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Table of contents Tips for feeling at ease off campus ... 4 What college students look for in apartments ... 6 Getting to know your landlord ... 9 Roommates you’re bound to meet in college ... 14 Transitioning from dorm to apartment living... 15
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Tips for feeling at ease off campus
U L O O P
Moving into your own place off campus is very exciting, but can also come with some fears of having responsibilities and having to deal with everything that comes with it. From robberies to creepers, having your own place may seem a bit scary at first, but there are plenty of things that can make you feel more at ease. Burglars Robberies are definitely something to be afraid of, but there are a few things you can do to help you feel safer in your home, and feel safe when you leave. You could ask your landlord if it would be possible to have a door alarm installed so you’ll be able to keep your stuff safe and sound when you are away. It would also be a great idea to get renters insurance so if there does happen to be a break-in, you’ll be able to get reimbursed for your items. Renters insurance is usually for each individual renter, and can usually be worked out through the insurance company that your parents utilize. A door alarm and
renters insurance together would be a very safe bet. You could also invest in a dog that will alert you of intruders. If animals aren’t allowed where you live, but you feel like you would feel a lot safer, why not try and work something out with your landlord? If it’s still a no go, the other two options should be fine, but a puppy would be fun anyway so why not get some fun and safety out of it? A good dead bolt on the front door would also do the trick to help put your mind at ease. This should already be installed in your place, but if not, contact your landlord and see if one can be added. Also make sure that your windows have the ability to be locked properly, not by some flimsy clasp. The front door is usually not a burglar’s first form of entry, so you want to make sure you can lock all entrances. Having a porch light that functions is great to have on too, even when you’re not home. It will help you see if you get home from class late, and will make it look like someone is always home, even when they’re not. Neighbor complaints
Another thing students might worry about in their own off campus housing is getting in trouble by neighbors. You don’t want to be keeping someone else up and have them call the cops, but you also don’t want someone who parties long into the night keeping you up before your 8 a.m. class. Though you can’t choose your neighbors, your landlord can be of service. They will most likely tell you when “quiet hours” begin for your area, if there are designated hours, and you should be respectful of it. Having the cops called on you would definitely not be a fun turn of events. In turn, if you have some annoying neighbors, maybe mention your grievances to your landlord. You’re not being a snitch, you’re simply trying to make living bearable for yourself. If they make noise once in a blue moon, obviously don’t get obnoxious with telling on every little thing, but if they have a dog that never ever shuts up or throw parties all day every day, it may be time to say something. Also, if there are creeps that either live near you, or are sim-
ply hanging around and don’t live there, it would be a good idea to mention it to your landlord. You want to feel safe walking home and not have to worry about a creepy neighbor or some random straggler waiting for you. Lighting Speaking of walking home, a lot of neighborhoods may not be all that lit up, making it pretty creepy at night when walking back from a night class. Of course requesting more street lamps might be a bit of a stretch, but why not suggest to your landlord that it is quite dark and maybe some smaller outdoor lamps would make an improvement for all residents who walk in the dark. Depending on where you live, this may be something to bring up with the management of the complex, but your landlord will either be able to address your concerns, or point you in the direction of someone who can. Mold, pests and other hazards Mold, termites, bed bugs, mice, toxic popcorn ceilings: these are all things to be concerned about and may be overwhelming if you have to deal with them on your own.
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Your landlord has presumably been in the business for a long time, and will be able to help you with grievances such as these that are disturbing your living space. Depending on your lease, they may even cover the cost for you as well, so good communication on issues such as these will be very beneficial to you. They can supply you with ways to avoid these things in the first place, and what to do if you unfortunately encounter one. A lot of places for rent are usually old, so don’t think it’s automatically your fault if something happens. Many other people have lived there, and may not have taken as good of care of the place as they should have, so things like mold definitely aren’t that rare. Try and do your part to prevent these things, and ask for help if you need it. Having your own place may be a little scary at first, but with the help and knowledge of your landlord, your fears should be a little less on your mind, and you can enjoy all the wonders that off campus living has to offer.
