<p>I'm sure many of us are still pondering if to live on or off-campus.
Regardless of how broke you are (I sure am), the price differences are substantial. What am I missing from this list?</p>
<p>ON CAMPUS:
Triple plaza (2 roommates) = ~$1200/month
+ No hassle living - dorm food, walk to classes.. etc.
+ Easy to make friends
-Hefty PRICE (I'm gonna have to take out a student loan if I want to live on-campus)</p>
<p>OFF CAMPUS:
private apt (1 roommate) = ~$7-800/month
+ Utilities, internet, cable, pool, gym included
+ Privacy - probably more peaceful than 2 roommates, hold parties.. etc.
-Take bus to school
-More responsibility - cook/clean</p>
<p>Is the convenience, comfort and social aspects of ON-CAMPUS housing more important than the extra cost? What do you guys think?</p>
<p>personally this is just for me, but i know im gonna be busy with classes, work, and an internship. I dont wanna be thinking about cleaning and cooking when i have other things to do. And its easier for me to get to class if i live on campus. but then again, i have financial aid that is paying for me. yeah i would go with oncampus even its more expensive :)</p>
<p>No, I don’t think living on campus is worth the cost and crappy living conditions. I have decided to live off campus. Today is the last day to apply at Berkeley for housing.</p>
<p>I was offered an off campus university owned apartment. I now think this is a better deal because its half the price, still within walking distance of campus AND Westwood, utilities are paid, you get a living room and a kitchen, and you get more privacy than a dorm. Also, everyone in that apartment complex is a UCLA student and the same age as transfers because they don’t give them to freshman.</p>
<p>Funny how I asked UCLA housing if there were any websites that listed off-campus private apartments/roommates, and they said no such thing exists! :P</p>
<p>15 minute by bus is probably an accurate timing, at like 2 AM. Factor in the crappy LA bus schedule and the prevalence of traffic in the morning and it should be longer than 15 minutes. Moving oncampus is probably the better option, especially in LA where parking is expensive and traffic is unpredictable.</p>
<p>Yah if you aren’t from LA, ignore ANY estimation or quote when it comes to travel. I live 6-7 miles from UCLA and between 7am and 10pm it can take me anywhere from 10 minutes to 90 minutes to get there. It’s ridiculous. On average it really is only 15 min since I just cut up Sepulveda like a pro. If you are taking the bus, enjoy the worst public transportation in the world. Give yourself 3 times the allotted time recommended by UCLA or any other “informative” source.</p>
<p>Argue this with me all you want, but here is the breakdown for the average cost of your own bedroom.</p>
<ul>
<li>$800-900 a month for rent (including deposit)</li>
<li>$50-75 a month for utilities</li>
<li>$uber for gas</li>
<li>~$300 a quarter for parking (if you get it)</li>
<li>~$250 a month for food</li>
<li>~$25 a month for TP, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.</li>
<li>~$10 a month for laundry</li>
</ul>
<p>This isn’t entirely correct. An apartment in Westwood is hefty, but often the same or shorter walking distance to the classes than the dorms. You don’t need a car, but if you do and find a place that includes parking, you wouldn’t need to use it. Or want to.</p>
<p>If you don’t live that close, you will save a lot of money on rent, and yes, spend a substantial amount on gas and parking BUT that’s still cheaper than living there. And you obviously could take the bus instead.</p>
<p>And when living on campus, you have to figure that sometimes you will be eating out and buying alcohol (okay, maybe not all of you). if you only eat ten meals a week, yeah, go for a meal plan. otherwise, you would save by buying your own groceries.</p>
<p>on-campus has benefits, but off-campus USUALLY turns out cheaper unless you splurge on your own one-bedroom. </p>
<p>so yeah, just saying my piece. and if you’re not from the area listen to hijynxchaz. really. if possible, avoid living too far down south of campus. The 405 to the 10 is hell on earth.</p>
<p>I’m Matt, Chaz is someone else. Unless you needed a / in there.</p>
