How to Find Housing During College

For many freshmen in college, finding a place to live is easy. If your college provides dormitories for incoming students, this will be your automatic living situation for your first year on campus. Dorm life can be stressful if you have trouble dealing with the cramped spaces and less-than-ideal cafeteria food, but it also affords plenty of great opportunities. Many students make friends with roommates and neighbors, and plenty of dorm activities provide a great way to socialize with other students. It's also convenient since the dorms are right on campus.

After freshman year, however, many students have to find another place to live near campus. Students may be able to live in the dorms again if their school has the space. One way to do this is to apply to be a residential advisor, or RA. These are usually sophomores or juniors who live in the dorms with freshman and advise them on a wide range of matters, whether it's a roommate conflict or academic problem. They are trusted confidantes who are expected to be available most of the time for whenever the students in their dorm need some help. It's considered a part-time job at most universities and comes with decent compensation.

If you are anxious to get out of the dorms, it's time to start looking at nearby residences. If you have a car, you'll have more options when it comes to housing. You can search for affordable apartments or rental units within a 10 or 15-mile radius of campus. Without a car, you'll need to limit your search to places within walking distance or near a bus line. Either way, most schools often have plenty of rental spaces near campus since there is always a high demand for places to live.

Before you start your search, talk with friends to see if anyone would like to share an apartment or house with you. Having roommates can considerably reduce your costs, plus it will provide you with a fun, social space to spend your college years.

Start your search by looking online. Craiglist can often be a great place to find places to live, as can other sites like Rent.com. Larger cities may even have free apartment-finding services, like Apartment Finders or Apartment People. These services provide someone who will take you around to find places that suit your location and price range. Make sure to include all your potential roommates in the search until you find a place that you all like.

If these online options don't work, check with your university to see if they have any off-campus housing services. Many schools will list apartments and houses in their school newspaper, while others have a specific resource set up for students who need to find a place to live after freshman year. You can also talk to upperclassmen about how they found their apartments or to find out if any them are planning to move when the school year ends. No matter how you go about finding a place to live, start your search early. Many students sign a lease for an apartment or house as early as 6 months before they actually move in.