Living Like An Adult: A 5-Step Guide to Off-Campus Life

By Gregory John "G.J." Vitale on September 6, 2012

This year, many rising juniors, like myself, have decided to take the plunge from the comfortable cocoon of on-campus living in favor of the unknown waters of an off-campus house. Why, you might ask, should this transition be so drastic? Well uninformed questioner who is probably a freshman, gone are the days of university-hired cleaning crews, university-provided electricity, and university-provided Internet. This is real life, not the picture below…

It actually looks more like a bunch of exhausted 20-year-olds rummaging through boxes. Kind of like this…

So here are my five steps to relieve the terrors of living off-campus.

1. Never enter off-campus living with a less than reputable character.

Even after a short period of living with your best friends, everyday disagreements and money are bound to create tension in the house. Make sure the peole you choose to live with are not only “chill,” but also responsible.

2. Design a simple, yet meaningful plan for the house.

On the second or third day after moving in, when all members of the house are present, call a house meeting. As is common with off-campus houses, the place will most likely be dirty and have some qualities you want to change. Talk about a cleaning plan (maybe every Sunday the whole house cleans), renovations, electric and gas bills, etc. Get it all out of the way and written down so that when the year gets really hectic, you have a fall back crutch.

3. Keep a running IOU log for any expenses between housemates.

Always knowing who owes who what is a difficult task to undertake, and when you have to pay for nearly everything you use now, it becomes almost impossible. Tape a list on the fridge or, for you techy people, create a google doc or excel spreadsheet.

4. Stay on good terms with your landlord.

If the two parties are in harmony, they will work to help each other. An angry landlord is not a helpful landlord, and not paying your rent on time is not the only way to piss them off. Avoid any serious damage to the house at any cost, but if damage is inflicted, contact him/her right away. If they are a professional, they will respect you for coming forward and will be more likely to trust you in the future. This isn’t to say they won’t take the cost out of your security deposit.

5. Find time for yourself.

Whether this means taking up an extracurricular or two that none of your housemates are a part of, or even just going to the library alone a couple times per week, time for yourself is absolutely essential. Remember that vacation you went on with your best friend? It was great most the time, but toward the end you probably wished for a break. Make that break a reality. Spend more time in your bedroom than the common room, hang out with other friends who don’t live with you: whatever it takes so that you don’t start resenting your housemates for every little thing they do.

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