Is it better to live on or off campus?

Hi Amira, that's a good question. I was an international student at Purdue, and I had the same question.

In my opinion, it will depend. For example, I was lucky, and was assigned with an office in campus. I usually spent the whole day there, and have access to all the facilities, and resources that the University offered. Most important, I could leave all my personal belongings in there, with no worries.

I lived off-campus, because it was cheaper. Living off campus is not that bad. It requires discipline. You have to bring everything you need with you. But, once you get used to it, it doesn't make a huge difference.

My advice: if you can afford to live on campus, go for it. You will have everything you need at close distance. If not, try to get a place closer to the Campus.

Hi Amira,

I think both works but on campus you have access to your destination faster. For example if you running late to class or contact your professor. In addition no traveling time to school.

Off campus depends how far you live from the campus. Once you leave the campus you have to travel back and forth. You would spend more time traveling as compare to leaving on campus.

I think you should experiment what works best for you but living on campus is better.

Hi! When i went to college, I lived both on and off campus.

Hello!

I have I started on campus and that helped me to meet people. On campus there are many different types of people that you have to learn to live with and deal with. Being right on campus give you easy access to all the things you need...classes, library, cafeteria, etc. You don't have to worry about the commute time, costs associated with off campus housing, etc. One thing to keep in mind is that on campus housing often has you living in a group environment, so you don't have a lot of privacy or alone time, but that helps you learn to manage chaos.

After a couple years, I moved off campus, but still stayed close. I could walk to campus if I needed to, but it wasn't as convenient. Off campus living does have it's advantages. It gives you more of your own space and with less roommates, I only had 2, you can build closer relationships.

My recommendation would be to start off on campus and if you find a time where you want more space and time to yourself, then make the move off campus. No matter where you live, one piece of advice, would be that if you have time between classes, use it to study. It's a good habit to get into and helps you build time management skills.

Thanks
Kim

Hi Amira.

Great question: It really depends on what experience you want to have in college.

Do you plan to be part of a sorority and have the experience there with sisters who will help you through not only this chapter in your life, but also in years to come? I lived off campus for my 2 years at 4 year university. I don't have experiences with the sorority life. But one of my bosses was in a sorority in college and she has great experiences and even career networking opportunities with her sorority contacts to this day. That's one aspect I really wish I'd been able to take advantage of: other people who know what you're going through, help with homework, you're part of the community and experience, and it's super easy to get involved in clubs and other activities given that you're on campus.

Off campus: You generally have more privacy. It's easier to disconnect and might suit your personality better if you're really trying to focus on working (putting yourself through college).

You can also look at this from a cost perspective. If you're off campus, it's going to be more expensive: room, board, food. And you have to think about time and transportation to the school. If you're on campus, you have everything there. But you might get easily tired of the routine food and other experiences.

Safety is another good thing to consider: you're generally more safe on campus than off campus. But, visit the school in question to experience the school environment.