<p>Starting a new thread, rather than continue the off campus move in thread, but as the parent of a senior who is looking at grad schools, wondering why your child wanted to move out of the dorms and into an off campus apartment.</p>
<p>Those we know in this situation did not want to be there, but were not offered returning housing, so we don’t have their input. And other than the obvious cost issue, I was wondering what your hopes/likes for living off campus as opposed to on campus are.</p>
<p>Asking this because we will probably be faced with the choice of on campus or off campus housing for our son in grad school, and I’m hoping to gain some insight on the pros and cons of each, other than the obvious cost issue.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, we actually have to start looking at this ourselves, as good off campus housing is probably hard to find no matter where you attend grad school.</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice/input!</p>
<p>Our daughter chose to move off campus for several reasons. Her major requires 4 lower division and 5 upper division semesters. Since her fifth semester was summer, it would have required too much moving from dorm to dorm with breaks in between. Another reason is convenience. She may come and go as she pleases during breaks and during the summer. She also likes having more space, a full kitchen, closer parking, and for her, a more convenient location and overall experience. For her, it was the decision. She isn’t tied to a roommate unless she chooses to be, and it is her roommate is her choice no matter what if she chose to have one.</p>
<p>For us, it means no more hotel rooms, it is way less expensive, it works well since we have three students, and since we chose a new and unfurnished property, we were free to choose what we wanted and are in full control of it. We are able to come and go as we please without concern of privacy and without needing to consider a roommate. Her apartment is a new construction and has a mixture of undergrads, grad students, and faculty. It is quiet and is gated. Safety was our first priority.</p>
<p>Every situation is different and the dorms are nice, but at least in our case, she was mature enough to handle it and we were all ready for her to leave the dorms. Her apartment is 1,400 sq ft, and feels like home. That was something we were looking for when we looked.</p>
<p>Oops, sorry for the jumbled sentences. I cannot edit from my phone.</p>
<p>most people who live on campus are freshman. most upperclassmen don’t want to live with a bunch of freshmen.</p>
<p>at other schools where upperclassmen are not forced out of dorms, most move off campus anyway. some stay, but MOST do not.</p>
<p>some kids (like my second child) did not want to live in a dorm ever. same with most of her friends. the only ones living in the dorm are the ones whose parents who are “making” them. even kids whose families own a nearby off campus property will still “make” their kids live in the dorm for the first year.</p>
<p>living on campus is convenient, but at many schools there are off campus options that are just as convenient as the dorms.</p>
<p>reasons why kids don’t want to live in the dorms … idk really. at UA i would say COST is the biggest issue because the nice dorms cost more than an even nicer apartment or house. also, being able to eat differently (not being tied to the dining halls) seems like it would be an issue (for me at least). UA has a LOT of off campus living that is really close to the campus, so off campus living is still pretty convenient for most people.</p>
<p>i don’t think many/most grad school students would even consider living in a dorm unless it was a dorm designated for grad students.</p>
<p>There’s a lot more freedom living off campus…for parties, get-togethers, BBQs, and sharing housing with the opposite sex.</p>
<p>and many off campus places allow you to have a pet. At my son’s old place, The Retreat, many had a dog. Many!</p>
<p>Having lived through a couple of summers now where our son has stayed at UA for research, I will confirm that it is a hassle to move you student out (end of spring), then in (start of summer), then out (end of summer), then in (start of fall), during the summer. However, I believe we are still money ahead by continuing to take advantage of the housing scholarship.</p>
<p>Asking this because we will probably be faced with the choice of on campus or off campus housing for our son in grad school, and</p>
<p>Univ-owned grad school housing (if available) is usually VERY different from undergrad. Couples are married or living together, rarely are there any booze rules, etc. Very little monitoring of what these folks are doing. </p>
<p>Sometimes grad school housing is essentially “apartment living” but owned by the univ. And, often it is off-campus even if owned by the univ…or at least, further away on campus…on the outskirts. </p>