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What college students look for in an apartment complex
By Alexandra Brown U L O O P
Living in the dorms can be a lot of fun, but getting together a group of good friends you’ve made in search of an apartment for the next school year can be all kinds of exciting. Obviously, you want to go into the search with some knowledge of what you’re looking for in an apartment complex. Here are 10 things you may want to consider in your apartment search. 1. Reasonable rent The first thing you’re most likely going to want to take into consideration, above all else, is the amount of rent being asked for an apartment in the complex. It may be a good idea to have a conversation with the group of friends you’ve chosen to live with about their money situations, before you even look into different apartment complexes. The last thing you want to happen is an awkward dispute regarding someone’s personal money situation that starts unwanted drama
within the group. Simply come to an agreement about the range in which you’re all willing to spend on rent every month to avoid conflict. 2. Proximity to campus When looking into an apartment complex, its proximity to campus may be an important factor. If you’re taking classes within a specific major that meet in a specific part of campus, or set of buildings, your proximity to that location may be a priority. If this is something that seems likely to be of importance to you, discuss it with your friends, and make an effort to search for apartment complexes near where you need to be for the majority of your classes. Also, make sure this works out for the other people you’ll be living with. 3. Proximity to other important places Another thing to keep in mind is the apartment complex’s proximity to important places you or your potential roommates need to be at on a weekly basis. These places could include work, major bus stops, or any other place near
which it would be ideal to live. 4. Proximity to annoyances In addition to the apartment complex’s proximity to various parts of campus, as well as other places you and your roomies consider important, another thing to look out for is the complex’s proximity to everyday annoyances. These could include notoriously busy and loud intersections, fire stations and even popular bars. The last thing most people want is to rent an apartment that basically shares walls with the most popular bar on campus, making it impossible to sleep or get any work done the majority of the time. 5. Leasing office’s reputation Something that a lot of people don’t think to consider is the apartment complex or leasing office’s reputation on or off campus, among previous renters. Knowing about experiences previous renters have had can be very helpful when deciding between apartments. You can find out usually by searching through sites like Google, Reddit or Craigslist. 6. Parking options
If you or any of your potential roommates plan on having cars at school, you should definitely be looking into the availability of parking garages/spots/street parking when it comes to searching for an apartment. Scouting out possible places near the complex to park, if it does not offer parking options, would also be advisable. 7. Additional perks (fitness room, pool, rooftop deck) If money is not an issue, or your college campus just happens to be equipped with awesome, new apartment complexes that offer special perks, definitely look into them. These could include anything from a fitness room to a pool, to a bar in the lobby or a rooftop deck. Some complexes may even include rooms with large screens for communal movie watching. 8. Level of cleanliness How “nice” your apartment will be is a major thing that needs to be discussed among your potential roommates. Everyone needs to be on the same page about what they consider a “nice,” “quality”
apartment, which could include how clean it is, how recently the appliances have been updated, their quality, and how kept up the walls and floors appear. Your ultimate choice should fall under what everyone in the group considers an acceptable living space. 9. Neighborhood Taking into account the neighborhood where certain apartment complexes are located is definitely advantageous. You probably don’t want to live in a crimeridden area, or in an area known for having a sketchy night scene. Make safety a high priority. 10. Extra features Lastly, thinking ahead about extra features you or your potential roomies might think important or necessary is beneficial. These could include nice things to have as part of your apartment, such as an abundance of windows or a sizable balcony. Taking the next step to choose an apartment complex to live in can seem stressful, but if you keep in mind the 10 things listed above, the process should go pretty smoothly.
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How landlords and students can have the best relationship By Alexandra Brown U L O O P
A lot of different implications come along with living off campus. Being an upperclassman and living in an apartment rather than the dorms requires grocery shopping, commuting to class and other responsibilities that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Oftentimes, responsibilities include paying rent on time, adhering to rules laid out in your lease, like not having pets, or not painting walls and reporting problems you encounter to your landlord as they occur. Having to report to your landlord can oftentimes be stressful. With the necessity of contacting your landlord in the event of a problem, or for some other reason, obviously, getting along with them is preferable. But what if your landlord is extremely strict, or just a difficult person in general? Knowing how to deal with
difficult personalities is always something that will come in handy in this situation, and in life in general. One major thing you can do to ensure an efficient, professional and generally good relationship with your landlord is to be the ideal tenant. Obviously, before anything else, you’re going to want to be as perfect a tenant as possible. This would entail paying your rent on time, to avoid further problems, following all the rules included in your lease, and making your landlord aware of any problems you encounter, as they happen. Let your landlord know about serious problems as they occur. When maintenance issues occur in your apartment or house, like the refrigerator light goes out, or paint is chipping, or windows won’t close properly, it’s important to let your landlord know as soon as possible as the problems are happening, so they don’t get worse.
