One American university rite of passage is moving off campus, whether that is into an apartment or a house, and often involves living with roommates and/or close friends. It is common for students to move off campus starting their second year, taking another step closer to adulthood.
Searching for an apartment is a seemingly simple task, yet full of challenges for an 18 year old. There are many factors to consider besides monthly rent including location, safety, and amenities. Young people have the additional challenge of needing to sign leases that contain a lot of legal terms that are confusing even for native speakers of English. For international students, the challenges may be even greater as they tend to lack financial credit and social security numbers, which may require them to put additional money down as a deposit. Securing shelter, once a basic need that students may have not given much thought to, may now become a task filled with uncertainty. With understanding of these challenges, UPP advisors created a fun and educational experience where students had the opportunity to tour three off-campus apartment complexes for the 2022-2023 school year.
Students considered apartment complexes that had bus stops or shuttle buses convenient to campus, resident parking, or were within walking distance of the university.
Apartments were also selected for the amenities that would be appealing such as swimming pools or basketball courts, but also had costs of living that were within reason, appropriate for a typical college student’s budget. Students paid close attention to the swimming pools, lounges, and game rooms. Game rooms with ping pong tables and pool tables were especially popular among the students, and they definitely had the opportunity to give them a try!