While some students choose to live on campus, others choose to live in student apartments. Living in an apartment offers students real independence and can give them an insight into what life is like outside the home.
Choosing an apartment is not always that easy. There may be many different apartments to choose from and it’s not always clear which one is right for you. Don’t worry, this article will show you how you can find the right apartment and how to look after it.
One of the most important things that you need to do is to work with your budget. How much can you afford to spend on your accommodation? Can you afford to live on your own or would it be better to share with at least one other person? When you know what you can afford, you’ll know what type and size of apartment you need to look for.
Some student apartments may be very close to the university you’re going to, others can be a few miles away. If you don’t want to spend time traveling to lectures, you may want to choose an apartment that’s relatively close by. If you can travel and are willing to, try not to choose an apartment that’s too far away. Ideally, it will take you no more than 30 minutes to reach university.
If you do need to travel, work out if there’s a lot of public transportation around. How many buses run in the mornings? Will they get you to university on time? Perhaps you can take a train, just make sure there’s a train at a good time for you.
If you live on campus, you may have little to no bills to pay. However, if you live in a student apartment, you could have quite a few. How do you plan to pay for those bills? Will you need to find a job so you can supplement your income? Perhaps you have a scholarship, but will it cover all of your bills?
Work out how much your bills are likely to be each month, and how much you can afford to pay. You may need to get a job so you can pay your bills and have some money to spare at the end of each month.
In addition to doing your coursework, you’ll need to keep your apartment clean. This may not seem like a big deal right now, however, it can be in the future. If you live with other people, they may not always be as clean or as tidy as you’d hoped. Work out who is going to do the chores and when. Perhaps you can come up with a rota or simply agree to clean up after yourselves. The best thing you can do is to deal with the chores when they need doing, so they don’t become a problem.
Also, Read: Required Phone Apps for Students
