You’ll often hear your parents and their friends talking about their time in college dorms fondly. To some extent, many people do enjoy their 2 years of on-campus residency. And, to be honest, Ohio University’s dorms are pretty legit compared to other schools. But, also to some extent, the longer you’re away from the dorms, the more you can forget the awful parts – like that roommate that always left hair in the sink or the neighbors one room over who had a prolific snorer.
Regardless of how much you love dorm life or don’t, once your two years are up, it’s off to student apartments for you! And it’s exciting. You get to do your first adulting – searching for the perfect OU apartment close to uptown and campus, planning meals, making a budget, deciding if you want to live on your own or rent a big house near Court Street to keep an active social life. There’s a lot to look forward to.
5 Great Things About Living Off-Campus in Athens, Ohio
So, what exactly is it that’s so much better about off-campus living than the dorms? These were the 5 things we liked best about finally being on our own:
Room to spread your wings. Literally.
Dorms are small, and sometimes it seems like there’s no way to just get some space to yourself. But whether you choose the independent solitude of a calm, quiet little studio apartment right off of South Green or a five bedroom house just a short walk to uptown, truly having your own space – a door you can close – is a game changer.
Decorating your rental unit exactly the way you want.
If you decide to live alone, you’ve got free reign to decorate your entire off-campus rental. But even if you’re renting a unit with 3 or 4 bedrooms and a few roommates, you still get to make your bedroom up exactly the way you like it. No more dealing with dorm roommate décor that just isn’t your style.
Bringing more life into your apartment and yard.
Plants and stuff! If you’ve got an apartment with outdoor space, you can plant flower beds or decorate your deck with planters. And then there are pets to think about. Even if the rental company you lease your student apartment from doesn’t allow cats and dogs, you can usually bring in animals that are contained, like fish or a fuzzy little hamster.
Living even closer to the bars and restaurants uptown than before.
Let’s be honest; this is kind of tops. Nobody likes walking across campus in the middle of the night to get home from the bars. It takes a long time and it’s creepy. But once you live off-campus and actually in uptown, it’s a short walk to and from your favorite food and drink spots any time of day or night.
Not having to ship out every time school’s on break.
Okay, maybe this one is tops. When you’re in the dorms, it’s, like, an entire situation every time Winter or Summer breaks come around. But once you’re in an apartment, OU’s schedule doesn’t affect your living situation. Stay for the Holidays or don’t – it’s totally up to you now.
Excited? You should be. But don’t forget to plan ahead and start your apartment search a year ahead of time so you have the best rental options to choose from!