Should Your Child Live Off Campus? 5 Compelling Benefits

As your child heads off to college, your family faces the question of where your student should live while away at school. While many students opt for student housing — generally, dorms — you have good reasons to set up your child in an apartment. What are some of these reasons? Consider these five common benefits. 

1. It's Often Cheaper. Depending on the living arrangements and your child's needs, you may find that the family saves big money by opting for a regular apartment. Many university communities have a network of apartments specially targeted toward students within a reasonable distance from the college. If the student is willing to (or wants to) have a roommate, the costs become even more affordable. 

2. It's Less Distracting. Campus life can be a big distraction for a student during their first time away from the nest. From fire drills and interpersonal conflicts between other students to parties and communal space sharing, life in a dorm can take away from the purpose of going to college — to get that education. An apartment, on the other hand, is like living at home — quiet, private, and less inclined to big parties. 

3. Apartments Are Larger. Because a dorm is designed to generally serve as a bedroom, most are not spacious. An apartment, though, is an entire home — kitchen, entertaining areas, home dining, bedrooms, and even spare rooms. This is more conducive to living a normal life all year long rather than feeling like you're living in a hotel with strangers. 

4. No Moving In and Out. One downside of living on campus is that the students are tied to the campus schedule. They may not be able to live in housing all year long and may be in different locations from year to year. If stability and permanence are important for your child to thrive, they may do better with their own year-round apartment. 

5. It's Good Practice. Since college is preparation for your teen to start their own independent life outside the home, why not get started toward that goal now? Student apartments provide the opportunity to care for their own place, cook for themselves, express their own style, and pay bills on time. While dorms provide some of these teachable moments, they're much less independent than a home.

Which of these perks of off-campus life could benefit your student the most? Whether they want an independent, private life or money savings, student apartments may be the best path for them. Learn more by visiting off-campus housing options around your university today. For more information about student apartments for rent, contact a local landlord.

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