<p>blueiguana, they used space heaters and didn’t burn the house down! They could have shopped around for another house but their location was supreme with plenty of (hard to find parking) for their cars and the price was right.</p>
<p>You are doing fine Midwestmom. I still have trouble with these transitions and I’m on my 4th one going through this. Oh, the precious lessons they learn that aren’t taught in the classroom. DS who just graduated wanted to go back in August to his school cross country along with his roommates to clean up that dump of a house where they lived. So they would get their security deposit back. I laughed a long time about that one. Business, Econ and Math majors the whole batch of them and they didn’t get it.</p>
<p>Pathways: Yes. Although, scholarships to cover room&board tend to be taxable income.</p>
<p>DD1’s dorm love lasted all of a semester. She endured another semester and she’s now sharing one of these campus apartment thingies (individual leases, national company) right across campus. We got her a car for no obvious reason as she’s spent $40 on groceries in 2 months so far. </p>
<p>The apartment is shared with 3 friends, two design/architecture majors, three including DD1 so there’s plenty of understanding of long hours, crazy schedules, and the like. The food situation has been helped by a Berlin Airlift from home (we live 3 hours away and visit once a month or send things with other kids from the area).</p>
<p>She’s OOS in a state flagship in a decent party/frat/awesome sports school but does not feel like she’s missing much living off campus. Financially we’re well ahead (room cost for 12 months same as dorm for 9, and food is a third of the meal plan). </p>
<p>The key here is that the decision has worked out due to her (and roomies’) major. 1st year architecture is 100% on studio, 2nd year and later is all computer based and you can do it from your room (a good chunk of it). Also it has worked out due to abovementioned Berlin Airlift, otherwise cooking takes lots of time…</p>
<p>“Both of my kids moved off-campus after sophomore year (at different colleges). Neither had a car. Neither had a supermarket within walking distance.” - That’s unfortunate. I didn’t have a car either, but I was lucky because I had roommates that did. And in a pinch there was an expensive small market nearby.</p>
<p>Mother of a UW grad here ('11). Sorry- no time now to read responses but have good info. What works at UW may not work eleswhere, and vice versa.</p>
<p>Unlike eons ago when I was at UW and off campus housing was usually further and more often poor times have changed. Current campus culture involves most freshmen living on campus and some in close to campus private dorms. Many/most freshmen choose to live off campus their second year and there are many apartments as close to campus, especially since the UW campus intertwines with the city a bit. Some parents also have the two years in the dorm rule. While most dorms have mainly freshmen the returning residents get to pick their rooms and typically will find a floor with other returning students. My son was still a minor and we wouldn’t let him get an apartment with friends (nor would any landlord rent to him we found out). Your son may not like your rule but he won’t be the only second year student in the dorms.</p>
<p>Since your son’s current friends want frats and he doesn’t it may good for him to stay with the dorms next year instead of scrambling to find people to share an apartment with. Many freshmen get apartment fever in October when the next year’s listings become available. Most should wait until early second semester- there will still be many good places available, especially if fewer people want to share a place. Go home for winter break, think about who/what/where and come back either to sign up for a dorm room or go for that apt. Also be sure he isn’t trying to be close to his frat friends- their social lives may diverge from his. It may not be a good idea for him to live near the Langdon area and be caught up in that social scene.</p>
<p>I know my son considered one group of friends for his third year but they wanted to live in a different area than he did. He ended up getting an apartment with a dorm friend and friends of that person next to a campus building (“off campus” but possible for 5 minutes from bed to class seat some days). We weren’t thrilled but know he trusted the person he knew. It worked out fine. All parents had to cosign the lease (as with all campus area places) and they were organized about who got which bedrooms et al. It was better for my son to live with people- all veterans of Res Halls- than to find his own place not knowing the ropes of apartment living.</p>
<p>He then had his own place close to campus for two years -spent the 5th year adding a second major (a story for another thread). By then he was good at managing the details of paying bills et al. Also very close to his classes.</p>
<p>Having to cook, buy groceries and clean (remember, you don’t live there and won’t need to use the facilities, there are public places nearby) may be no more time consuming than going out to a dining place and standing in lines for meals. Good enough grocery store within walking distance of near campus places. Many apartments closer to classes than some dorms. </p>
<p>Pros and cons. You know your son. Be sure he knows the people he would live with. I asked my son if the potential apartment mate knew how sloppy he was- it turns out they were ALL as bad as he was (a friend’s junior son at another school ended up with slobs compared to him and was miserable). If he still wants to get an apartment in January then you may want to quiz him on details. Who would the others be, where will they look, how will they determine any roommates, bills etc. If he and the other students have solid plans I would let him consider it.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Thanks so much to everyone, really helpful advice.</p>
<p>For Madison in particular, it is very helpful to consider the impact of a private dorm or student apt building around Langdon and the frats – that angle had not occurred to me. We will see what he is thinking, and listen for whether the push is on to pair up/group up for an apartment for next year. </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>You can easily check on available campus area apartments using links for off campus housing from the UW website. There are also apt hunting guidelines you can read and send links to your son. The best thing is to tell him he has to wait until January. By then he will have an entire semester under his belt with grades, know more about potential roommates and the campus area in general. A lot of networking/word of mouth about the various management companies is out there as well. And not all good apartments are on the list so other sources can yield good choices.</p>
<p>Let him come up with a list of pros and cons to apartment life and the people he would live with, locations et al during winter break. He may decide it just isn’t worth it or be able to logically present a good case.</p>
<p>Our older daughter went to a large U where most students moved off campus after first year. I advised her not to go in with a large group and to get an individual lease. I wanted her to mitigate risk of roommate(s) not paying or having to leave mid year. We gave her a budget of what her school’s room and board would have cost us. D1 was in a sorority, so she had a built in social circle. She enjoyed to be able to go back to a quiet, clean living environment. D1 had a car, so she was able to go grocery shopping easily.</p>
<p>I think it is a good learning experience to live off campus while in college. D1 learned how to negotiate a rental contract, pay utilities, cook and clean for herself in a controlled environment. D1 was able to find an apartment on her own in NYC when she graduated.</p>
<p>I helped D1 with her first rental agreement. I didn’t let her do it by herself. When she had problem with her first apartment, I also assisted her to break the contract and move into a new apartment. She learned a lot by watching how I handle those situations. I don’t think it is necessary a kid to learn it the hard way when they could benefit from our experience.</p>
<p>Just saw in the USA Today that its’ readers voted Wisconsin as having the “best college football town.” Cool. Hope your son’s enjoying the football games ! One of the pros of going to a big school.</p>