<p>Because many grad students are married, and even have kids, the offerings can really vary. </p>
<p>I’ve never seen grad school housing run like undergrad dorms.</p>
<p>“some kids (like my second child) did not want to live in a dorm ever.”</p>
<p>That made me laugh. Our D2 and D3 feel the same way and won’t be living in the dorms as freshmen.</p>
<p>Many, many years ago I lived in a graduate student dorm that was a traditional dorm in all respects – shared double room, community bath, required dining plan. Given the age of the students, however, there were no restrictions on things like visitation and alcohol. I lived in the dorm primarily because the scholarship I received required it, but lots of students voluntarily chose this arrangement because the dorm was literally steps to class and had the best parking on campus. Most of the students in the dorm were used to this sort of housing, having just graduated from undergraduate school, but there were a few students who were returning to school after a significant number of years in the work force. (Obviously these students were unmarried.) It made for a very close academic community since we were all part of the same degree program. My school closed that dorm about ten years ago and turned it into faculty offices.</p>
<p>:) bamagirls. </p>
<p>child number 2 would have gone to a different school if we had “made” her live in a dorm with a shared room.</p>
<p>then, of course, we have child number 1 who did not want to live off-campus EVER (2 years in dorm and 2 years in sorority house)! she didn’t mind dining hall food and she likes the sorority house food fine. she was even ok with going from a private room in the dorm to a shared room in the sorority house. </p>
<p>she is not a partier (or a shacker), so the dorm and the sorority house didn’t limit her activities at all.</p>
<p>but for grad school, i am pretty sure she won’t be living in a dorm.</p>
<p>I can totally sympathize with randomparent, as we have been doing the same thing for the past two years, move out spring, move in summer, move in fall. Seems I am living out of a suitcase from May to August. </p>
<p>But, seeing the commuter parking situation for off campus living, and knowing son will probably go to another large OOS public uni for grad school, I am wondering if he will opt for on campus grad school dorms, if they are available. I hope he takes note of the off campus experience his friends are having this year.</p>
<p>In your experience, what is the price difference in general?</p>
<p>That would depend upon what type of dorm (traditional, suite, super suite, # of occupants per suite 2 or 4 person) and what kind of apartment (basic, resort, luxury, older, newer, furnished, unfurnished, # of occupants, etc.) You also have to factor in the type of lease and whether you are comparing two or three semesters in the dorm against 12 months of apartment lease.</p>
<p>“she is not a partier (or a shacker), so the dorm and the sorority house didn’t limit her activities at all.”</p>
<p>Mine are not either. For those who are not, don’t choose a room near a pool.</p>
<p>While I spent 4 years living on campus, I did so because it was really close to my job and classes, I had the best room location in a very quiet building, and I didn’t need to spend summers or 3 months post-graduation in Tuscaloosa. Like MikeW’s D, I’m not a partier or a shacker, so the extra restrictions weren’t that noticeable. </p>
<p>For those aged 21+ who enjoy the occasional adult beverage, living in a dorm which limited the areas in which one could store or consume said beverages can be very annoying. Luckily, such policies are rare in on-campus graduate housing.</p>
<p>While I’d consider living in a “crash pad” arrangement like many regional airline pilots who are traveling for much of the year, as a grad student or young professional one often wants a place to unwind after a busy day of school and/or work. With on campus living, one often does not choose their roommate(s), specific room, or even specific building. While I don’t think having at least a 3/4 bath (toilet, sink, and shower) for each person is always necessary, I wouldn’t want to pay top dollar for a room/apartment and have community bathrooms which may or may not be well-maintained. There are several community bathrooms in UA residence halls which do not provide hand soap or some way to dry ones hands after washing them. </p>
<p>If ones grad school campus or employer offers discounted housing in a certain area, it might be a good idea to live in such housing.</p>
<p>For the next stage of my life, I want to live in an urban or nearby suburban area where I can walk, take frequent and reliable public transportation, or drive a golf cart anywhere I need to go. The specific type of housing is TBD, though ideally I’d like to have a California King bed, full size refrigerator, and plenty of electrical outlets.</p>