Housing Guide - Fall 2018

2018-2019 2016 - 2017

HOUSING GUIDE

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MANKATO

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Importance of establishing a roommate agreement MARIA LY Staff Writer When moving into a new living facility with a new roommate, establishing a set guide of rules and boundaries and agreeing upon them is very important to ensure a healthy relationship with your roommate.

A roommate agreement is almost like a contract and should consist of terms, conditions, and responsibilities in which each roommate agrees to and should match certain circumstances such as busy schedules, habits, and lifestyles.

Things to consider when making your roommate agreement is: money, food, guests, quiet hours, chores, and belongings.

Discussing money is one

of the biggest factors in avoiding conflict, so there is no miscommunication on who pays what. Consider how your roommate should split bills such as utilities and rent. Will you share cable, internet, and streaming services?

Like money, food is a big deal, and can surprisingly cause a lot of conflict especially between broke hungry college students.

After a long day, no one wants to see their roommate eating their leftover wings that they’ve been excited to eat all day. Discuss on whether you’ll split the cost of groceries, or will each person buy their own groceries? Will you take turns cooking a meal each week, or will meals be made and eaten independently? Is your roommate allowed to eat

certain foods you purchase?

For restrictions on guests, what rules are you going to establish concerning overnight guests and significant others? What boundaries do you want to set concerning guests in general? How do you feel about your roommate having parties? No one likes when their home is intruded upon, so knowing about guests beforehand is important.

There’s nothing more irritating than when you’re trying to study or sleep and your roommate is watching TV with the volume all the way up or listening to music so loud you can feel the beat radiate through the wall. When establishing a roommate agreement, one thing that should be included are quiet hours. Establishing quiet hours will eliminate

disputes on when the other can listen to things out loud at certain times.

Seeing unwashed dishes in the sink that have been out for three days in a row and the trash overflowed and swarmed with fruit flies can often be infuriating. Chores that are unevenly distributed can cause many conflicts as one roommate feels as if the other one isn’t contributing as much as the other. When it comes to the chores, who cleans what and how often should they clean?

You come back home, your phone is at 2 percent, and you search all around the house, worried that you might’ve left your charger at school. You open your roommates door and low and

ROOMMATE page 14

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Why you should live on campus as a student

STEVE JOHN NDIKUM Staff Writer

How exciting can college life be? One of the greatest moments in our life is development, knowing we are moving from a step ahead in life. That comes with so much joy and can even be scary sometimes. At the same time, we see how much we must let go to move ahead. With the help of Rent College Pads, students have the chance to connect with people of same mindsets and live together as family.

Family and friends are the number one thing we all treasure ,and we will frequently ask ourselves: how do we make friends? Will they be loyal? Will my voice be respected? Will my opinions count? I will say ,“YES.” At Minnesota State University,

Mankato we find cultural diversities at all levels, which help us connect with people of the same mindsets.

As a college student, below are great reasons you should consider living on campus: Convenience: A new survey from Citigroup and Seventeen Magazine finds that almost 80 percent of students take at least a part-time job during the school year. While working and getting rest, the last thing we don’t want to worry about is making it to class on time. Living on campus gives us great proximity to make use of college resources, having a workout or going to attend a meeting.

Financial stress: Living on campus, the mindfulness of paying

electric or water bills is not a problem. We are free from such financial burdens. Even the cars we drive will be mainly used for work or to go shopping. Most areas you will visit often will be close to you compared to someone who stays off campus and must drive every day and spend yearly on parking permits.

Special Communities: Learning communities make college life exciting and help create connections.

These are areas of on campus housing designated for a specific purpose; it’s a similar idea compared to clubs but taken to a whole new level. From communities formed around specific majors, to various extracurricular interests, to Honors programs, there are opportunities to radically change your environment

to be centered around something you love. These communities can define your college experience and give you a great sense of family and friends.

Academic Support: When you’re surrounded by fellow students, you can collaborate, connect and learn from each other.

Many of the people you’re in the dorms with may be on the same floor, be in the same classes you’re in, or have taken them before.

Friends can be a tremendous academic resource and support. Being able to pop into the room next door to ask a question is unrivaled.

When people come to you, explaining something you’ve mastered is rewarding as well as helpful to those who need it, (and teaching things helps you understand them better.)

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Photo Courtesy of MNSU

Social Life: As any sophomore can tell you, the people you’ll have the opportunity to become closest with are often the people in your dorm! Many people find their best friends that they stick with

through the rest of college in their freshmen year. For everyone else, living on campus provides a tight knit community of people and can always help you expand your social circle.