<p>Regardless, living off campus is far cheaper. I have yet to find a friend or relative (brother, cousin) who found their first year on campus cheaper than their second year off campus. </p>
<p>Groceries are cheaper than the meal plan really cost you.</p>
<p>Gas isn’t that expensive when driving 10 minutes a day. This $uber gas non-sense is absurd. My friend lives in tarzana (1 mile past me) and he goes to UCLA 4 days a week for classes. His TOTAL gas bill is only like $35/week. Factor out leisure and work and it is maybe $75-80/month on gas. Not a crazy amount when you factor in he’s saving $300ish on rent. He shares a parking pass with his roommates so parking is relatively cheap. </p>
<p>Living on campus is merely more convenient. Other than that, living off campus is always going to be cheaper. Especially if you live outside of westwood. Living in sherman oaks is once of the most cost effective places when going to UCLA. Plus sherman oaks has A LOT of things close by. Not as nice as westwood, but you are only a few miles up the 405 to UCLA, or a few miles up the 101 to hollywood and highland. If you are lucky enough to live within walking distance of the galleria, you are pretty set.</p>
<p>On a side note, if you are a social tool and have trouble making friends and interacting, living on campus might suit you better. Or if you need to lose your virginity (more for guys). Probably a good idea to live in the dorms.</p>
<p>I agree with Sopheee. That list seems highly exaggerated. There are plenty of apartments around all the UCs within walking distance so that’s $300 right there. Also, I agree that buying your own groceries is much cheaper than their meal plans. Plus, “uber for gas” assumes that you will commute everyday, when you can probably avoid using your car during the week, and save it to travel around on weekends. Additionally, if you look at the prices on uloop for the nearby apartments there are plenty for $600-700. That’s another $200 a month right there as well. Living off campus is definitely cheaper despite what people on campus try to convince themselves is true. The social aspect and shorter walking distances are advantages that some people might think are worth the extra $$$, but it is obvious that it does cost more $$$.</p>
<p>Fine, not 15 minutes, but it is still 2 miles away from UCLA, so it is not far away. Let’s calculate: “It is a 2 bedroom/1 bath apt about 2 miles from UCLA. (me and my roommate) The rent is $684.50/month for your own room and own parking space (tandem parking) + utilities are around $55/month per person, which includes gas, DWP, phone, and wireless DSL. It is located near Santa Monica Blvd. and the 405. It is a quick drive to UCLA or you can take the Big Blue Bus at the stop one block away.” :] + Sophie’s estimates: ~$25 a month for TP, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. + ~$10 a month for laundry + Non-Resident 5 Meal Plan - $460.45/quarter (: 2.5 months = $184.18/month) + the Big Blue Bus fares ~ (28 days per $1.25 for a student, valid for unlimited riding during one (1) service day=$35) = $993.68 - $184.18 (if you do not want to have a Meal Plan and buy own groceries) = $809.5
VERSUS
Rieber Vista, Triple with a Shared Bathroom (Your own tiny room is shared between 3 people and the bathroom is shared between 6 people) = $12,277 (With 14 Blue Meals/Week)/7.5 months (2.5 monts/quarter x 3) = $1637</p>
<p>Everyone’s experience can be different with off-campus and on-campus housing and I did not include furniture (even though some people post listings that they are giving it away for free) and a lot of things a person might need, but it was a rough estimate and you can see that to live on-campus is twice as expensive as to live off-campus for what?
For convenience and a social scene?</p>
<p>For you definitely, because you will be living with other transfer students. I will be isolated and separated by a bus lol I will come over to visit on the weekends lol</p>
<p>Damn it… I’m gonna be living on campus.
I’m sad to pay so much $$$$$$$$ and not get to live with these cool housemates I COULD have lived with…
But at least I can roll out of bed and drag myself to class!</p>
<p>cubman,
That was another reason I settled for on-campus after looking for so many apartments… I’m not OOBER-friendly enough to make friends w/ random strangers on campus. So I’m planning to slowwwwwly bond with my floor mates :)</p>
