<p>hey guys im trying to decide between on or off campus housing for my first year as a transfer at Cal...</p>
<p>what are the pros and cons? for me, off campus would be cheaper but I dont wanna 'miss out' on the experience of on campus housing? </p>
<p>would I be truly missing out on an experience if I live off campus, about 7 blocks away?</p>
<p>I will be planning to live off-campus due to it being much cheaper.</p>
<p>Coops: as cost effective as living off campus, but getting the true experience of living on campus (minus RAs/campus penalties if you get in trouble). Plus, you get soooo much good food…</p>
<p>But if you live off campus, don’t forget that you have to pay for food, right? And that easily adds up. So, even though it’s like 4,000 dollars cheaper per year, if you spent 5 per meal, it’d be 105 per week on food (but chances are it might be more/less) so it’d add up fast lol.<br>
That said, I have no idea what I’m doing either!!</p>
<p>I have an app in the coops right now. Can I still sing up for on campus housing just in case. Or if I sing up for it will I HAVE to take it.</p>
<p>That’s probably a dumb question but I don’t know much about this process.</p>
<p>@Jeremybeach
The meal plans aren’t exactly cheap if you looked, but I’d imagine if you lived off campus most people would go to the store and get food.</p>
<p>@mortimer- I have no idea about on campus housing, but you are not required to accept your coop offer and if you choose not to, I believe you get your deposit back.</p>
<p>in all honesty the co-ops scare the shiz out of me…i was really interested in the vegetarian themed one but after reading that they are hairy, hungry and horny…idk anymore…they have orgies…and pudding fights…not interested.</p>
<p>[UC</a> Berkeley OTR: Horny? Hairy? Hungry? Head On Over to Lothlorien](<a href=“CollegeOTR.com – College On The Record”>CollegeOTR.com – College On The Record)</p>
<p>idk unless its a clean house i am interested…otherwise…they sound messy D:</p>
<p>i’m still deciding as well. i’m gonna do the housing app tonight to see what offer i get, but i’ll mostly get an apartment off campus. r u guys just looking at craigslist to find housing?</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that. How early should we start looking for an apartment for those of us living off-campus? What are the best sites to look? I’ve heard bad stories about Craigslist. I live in SoCal so it will not be easy to go up there apartment-hunting either. :(</p>
<p>If we fill out the housing app, can we later cancel the offer/contract if we end up getting an apartment?</p>
<p>@ totakeke</p>
<p>That’s the exact question I want to know.</p>
<p>@ janethedoe whats so wrong with that, well, minus the hairy part.</p>
<p>My tour guide was in a co-op. She described the lifestyle as “hippie.” Take from that what you will.</p>
<p>MortimerC- nothing is wrong with that its just that…i don’t like pubes in my pudding or pudding in my pubes. </p>
<p>but meh not all the co-ops seem that bad…especially the apartments…Rochdale and Fenwick…</p>
<p>idk i’ll put Lothlorien as my 3rd choice for Spring just in case i might change my mind about their tree-house…</p>
<p>totakeke I’m from SoCaL too and I was thinking the same thing. If we go by craigslist, we’re pretty much trusting the pictures that they have posted. 
</p>
<p>I think everyone should check this site out for off campus housing: [PadMapper</a> - Apartment Map Search for Oodle, Apartments.com, and Craigslist Apartments for Rent](<a href=“Apartments for Rent from the Trusted Apartment Finder | PadMapper”>http://www.padmapper.com/)</p>
<p>Just about everything listed right now that I’ve been able to take a look at has been for the summer session. I’m looking to move in late July/early August and will probably start seriously searching in late June.</p>
<p>Loth is NOT representative of all of the coops. Loth is definitely hippie-naked-hairy-orgy extreme, and if you’re into that then you will thrive there; however, if you are not into that then the other houses will suit you much better. CZ and Cloyne are large so are more rambunctious than the others but not as…naked as Loth. The rest are much much tamer. </p>
<p>Also, don’t worry about being placed into Loth if you don’t want to be. Many people have to spend time in other houses till they get enough “points” to get into Loth, there’s much more demand than space available.</p>