Making the tough choice to live on or off campus

The deadline for obtaining on-campus housing is fast approaching while the number of off-campus houses left on the market diminishes each day. For those still deciding whether to live on or off campus, crunch time is here. A little under 60 percent of undergraduates typically live on campus, leaving about 40 percent of the student body to live in West Philadelphia and other nearby areas. "I think that traditionally there is a tendency for the undergraduates, as they get older, to move away from campus," said Mihaela Farcas, director of the Office of Off-Campus Living. For Dave Scales, a College sophomore who lived off campus this year, independence was definitely an issue. "I didn't want to have to swipe my card every time I went into a dorm," Scales explained. "I wanted people to be able to get into my place without having to sign them in." Besides independence, students also choose to live off campus with the hope of saving money, Farcas said. Scales noted that while his monthly rent was less than if he lived on campus, utility bills, furnishing costs and purchases of common household goods add up. "There are a lot of small things you have to buy to keep the apartment running," he noted. After a year spent in the Quadrangle, Scales noted that the two biggest advantages of living off campus were being assured a single and the absence of quiet hours. "Now I can come in at three in the morning and put on music without having to worry about it," he said. Some students, however, are content to remain on campus. After living in a four-bedroom high rise apartment this year, College sophomore Pam Meredith chose to keep her room again next year. "I have my own single and it's convenient to be on campus," she said. Meredith admitted that the security procedures of living on campus can be "a little annoying at times, but I know it's for our safety so I don't mind that much." "When you are in the Quad you feel like you are almost living in camp," she said. "When you come to the high rises, it's a different story -- you are living in an apartment with only a little bit of monitoring going on." Aside from the disadvantage of supervision, Meredith listed several advantages to remaining on campus. "On campus, I get Resnet access, furniture and one bill for everything," she said. "Also, I feel quite safe here and security is key." On these issues, Scales admitted that on-campus living had its advantages. "I'm more worried about safety here [off campus] than I was on campus." With regards to Internet access, Scales pointed out that living off campus, without an Ethernet connection, becomes less convenient. "Since I'm dialing in I do less stuff on the computer? I don't check e-mail as much. I don't go on the Internet as much." Summing up the decision to live on or off campus, director Farcas called it a "trade-off." "If you live on campus, you are very, very close, somebody else takes care of your security and safety and you have Resnet," she said. "If you live off campus, you have to be more in charge, you have to know where to move, you have to be more in control of your safety and of your budget. There are a lot more responsibilities."

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