Living with a diverse group

of people also expands your social knowledge outside of the classroom.

You have a chance to get to know students from all over the world and people with incredible, varied life experiences. It sounds cliché

but hanging out in the dorms can broaden your horizons and make you a better person and make you believe that there is more to achieve as an individual.

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How to find affordable housing as a student

MARJAN HUSSEIN Staff Writer

Finding the most suitable location to stay in college is vital to facilitate one’s success as a student. Factors such as the time it takes you to get to class, social aspects, parking and safety are some typically areas to focus on when choosing where to stay over the academic year.

Options may differ for various students according to income earned, rent, utilities and the outlook of wherever it maybe they opt to stay.

Making a wise decision on where one chooses to live is important but could sometimes prove strenuous.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, Stringham (2017) states that off-campus housing is becoming a booming

business. The article talks about ways townhomes and apartments built near colleges market themselves to students. One such way is giving gifts where students are offered a certain discount amount or are entered a draw if they bring a friend along for a tour of the apartments.

The article states that this draws in students making them fancy off campus housing more. Another way the article states off campus housing markets itself is by starting early and building a trend. Off-campus housing persistently advertises to incoming students to create an early connection therefore creating awareness of their brand.

Sara Schultz, a senior pursuing an undergrad degree in Interdisciplinary studies states that living

on campus during one’s freshman year is beneficial as a student get an ideal firsthand experience of University life. Schultz states that after the first year, she feels that leasing you own apartment is better as it allows one to make real world decisions such as whom they would like to live with.

Sierra Hietala, sophomore pursuing an undergrad in Special Ed and Community Assistant at McElroy Residence Community states that numerous resources on campus may not be easily known by students that live off campus. She also states that living on campus for at least a year is beneficial as it prompts interaction and cultural exchange amongst students who perhaps may not come from the same state or country.

Yulia Podorova, a senior pursuing an undergrad in Chemistry and a CA at Preska Residence Community states that having lived both on and off campus she enjoys both experiences equally.

She states with on campus housing the community aspect is present as one lives on a floor with about 50 other students, however she says that if one is in search of more freedom and personal space living off campus is the way to go.

Dylan Riess, a junior pursing an undergrad degree in Accounting & Finance and also a CA at Preska Residence Community states that having lived on campus throughout his college stay he finds delight in the convenience it has to offer.

The CAs mention factors such as parking, utilities and

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maintenance that students should consider when searching for a place to live.

Podorova was also on the Student Events team and mentions that according to demographics gathered from events they put on, students that live on campus are more aware of campus activities due to numerous ways they are advertised both on campus in addition to in the residence communities.

Onadipe Olufolajimi, a senior pursuing an undergrad degree in Nursing, states that affordability of housing is a vital factor student should always have in mind when choosing where to live during their college stay. Olufolajimi states that his time as a CA was his most interesting experience and he learnt about several resources on campus as

well as getting several opportunities to creating lifetime connections.

Where a student chooses to live is essential as it does play a role in dictating their lifestyle during college stay. Living on campus has a plethora of advantages such campus involvement, different resources and plenty of social interaction.

On the other hand, living off campus is about being independent and responsible thus offers a good understanding of what life in the real world is like. In summary it all comes down to preferences and financial ability of a student to choose where it is they plan to stay and how they plan to map out their college experience.

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Things to watch out for when house searching

LUCAS TORBORG A&E Editor

Looking for a place to live as a college student is life or death and when you are planning on living somewhere for an entire year you must consider every possible outcome that house or apartment has to offer.

Many college students often worry the most about who they will live with, if they should live near campus or near the bars, or how big the apartment or house is. These are all important factors when renting. However, there are many essential things that one should look for when touring a house because as some real estate agents may know college students are the easiest people to rip off.

When touring, some houses may seem like an

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ideal place to party with large amounts of space and a built in bar, but I can assure you two months in it will be hard to party when there is mold growing in your basement, bats flying in your

attic, and serious lack of heat coming from your heater.

Here are something’s to look for before signing a lease on a house.

According to a local contractor when touring a

house there are five things you should look for. The first thing to look for when touring is for thin walls and holes within them. This is extremely important for a multitude of reasons. Thin

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walls are one of the main reasons a house may be colder than it should be. Heat obviously escapes through holes which is something to look for, however holes are also the biggest signs of rats and cockroaches which are the two things that make up a home owners worst nightmare.

The third thing to look for is for egress windows in the basement of the house.

Egress windows are windows that are large enough for a person to enter and exit.

Not having these windows are against safety code if a tenant plans on making the basement into a bedroom.

