Although you probably associate dorms with the wild lifestyle of your undergraduate years, you may be surprised to learn that many colleges and universities offer a number of on campus housing options for graduate students as well.  When deciding whether to take advantage of these options or look for off campus housing, consider the following factors:

On Campus

First, if you’re attending grad school in a new city, living on campus will help your meet people more quickly by providing you with a built-in community of new friends.  Walking down the hall to meet someone is a lot easier than going door-to-door in your new neighborhood.  You’ll also find that on campus housing is less complicated – you won’t need to worry about setting up utilities and most dorms offer convenient dining options that come included in your room and board bill.

If you’re interested in on campus housing, check to see what specific options your college or university offers.  Some institutions offer separate graduate student dorms or townhouse-style living arrangements that resemble off campus alternatives.  However, consider your options carefully if your school doesn’t separate graduate dorms from their undergraduate counterparts.  As a grad student, you’ll be working harder than ever – there will be nights you need to work late without being distracted by constant partying or loud music.

Off Campus

Despite the benefits of living on campus, most graduate students choose to find off campus housing in the areas surrounding campus.  Living off campus gives you more freedom than you’ll find in the dorms.  You can come and go as you please without worrying about building lock down hours and missing keycards.  In addition, very few dorms include the full kitchens that you’ll find in off campus housing, so you won’t be limited to microwave Easy Mac or hot plate popcorn.  If you like to cook or need the flexibility of preparing meals outside of limited dorm cafeteria hours, off campus housing may be for you.

Off campus housing also gives you flexibility in terms of who you want to live with.  If you’re attending the same college where you earned your Bachelor’s degree, you may already have a core group of friends you want to live with.  Dorms may restrict you to living in pairs or groups of three or four, while off campus housing options are available for ten to fifteen students or more.  Depending on your landlord, you may also have more flexibility to customize your space with paint and decorations than you will in the dorms.

If you do plan to live off campus, choose your rental unit with care.  Don’t ever sign a lease without touring the unit, and when you do tour it, check carefully for signs of damage or structural instability.  Your landlord may charge you for existing damage to the property if you don’t specifically note it on your lease.  Also be sure that you understand every provision of your lease before you sign.  If something looks funny to you, check with the Tenant’s Resource Center or a lawyer in your area to find out if it’s legit.