Tips for Living Off Campus

1. Tips for Living Off Campus

2. For many college and university students, there’s little more exciting than living off campus. It offers freedom, independence and an introduction to adulthood. But in some cases, little is more stressful and confusing than living off campus. Taking on so much responsibility can quickly become overwhelming. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks to help any student survive this experience. Below are a few of these tips and tricks.

3. Figure Out the Bills Living in your own apartment (even if you live with roommates) means paying the bills. While paying bills is synonymous with adulthood, it’s also one of the most stressful parts of adulthood. And this stress is only compounded when you don’t know how to pay the bills. Unbeknownst to many, the secret to low-stress bill paying is creating and maintaining a monthly budget.

4. This budget should include your rent, utilities (gas, electricity, cable, etc.), mobile phone bill, groceries, household products, and entertainment (if applicable). Of course, bills become more affordable and budgeting may become easier when you live with roommates. However, you won’t have to worry about the cost of utilities if you move into Waterloo student housing rentals like those offered by King Street Towers, as their rentals are all-inclusive.

5. Plan to Clean Not much cleaning or cleaning expertise is required when you live in a single room. Most college and university students go from living in a room at home to living in a room on campus. So, having to clean an entire apartment can be shocking. But, creating a chore list and/or cleaning plan can help reduce some of its shock value.

6. Just remember to buy plenty of cleaning supplies, and invest in a good broom, vacuum, duster and mop. Additionally, buy plenty of laundry supplies, including detergent, fabric softener, bleach, collapsible laundry baskets (for easy handling, transporting and space-saving capabilities), hangers, a garment bag and more.

7. Make sure your room and the main living area is cleaned and organized every day (e.g. make your bed, vacuum, remove clothing from floor, etc.), wash or place the dishes in the dishwasher after every meal (always put them away too) and clean the entire bathroom and do the laundry at least once a week.

8. Move Close to Campus Although off-campus Waterloo student living can offer immense freedom and independence, you should remain as close to campus as possible. Proximity to campus can decrease your commute to class, the campus library, etc., help you stay connected to the school and your peers, and help you save money on transportation.

9. If you move to off-campus student housing like King Street Towers, you’ll have these conveniences and more. In fact, their properties are so close to the University of Waterloo that you could walk to class every day.