It’s also important to give your landlord as much time as possible to deal with the problem to minimize the chances of it getting worse. You want to be considerate of them just as you want them to be considerate of your concerns and requests. You will also want to be clear and reasonable with your requests, be reachable and approachable (though they may not be), be respectful, and put yourself in their shoes. Be the tenant you would want to have if you were the landlord. Being this kind of tenant will most likely maximize your chances of having the best relationship possible with your landlord. Another thing you can do to keep up an acceptable relationship with your landlord is to pay your rent on time. Why give them one more thing to nag you about? This seems like an obvious rule of thumb, because when you go through your lease before signing, you’re convinced you’ve memorized that the rent is due on
the 15th of every month. How hard could it be to drop off that check, only one time per month, and at the same time every month nonetheless? Well, you will be surprised at how quickly that date approaches every month, and when you have other things going on to worry about, it’s easy to let it slip your mind. However, it’s important to remember that paying rent on time is what you agreed to in your lease. Set a reminder on your phone, mark it on your calendar, and remind your roommates. Your landlord at least deserves this. Not doing so could lead to all sorts of conflicts that are easily avoidable if you do this simple task. You’ll also want to be easily contacted by your landlord. If you want to have a good relationship with them, you need to be approachable, and, more importantly, reachable. You can’t expect for your landlord to get back to you about problems or other issues if you aren’t able to ensure that you’re reachable, either via
email or phone, and capable of getting back to them. Communicating clearly is also essential to maintaining an efficient relationship with your landlord. You can’t expect them to meet your every need if you’re not clear about what you specifically want. Be concise, and to the point, to avoid confusion and further delay. Another thing you can do is to remember your landlord is a person, just like you, so you should put yourself in their shoes every once in a while. How would you want your tenants to act? Probably with respect, politeness and consideration. Not being careless is a major way to stay on good terms with your landlord. Do your part by cleaning up after yourself, and taking proper precautions to avoid potential damage that could occur. Following this advice can ensure that you’ll have the best, most efficient relationship with your landlord.
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Five roommates you’re bound to have while in college By Brandon Shaik L I F E S T Y L E
E D I T O R
At one point or another, everyone has had a roommate who made them think, “Why didn’t I spend the extra $200 a month on the private room?” You might be one of the lucky few who’s blessed with a roommate who becomes a lifelong friend, but that’s kind of a statistical anomaly. Here are the five roommates you’ll probably encounter during your time in school. 1. The inverse sleeper This is the roommate that stays awake all night playing video games, watching YouTube videos and laughing not-so-quietly on the other side of the room. This person will be angry that you choose
to go to bed at 11 p.m., forcing him into silence, and then be even more annoyed when you wake up at 8 a.m. because he just fell asleep two hours before. If you can avoid this roommate, do so at all costs. Otherwise hostility will ensue shortly, making for a long year ahead. 2. The exhibitionist This roommate is far too comfortable in his own skin, whether he should or shouldn’t be. Be prepared to come home from class and find him sitting on the couch in his underwear watching old episodes of “Law and Order.” If you have this roommate, pray that your bathroom is not connected to the bedroom, and if it is, you need to set up a shower schedule because you will see some scary things otherwise.
3. The loudmouth We’ve all met someone who doesn’t really know how to just talk; he tends to scream things. This is that roommate. You will be woken up at 7 a.m. when he’s on the phone yelling at his mom because he doesn’t know how to turn on the dishwasher. This roommate might not be vocally loud, but he could also be the roommate who shares your business with the entire hallway. Make sure you don’t have one of those before you share any secrets you don’t want Kyle down the hall to know. 4. The passive-aggressive roommate Instead of asking you to take out the trash, this roommate will loudly complain to
someone that “I always take the trash out and I’m getting sick of it,” knowing that you can hear. Or if you’re playing your music too loudly, expect to hear slamming doors and pounding footsteps. This roommate is probably two condescending comments away from going postal, so make sure you’re not the one to spark outrage. 5. The young and the oblivious This roommate is probably new to living on his own and has never had to clean up after himself or do his own laundry. In his 18 years living at home, he most likely had a parent following him around the house straightening up every little mess he made. Prepare to turn off every light that he leaves on all day and throw away the Hot Pockets
wrappers he leaves on the kitchen counter. Don’t forget to check the stove every hour because he probably put a frozen pizza in, forgot about it and decided to go grocery shopping — it happens. While these all sound like a nightmare waiting to happen, roommates are part of the college experience. Getting stuck with a bad one is just another due to be paid along the way. There will probably come a time when you will need to vent to everyone who isn’t your roommate about how awful he is. Even though you’ll probably hate him by the end of the semester, you’ll still smile and wave when you see him on campus over the next few years and shudder when you think about that time you walked in on him naked.
