Wondering if living off campus is worth it or not? Here are some useful tips to make the decision easier.

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.