I am 25, and if all goes well 26 by the time I would be going back to school. The school I am looking into is out of state, my second degree and a fresh start of sorts. Since I will be out of state the question arises as to whether I will be able to live on campus; at least until I would be able to arrange other accommodations. Any advice or knowledge on the subject?
And before I get the whole ‘you’re too old’ spiel, no one knows anyone else’s circumstances so please be kind. Thanks.
I’d assume it would be less expensive to live off campus. You could look for an AirBnB for a week or so near campus while you look for an apartment when you get to town. Or even find one remotely (my kid who just started grad school used Craigslist to find an apartment in her grad school town before she arrived – it isn’t the greatest apartment, but it is sufficient for her first year). Plus, do you really want to be in a dorm with a lot of 18 year olds in their first year away from home?
Have you got a handle on the financial side of this new college? I don’t think there are many people out here who would say that it is too late to get a degree (or another degree). Lots of people stop and start, and don’t complete their degrees until later in life for lots of reasons. But CC posters do have a lot of experience with admissions, financial aid, various majors, and the pros & cons of various schools. You might want to lay out your plan in more detail – we might have suggestions that you should consider. It could save you some headaches later!
You may want to rent an apartment off campus but near campus.
I assume that you can cook and handle bills, so you don’t need the extra support found in dorms.
Proximity to campus is going to matter, as are costs. The suggestion to plan for an AirBnb a week before your fall orientation is good, or, if housing is hard to find, perhaps travel there right now for a couple days to find good deals. As a responsible adult you should have choices.
Your school may have graduate or married housing that would have older students in it.
check with your school but several schools allow non traditional age undergraduates to live in graduate student housing
You should still have an opportunity for student housing (dorms), but you may not enjoy them as they will be filled with a lot of people younger than you are. Could be a fun experience or they could drive you nuts with the age difference. Other options could be renting an apartment near campus, which is common for all students post-freshman year at my school.