Moving off campus is great. No more annoying
nextdoor neighbors playing the latest Jennifer
Lopez tune on repeat late at night. No more
communal bathrooms where you have to be subjected
to members of the opposite sex who moan and refuse
to close the bathroom stall door when they pee
(don't ask). No more bedrooms the size of closets.
Yep, moving off seems like a nobrainer. And make
no mistake, living off can rock — but it can also
suck if you aren't properly prepared. Moving off
campus is a bold move and a large undertaking. A
popular reason for making the move is the
financial savings. Without paying for room and
board, you can save tons of cash and still live in
a comfortable apartment. Just the thought of
paying $10 for every crappy meal (which is really
expensive if all you're having is a bowl of Trix
and some HiC lemonade for dinner) that for some
reason causes you to gain weight no matter what
you ingest is reason enough to say byebye to life
on campus.
Unfortunately, students often get off campus and
start eating Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, immediately
defeating a major purpose of the move. The key to
cheap and healthy off campus sustenance is wise
spending at the grocery store — not at the closest
fastfood joint. Keep it simple: Load up on pasta
sauce and spaghetti and Campbell's soups, as well
as plenty of breads and meat to make sandwiches.
Another staple for the kitchen: Lots of cereal.
It's amazing how far cereal can take you. Don't
forget cooking oil and salt and pepper. Look for
produce specials and buy as many fruits and
veggies as you can. Just don't forget to eat them
or throw them out before they go bad.
And remember, you need a few things to eat your
food: utensils, plates, and cups are helpful. More
than one set comes in handy if you ever plan to
invite your on campus buds to your new pad.
If you don't have a fully equipped kitchen (think
fridge, stove, microwave, and oven), three
necessary items are a personal fridge, a toaster
of some sort, and a microwave. This should be good
enough to get you by.
Most likely you'll have no problem remembering
your DVD player, Dreamcast, TV and phone. But the
most important piece of electronic equipment you
can bring is a lamp (or several). Light is key —
there are no collegesupplied fluorescent
overheads, and you don't want to live in a cave.
Other critical items often overlooked are cleaning
supplies. No more complaining to the cleaning
service: It's all you. Bring a vacuum cleaner and
a broom. A mop would be nice too. And bring plenty
of cleaning things for the bathroom. You'll want
to do some cleaning in that room, unless you don't
mind living in pure nasty filth.
Really, the bathroom and the kitchen are the two
most important rooms when it comes to the off
campus move. You've dealt with stocking up a
living room (or at least a common area). You're
fully experienced in making your bedroom
comfortable. Don't forget that you now have to
deal with other rooms too. The bathroom will
certainly need some toilet paper and a shower
curtain, besides the usual toiletries.
What else? You'll have to set up your own phone
and Internet lines — no more university access.
Plan to set these amenities up as soon as
possible, because being connected to the outside
world is good. Finally, no more instant cable
television hook ups. Factor this into your
expenses, as well as the cost of utilities.
If you're having second thoughts, don't worry.
There isn't anything too tricky: Off campus living
just requires a little more planning that a
typical move into a dorm room. Believe me, you'll
soon appreciate all the benefits — above and
beyond the freedom from endless Jennifer Lopez.
Albert Chen thinks living off campus is worth
it — even if you have to eat Ramen five nights a
week.