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Transitioning from dorm to apartment living By Lindsay Probasco U L O O P
One of the scariest transitions in college is going from dorm life to apartment living. While it may not seem like that big of a deal, living completely on your own is something most have never experienced before. There are enough pressures as it is when being away from home for months at a time. From rigorous coursework and maintaining a social life to having steady employment and sticking to a workout regimen, being a college student can be harder than it looks. Throw in a self-sustaining lifestyle that includes cooking and cleaning, and now we might have a problem. Weighing the options of staying in the dorms as opposed to moving into apartment style living is sometimes a challenge. There are clear distinctions between the two and depending on what you like, it might be best to seriously sit down and compare them before making a decision. The dorm advantages 1. As new students to big campus communities, living in the dorms is the easiest way to really get started. Dorms allow you to make new friends, have some instruction and rules and assure your parents that at least you have a solid source of food. 2. Dorm life can be everything you need to create a sturdy foundation for the duration of your time on campus. The people you live with here will know all about your sleeping habits, eating habits and everything in between. Do not fear. This can be a really excit-
ing (and sometimes hilarious) thing. 3. Living with other people in close quarters can help you develop “people skills” you may not possess before going away to college. There will be an ample amount of diversity for you to explore, and you will be able to transform yourself based on the backgrounds of others. 4. You most likely will acquire memories of fire drills in your robe and busted dorm room parties by the RA. These are the memories that will last a lifetime … without a doubt. The dorm disadvantages 1. You will definitely not have a Pottery Barn style dorm decor. It never looks as enticing as you think it will. Splitting an 8-by-8-foot closet with another human does not allow for much personalization. 2. Speaking of living with another human, sharing a small space with a stranger can be a horror story. That’s not to say that it can’t ever work out, but often you’ll hear tales of horrible roommates. There’s not much worse than having to live in such a tiny space with someone you can’t stand. 3. Dorm food is usually not the best. The showers aren’t all that clean. The amount of people living in a single building just doesn’t seem right. 4. Having an RA, rules to follow and required events to attend can make you feel like you’re still living under someone else’s roof. It can certainly be a good reinforcement for those who need it, but a pointless type of parenting for others. The apartment advantages 1. You can finally feel like
an adult — no longer is anyone telling you what to do or how to do it. You can have parties if you’re in the mood. You can be loud, blast music and really be in control of a lifestyle of your choosing. 2. You have your own space. Yes, you will probably still have roommates, but you can have your own room within the apartment. You can take a shower all by yourself. You can decorate your room for just you alone. Living in the dorms really teaches you the value of being in your own bubble. 3. This is a time for you to experiment with food, responsibility and cleanliness. You can try out those fancy Pinterest recipes. You’ll hopefully gain cleaning skills that will impress you and your parents when they come to visit. Chances are acting like an adult might actually start making you feel like one. 4. You get to choose who you share this space with. You can live in an apartment
alone, or with your high school friends or the best pals you meet away at school. Living with a small amount of people in a reasonable space makes for a great year. The apartment disadvantages 1. Living in an apartment means that no one is going to clean up after you or serve you five course meals. Committing to living on your own comes with the territory — you are 100 percent on your own. If something needs to get done, you have to do it. There isn’t anyone telling you to pick up after yourself or to empty the dishwasher, so initiative must be taken. 2. There are a lot of extra purchases that come with living in an apartment. Rent, water bills, dishware and extra furniture all need to be accounted for. This can be too much for some college students to handle alone.
3. With a lot less people around to hang out with, living in an apartment might get a little lonely. Compared to living on a floor with 50 doors to walk into, if you don’t have similar schedules to your roommates, you might spend a lot of time by yourself. 4. Being in a dorm usually means a locked, guarded area where you have to swipe to get in. Safety is a big factor for some people when deciding whether or not living in an apartment is a good idea. No one is watching your apartment at all times. While both options have both positive and negative aspects, it really depends on what you are looking for in a home away from home. Living in the dorms is a great experience for meeting new people and being really busy. If you’re more of a home body who likes to cook and lay on the couch, an apartment might be a better fit for you.
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