Much too nice to be New York

What with the fiasco that was this year’s every year’s Housing Lottery, off-campus housing started to look pretty damn good, by which we mean you threatened once to screw the system and move your paltry belongings a full ten blocks up/downtown. But here’s the deal: that might not be the worst impulse you’ve ever had, and even better if you’ve got relatives nearby to mooch off of. We interviewed four students that lived off-campus this past year for their rationales and tidbits of wisdom, but as for whether it’s worth it, we’ll leave that up to you.

DAISY DE WOLFF

Lives on the Upper East Side with her parents

Mode of transport: Bus

Bwog: First and foremost, why?

Daisy: I was disappointed with the housing options for first year students.  I would have liked a single or a double, but I was told that first year students are not under any circumstances given single rooms, and that that there was no guarantee that I would get a double—as opposed to a forced triple or a quad.  Additionally, I found the mandatory freshman meal plan too restrictive—I do not think we should be required to eat 19 meals a week on campus.

B: If you feel comfortable sharing, how do expenses work? Are you saving money? If so, how much?

D: While I’ve never calculated the actual savings, my family is not paying for any housing or the freshman meal plan.  I do have to pay the costs of commuting (approximately $40 on a MetroCard per month), and I have a 15 meal per semester meal plan; however, overall, we are saving quite a bit of money.

B: What are the benefits and costs you’ve faced? Is it worth it? Would you do it again?

D: The obvious benefit is having my own space – one of the most common complaints I’ve heard among my friends who live on campus (especially first year students who have roommates) is that they have very little personal space – for relaxing or studying etc. I am able to get a good night’s sleep every night, and I find that the campus does empty out quite a bit. I have to wake up much earlier than I would if I lived on campus in order to get to class on time, it’s harder to participate in extracurricular activities (especially those with meetings late at night), and not all of my teachers are sympathetic to commuting students during inclement weather.

B: Has living off campus affected the “college experience” for you? Do you feel like you’re not a part of campus?

D: I’ve never felt like I’m not a part of the campus community – this is probably because everyone is so friendly (and includes me in all of their plans).  In terms of how it has affected my “college experience” – I find that I am more stressed about some things and less stressed about other things than most of my friends.  As a whole, I don’t feel like it has substantially detracted from my college experience.

MANDY SWINTON

Lives (just slightly) uptown with four roommates

Mode of transport: Legs

Bwog: Why do you live off campus?

Mandy: When I was picking my junior year housing, my group ended up breaking up last minute, so I ended up with a studio single in 110, which, while nice, is $14,500 a semester. The room is pretty small for that amount of money so I decided to look for something else.

B: If you feel comfortable sharing, how do expenses work? Are you saving money?

M: As of this year, 9 months of my individual rent is cheaper than a single at Barnard.

B: How are facilities?

M: We have a dishwasher, which is great. We don’t have laundry in the building, so that’s not so great. We also don’t have an elevator, so it’s 5 flights of stairs every time I want to go home.

B: What’s it like not just to venture out of the bubble, but to live outside of it? Have you met actual city dwellers? Who’s the most interesting person in your building?

M: I don’t really have much interaction with my neighbor, but there’s a woman in my building who takes about 2 minutes to do half a flight of stairs and she lives on the 4th floor.

B: Walk us through a regular day – do you study at home or campus libraries? When you’re not in class, do you immediately go home?

M: I actually don’t spend that much time at home during the week except to sleep or shower because I’m not someone who is usually very productive in my room. On a typical weekday I have breakfast and shower at home and then go to class. I usually have activities on campus in the evening, so I’ll just go to the library or hang out with friends/nap in their room somewhere on campus until that happens. Then I go to a library and end up getting home pretty late so I just go to bed.

ANONYMOUS

Lives in private apartment

Mode of transport: Subway

Bwog: Why do you live off campus?

Anon: My parents got the place because they wanted to have a definite place to stay when they visited me, and I ended up taking over it haha. I also like my privacy so it’s convenient.

B: If you feel comfortable sharing, how do expenses work? Are you saving money?

A: The aim was not to save money.

B: What are the benefits and costs you’ve faced? Is it worth it? Would you do it again?

A: Having to catch the subway everyday is definitely a drawback. I also feel I didn’t have a very good chance of connecting with new people because of the off-campus experience. But I really do value complete privacy when I’m focused on my studies, so that was the main benefit for me. I would do it again because of the kind of person I am, but I’m sure it’s not for everyone. Getting to know new people (especially those I wouldn’t naturally connect with) is more challenging. When people gather at night I’m often not able to come because catching the subway too late and alone doesn’t sound like such a good idea.

B: When did you start living off campus? When, if ever, would you recommend it?

A: Okay, here is the thing. I’m a freshman so technically I’m not allowed to live off campus (I have a room at John Jay, but I just basically leave some stuff there). There is no right time for it in my opinion. I think it depends on the kind of person you are. If you have difficulty making new friends, you should probably wait a while until you feel you already have that campus connection established.

KYLE DONTOH

Lives with aunt and uncle within walking distance

Mode of transport: Legs

Bwog: Why do you live off campus?

Kyle: Because it cost less. That’s the primary consideration.

B: Has living off campus affected the “college experience” for you? Do you feel like you’re not a part of campus?

K: Oh, it certainly has. There have been occasions when I’ve had to turn back from parties or other events simply because no one could come down to sign me in. You feel a bit isolated whenever that happens. I’m very close to campus, so it’s a bit strange, you feel part of it but also not part of it.

B: When did you start living off campus/when, if ever, would you recommend?

K: I started living off-campus this year. As for recommending it, you’d be free from the constraints of RAs (not that I’d be facing these constraints, anyway, I don’t know about you), but I’m subject to far stricter ones. You might have to deal with real people, who might have a lesser tolerance for… noises and smells than fellow students.

B: How does living with family feel? Does it feel restrictive ever? To what extent has it colored your college life?

K: Oh, it’s certainly different. I mean my relatives have come to know my schedule—so it’s impossible to sleep in! They’re very nice, and usually give me my space. Compared to living at home it’s quite free—but then I realize it’s not really supposed to be compared to that. I think a lot of other people would find it overly stifling.  Maybe I do as well. But it, again, is not something I have much of a say in so I don’t spend much time thinking about it otherwise. I wish I could swipe into other dorms, through.

B: Walk us through a regular day—do you study at home or campus libraries? When you’re not in class, do you immediately go home?

K: Well, my day is rather normal, if solitary. I wake up and walk to class, eat on campus, go to club meetings, and so forth, like most people. But I’d have to go out of my way to be somewhere to talk to people, since I don’t live in a dorm. And it can be a bit lonely at times. Some days I go to a lecture and go straight to Butler (I can simply never, never, study in my bedroom!) without talking to many people. There was one day when I realized I actually hadn’t spoken a single word that day—it was absolutely frightening. I end up spending my time in the libraries, working—or at least trying to!

NOTE: These interviews have been edited for brevity.

Morning nap via Shutterstock