Pro: Freedom (from set rules)
When you live off-campus, there are no set rules determining your curfew, whether or not you’re allowed to drink alcohol, when you’re allowed to play music and when you’re allowed to have visitors over, unlike if you were to stay in a residence on-campus. You have more freedom in this sense and are responsible for your own actions.
Con: Less Socialising With Peers
Living off-campus will mean that you are out of the university bubble, and this could make you feel a little isolated. Depending on how far away from the campus you are, the amount of socialising you can do might be limited. Even extracurriculars may be compromised for you.
Living off-campus, especially as a first year, does not allow for easy ways to make friends.
Pro: Privacy and Personal Space
While lack of privacy is a con of living on-campus, living off-campus provides you with the opportunity to enjoy your privacy and personal space. You will not have to fight over who gets to use the shower first and living off-campus will most likely result in a quieter environment, perfect for studying.
Con: Commuting
Depending on how far away you live from the campus, you may need to take commuting on a daily basis into consideration. You may have to wake up much earlier in order to beat traffic and make it in time for an 8:00am lecture, for example. This also means that if you have a huge gap in your schedule, say you have classes from 8:00 until 10:00 but only resume at 15:00, you will have to stay on campus for the whole day.
Granted, you could use this time to be a diligent student and study in the library (but where’s the fun in that?).
Pro: More Adulting
Living off-campus will enable you to grow more and venture further into adulthood. Your neighbours might be families or young working professionals, totally out of the university bubble. You are in charge of your own household and that comes with many responsibilities, including doing laundry, cooking, washing dishes, and general cleaning.
You need to sort out transport for yourself and generally be in total control over your safety and wellbeing.
Con: More Adulting
Yes, I know, this was mentioned above as a Pro. There are two sides to this coin.
While adulting can be fun, it also eats into your schedule. You need to be very disciplined and have great time management skills in order to stay on top of things. Are you prepared to cook for yourself every night? Can you keep up with bill payments? Are you able to juggle multiple responsibilities at once? These are questions you need to ask yourself before deciding to live off-campus.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to live off-campus, there are many things to consider. It is a decision that should be based on your own personal needs and preferences. Living off-campus comes with its ups and downs, but if you can argue that the pros outweigh the cons, you will find that it is an opportunity to grow and learn in a way that you hadn’t before.
