Students’ lifestyle concerns a big factor in housing decision
HOUSING from page 1
more involved in activities and have more con
tact with faculty.
Resources such as computer labs and librar
ies are easier to get to for students living on
campus. Students are also more likely to go to
class and meet with instructors if they live on
campus, he said.
Students cite other benefits of living in the
residence halls when they are deciding to re
turn. The reason students most attributed their
return to the residence halls was location.
“Living on campus is convenient. You are
always no more than 15 minutes away from a
class,” senior history major James McGowan
said.
The university offers a couple of different
payment options for students paying their bills.
They can pay all at (Mice or monthly. Also, the
university will not evict students for being a
few days late with a payment, as some land
lords might.
With university billing, all of the costs of
living are included in one consolidated bill.
There are no separate phone, electric or cable
bills.
The residence hall staff is responsible for
all of the cooking and cleaning, which lets stu
dents concentrate on other things.
“It is easier living (in the dorms) with ev
erything taken care of for you,” McGowan said.
Also, the cafeteria food is nutritional and
all-you-can-eat. There are several options on
the serving line for students to choose from.
Living in the residence halls gives students
the chance to interact with other students on
their floor, and through hall activities.
“In the dorms there is always someone to
do stuff with, and you can meet lots of new
people,” junior pre-pharmacy major Renee
Jensen said.
The university tries to provide a safe and
secure environment for students in the dorms
with community service officers, after-midnight
check-in and escort policies.
Senior secondary education major Cory
Emal has lived in the residence halls for four
years and enjoys having his needs cared for.
“I guess I was just always too lazy to move
off campus,” Emal said.
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♦
University officials say the costs of living
in the residence halls are about the same as the
costs of living off campus.
Yet as students mature and learn to handle
the demands of college there are some benefits
to living off campus, Zatechka said. Students
leam how to deal with landlords, hook up utili
ties and other skills they will need to know af
ter they graduate.
*
On their own
Students living off campus say the new free
doms and space students find can easily out
weigh the day-to-day problems many students
may encounter.
The benefits of living in an apartment are
numerous, although many of them depend on
individual students’ tastes and priorities.
“An apartment is just more like a home than
the dorms,” apartment manager Julie Fix of
Cherry Hill management said.
Apartments offer students the freedom to
live their lives as they choose. For instance,
they can have alcohol in their home, play loud
music and have guests overnight.
1
Students can keep their own schedules and
come and go as they please in their apartment.
They can also eat whenever it is convenient for
them, instead of trying to eat during the spe
cific hours the residence hall cafeterias are
open.
“In an apartment I have more control over
what and how I do things,” freshman mechani
cal engineering student J.D. Johnson said.
Many students also look forward to cook
ing their own food so they can choose what they
want to eat.
Apartments offer students more privacy be
cause each student can have their own room.
Some students find living in an apartment
quieter than living in the halls.
“It’s easier for me to study in an apartment
without having to deal with all those other
people,” Johnson said.
Many students move into apartments be
cause they think they can live on their own for
less money than they spend to live in the resi
dence halls.
“An apartment was cheaper for me, and
there is a lot more freedom in living in an apart
ment,” senior international business major
James Ferranty said.
Apartment life may sometimes be cheaper
than living in the residence halls because liv
ing in an apartment allows students to pay for
only those things they use.
“In the dorms, students have a board plan
that is often not used, so it goes to waste. In an
apartment you decide what food you eat and
what amenities you want to pay for,” Patricia
Jones, an apartment manager for Jones Prop
erties, said.
Something students may not consider when
moving into an apartment is the skills they will
leam that will help them after they complete
school.
“Paying all the different bills and being ac
countable for their own apartment teaches stu
dents responsibility,” said Claremont Park
manager Siefkes.
In the end, the decision to move into an
apartment is mainly a lifestyle decision.
“Students just need to decide how much
freedom they want and what is important to
them,” Zatechka said.
-:-1
Choosing apartments takes research
By Josh Funk
Staff Reporter
After a year or two of living in residence
halls, many students decide they are ready
to move off campus and into an apartment,
but they may not know what to do next.
There are many things that must be con
sidered when students decide to move into
an apartment.
The first step for students looking for an
apartment is to decide who they will room
with and make a budget. Apartment man
agers advise students to decide what they
want in an apartment and what factors are
important before they begin looking.
Then students can begin to look through
advertisements to find an apartment.
Several apartment managers listed these
things for students to consider as they look
for an apartment:
~~1
■ Landlords’ backgrounds.
■ Proximity to campus.
■ Neighborhood.
■ Age and history of the structure.
■ Maintenance policy of complex.
Students can check out potential land
lords with the Better Business Bureau or the
Real Estate Owners and Managers Associa
tion here in Lincoln.
When touring the actual apartment it is
important to see the entire apartment and
try things out.
■ Turn on all the faucets and flush the
toilet at the same time to make sure there’s
enough water pressure.
■ Make sure all major appliances are in
good working order.
■ Look at the furnace, water heater and
air conditioner.
■ Check how many phone jacks are
available and where they are.
Patricia Jones of Jones Management said
students should remember a few tips about
leases and applications as they get closer to
deciding on an apartment.
■ Managers may charge an application
fee to process application ($25 or more).
■ Landlords will run a credit check and
evaluate income of applicants.
■ Without a credit histoiy, the student
will need a co-signer.
■ A damage deposit equal to one
month’s rent will be required with lease.
■ A lease is a legally binding document
that both tenant and landlord must follow.
It is a good idea to find out everything
about the lease before signing, Fix said.
Property manager Sarah Siefkes of
Claremont Park apartments said students
should also be prepared for leaving the apart
ment.
“Find out how and i f you can break your
lease before you sign it,” she said.
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