The last things to check is if the house has enough outlets and if the house is accessible for moving.

This would include if the doorways are large enough and if the staircase is not too narrow.

Not every aspect about

the house is visible when on a tour. That’s why it is important to ask as many question as you can during tour. Some questions that are essential to ask after a tour are; What kind of heating does the house have? There are two types of heating electric and natural gas heating. If you are on a budget, as almost all college students are, gas heating is significantly cheaper.

Another important question to ask, if the house is older, is if the house had recently been remodeled or re-insulated. The reason why this question must be asked is because if the house hasn’t been remodeled or re-insulated it probably has mold and a lot of it. If followed correctly these tips will find you a comfortable house to live in that you will be able to call home.

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The benefits of living in residence communities

JOSH SCHEUTZ Staff Writer

As Hamlet once said, “To live on campus, or not to live on campus? That is the question.”

Okay, Hamlet never actually said that. But it’s still a good question nonetheless!

There are definitely differences between living on and off campus, although many of those differences depend on where you live. Stadium Heights, for example, is technically on-campus housing, even though it’s located away from campus.

So, let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of living on campus.

Living in the dorms definitely allows you to have a better social life.

It’s much easier to build

Photo Courtesy of MNSU

camaraderie with people in your immediate vicinity, because of floor dinners and dorm activities. You can build relationships that will last a lifetime, (or at least until graduation).

It’s also more convenient, in many ways. Particularly in the winter months, it’s way better to live on campus, because you don’t have to

walk much, (or drive), in the cold to get to class.

You can also participate in campus activities more easily, since you’re just a stone’s throw away from them, and it’s definitely easier to know what’s happening on campus when you live on it full time!

Drawbacks? Depending on where you live, you might

not get air conditioning, and the dorms are definitely pretty small. If you’re ridiculously tall, like I am, fitting on the beds can be a struggle.

And while camaraderie is great, the feeling that you don’t have a lot of privacy, (especially from your roommate, if you have one), can be a problem, especially

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if you two don’t always see eye to eye.

Cost and expenses depend. Some parts of campus are cheaper, some are more expensive. That’s not going to go away; you’ll face much the same off campus.

What about living off campus? A great benefit is that if you live in an apartment, you’ll have more privacy, and you’ll be less likely to get woken up by your floormates’ antics.

Living off campus can also be easier from a parking perspective, since some (though not all) apartment complexes in the area have free parking if you get a permit for it. You’ll have to pay rent every month plus utilities, but some areas might be cheaper, others more expensive, than living on campus.

What about drawbacks?

Depending on where you live,

it might be harder to develop camaraderie with others.

You also won’t necessarily be around other students all the time, which can be both a benefit and a drawback.

Moreover, you’ll have to walk or drive to campus, which can be especially frustrating in the winter months.

A lot of the most important aspects of life, like the cost of living, will depend on where you live and how many people you live with, particularly if you live off campus. Economic limitations need to be taken into account when you make a housing decision.

Which kind of housing you choose should depend on your wants and needs.

Although I live off campus, I can’t necessarily recommend it. I personally preferred living on campus, because it’s easier to make friends and participate in campus activities.

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ROOMMATE from 3

behold there’s your charger plugged into their outlet.

You angrily stomp to the outlet and take your charger whilst sending them a passive aggressive text.

Setting rules of what belongings can be shared with one another should be included in the roommate agreement. What items does the other have to ask for permission first before they can use it? What items are off limits? What items, such as the living room TV, can be shared without asking for permission?

One step when first moving in with a new roommate is deciding if you should make a roommate agreement.

Roommate agreements are great tools in setting up communication with one another and deciding not to make one can cause major conflict down the line.

Brice Matthews, a Residential Hall Area Director for Crawford, agrees and encourages students to make roommate agreements, “Some people think that everything is going to be great, and that their whole entire year will be great, but the reality is that there is conflict in every relationship, so it kind of just determines on how you kind of move through that, and that roommate agreement can certainly help with that.”

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OFF-CAMPUS LIVING AT STADIUM HEIGHTS!

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· Air-conditioned

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· All units are furnished · Free laundry · Free parking · Located on 5 bus/shuttle routes for easy access to campus/city (routes run every 14-30 minutes to campus Monday-Friday) · Single and Double Rooms available

· Live with your friends in 3-, 4-, and 5-person units (same gender) · If receiving a financial aid package, your housing and meal plan fees will be covered (no monthly bills for you to pay) · Students can tour Stadium Heights MondayFriday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – call 507388-5167 to make your appointment

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