All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.
Jack Davis: If you’re looking at moving out of the dorms and into a house or an apartment, do so quickly. Renters in Bloomington don’t wait for people to conduct tours or research all the information before making a decision. If someone else signs a lease before you’re able to, then it’s time to move on to the next place. This means it’s essential to move quickly to a place that you think you’ll like.
Eric Cannon: If you’re a freshman thinking about your housing and living situation for next year, also consider your meal plan. At the same cost or for less than an IU meal plan, you can buy and prepare food from the store that’s both tastier and healthier than what you find in dining halls.
Joaquin Baerga: When living off-campus with multiple roommates, you should take time to assign daily chores; give each person one small thing to do every day (e.g., take out the trash, wipe down the counter, run the dishwasher, etc.). Hold each other accountable when necessary but also give each other a bit of slack. If one roommate forgets to take out the trash on their day, it’s not the end of the world. If they don’t take it out for weeks, that’s a real problem.
Odessa Lyon: In many cases, living with an acquaintance is easier than living with a friend. If your relationship is formed in the context of a roommate, rather than that of a friend, it can be easier to set boundaries and etiquette rules for tasks including cleaning, having guests over and noise. In friendship, these matters can become assumed, causing more friction when addressing problems. No one wants to deal with that in their living space. A neutral space to lay your head can often be better than one littered with expectations. Just because you enjoy similar hobbies doesn’t mean you also share a concept for what’s ‘clean.’ As Renée Rapp said, neither of you needs to be “everything to everyone.”
Aryana Amin-Tehrani: Being a Resident Assistant comes with a lot of responsibility, but it means I avoid having to deal with finding housing on campus. IU is dealing with a record number of enrollments, and housing is limited — it’s so nice that this isn’t a worry for me.
Advait Save: Moving out of a dorm to an apartment complex or an off-campus house feels more like a second-shift full-time job than independence or freedom. Keeping a constant check on bills, groceries and laundry is not the only hurdle in your “independent” life. Scheduling classes is a nightmare; they go from being a walk away after getting breakfast at your dorm to being a walk plus a bus ride with no breakfast — unless I want to miss the bus. Did I do laundry last week? Could I squeeze one cycle in before this evening's seminar? Maybe not!
Ainsley Foster: I’ve found there is a lot to miss about dorm living that I did not appreciate until I moved off campus! There is so much to be said about the convenience of being able to stop by your room if you get cold and forget a sweater or being able to stop in a dining hall really quickly in between classes.
Max Moore: If you plan to go abroad as a junior, it is wise to find someone who you can sublease your housing to for the semester you are gone. This might seem like it’s too soon to give this advice but it’s beneficial to get this figured out so you aren’t in a situation where you could potentially have to pay a lease for a living space you aren’t occupying.
This article was originally published in the Housing & Living Guide, an IDS special publication.
