<p>The dorms at BU are, well, not the most impressive that I’ve seen. Not that I would dorm there and complain the entire time, but there are certain aspects to the dormitories that I found unappealing.</p>
<p>Many BU students commute, especially upperclassmen. But as far as I know, it isn’t common for freshman coming from out of state to get an apartment for their first year. My father <em>was</em> put off by the idea. </p>
<p>If you were to divide up the cost of boarding and the months that you stay there, the price is about $850 a month, and that’s only a basic room, not a suite or a brownstone apartment.
And meal plans, so I’ve heard, can be a waste. </p>
<p>So, I guess my question is, Is it a bad idea for a freshman to live off campus when coming to a new city? I would especially appreciate a current student’s perspective. </p>
<p>P.S. Are there any apartments that are popular with BU students, and how far are they from campus?</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at BU. Apartments within a short distance to BU are VERY VERY expensive. AND the leases are for 12 months, not the school year (which is only 8 months). Yes, the freshmen dorms aren't all that terrific, but you do meet a lot of people living there. The upperclass dorms at BU are great...apartments, suites, brownstones, and at prices that usually are less than the market rental value in the surrounding area...plus you don't have to worry about subletting from May until September. AND lastly, once you make a decision to reside off campus you are NEVER guaranteed housing on the BU campus again. In fact, the housing office has noted that no students have been able to obtain housing on campus who have lived off campus in many years. So....the short answer...I agree with your parents. Live on campus and just deal with it. When you are a junior you will likely have great housing choices.</p>
<p>Another parent here and to my chagrin our S is getting an apt. near campus, with 2 friends he met from his current floor,for Soph. year. Another three will be directly across from them and they will all share a porch in a building full of BU students in Alston. (sp?) There are websites like campuscribs.com that have pix and prices but a lot of good ones are already taken by now. I believe that unless you have special permission you are not allowed to live off campus Freshman year but call and ask to be sure. Most kids stay on campus and like most schools the dorms get better as you move up through the class ranks. But for those who meet other students and decide to get an apt. there are quite a variety from modern high rises to quaint Victorians with stained glass windows. They tend to be in the neighborhoods close to West campus. Lots of kids get BU apartments on South campus while others choose to live on their own but stay near there so they get the campus feel and meet more people. The prices come out to about the same as a dorm, maybe even a little more if you can't sublet it for the summer months, since as the last poster said its a 12 month lease. There are often signs on the bulletin boards for kids looking for housemates. To get the Freshman experience you should defintely stay in a dorm for Freshman year. If the traditional dorm bothers you try and get into Myles or HOJOs or any suites type residence. Only a small % of the kids will be Freshman though but you'll still make friends in calss and with your suite mates. I think if you email the office of housing they can estimate the % of Freshmnan at each dorm. Our S really liked the campus like environment and social dining hall at WEST but the walk was a killer and he was often too frugal to take the T to class.</p>
<p>Our son also liked West Campus...but he is in the College of Fine Arts which is quite close to West Campus. He will study abroad in the fall and will live somewhere on the west end of campus when he returns (he hopes) in either a suite or apartment setup ON campus.</p>
<p>The scheme was, since Ill still be 17 in August, that my brother would have to sign the lease for me anyway for the first 2 months, and then I could try to make it appear as if I was living with a family member (his name on the lease), which would qualify me as a commuter. Where I was negligent was that the paper work will be done in the next couple of weeks, showing the residence available then, at which point no lease is signed. It was a novel idea, since my friends sister was a freshman and disliked the dorms (loved the school and city, naturally), I wasnt impressed when I visited, plus it is potentially cheaper, however, looks like Ill have to suck it up the first year. Plus itll alter my package. </p>
<p>But anyway, I think it might be better, since at least I can make friends in my class who I trust and who I can lease with for the full 9 months or more once sophmore year rolls around. And worrying about rent, utilities, commuting, etc. while adjusting to a new city/college life would be a HUGE leap.</p>
<p>Hi Dogs....my kiddo is going to London for the fall term to study at the Royal College of Music. He will leave on Aug 28 and return on December 15. It's a full semester.</p>
<p>Wow Thumper, that's amazing. To Apartment hopeful---good decision to stick with on campus housing for Freshaman year. The good news on the college apartments is that all utilities are usually included so at least you'll only have one bill to worry about.</p>
<p>Many people at BU decide to go the apartment route, and to me, it seems highly advisable. I would recommend sticking it out in the dorms as a freshman, but going off campus costs approximately the same price if you room with several people. Many students I know here pay between $7200 (600/month) and $9000 (750/month) a year for housing, which is quite comporable to the $10,000 or so for room and board. Not only do these students live with substantially more freedom, but they eat better, too.</p>