you can adjust to being on your own in Austin, without being totally on your own the way you would be in an apartment setting. My second year, I lived in an apartment with a roommate and it was a disaster. We were totally opposite in terms of noise, having people over, etc and there was very little we could do about it, since we were locked in to a lease. If you live in a dorm, you at least have some recourse through the Division of Housing if you don't get along with your roomie.</p>