Life on the homestead: A look at student housing
The living experience of college is a unique one. Late night chats with your roommates, mounting piles of clutter cramping the already limited space, and the family relationships cultivated among the people that live together contribute to this experience.
GCSU offers many different options for housing, each with a different style of living to match the personalities of students. The residence halls, The Village, The Grove, Grove Park, The Bellamy and Magnolia are some of the most popular places to live. The residence halls and The Village are considered on-campus housing. The classic argument between living on- or off-campus often deals with social aspects and finances.
“After taking out the meal plan, living off-campus was a lot cheaper than the residence halls or The Village,” said Meredith Meaders, a sophomore living in The Bellamy.” I like living here because it is still close enough to campus that I can socialize, but I have my own space and I’m saving a lot of money.”
The running rate for the typical student living on-campus in a regular suite style residence hall is $2,284 per semester, which broken down is about $507 per month. The Village runs about $3,200 for six months at a rate of about $533 per month. The Village offers more amenities than the residence halls including a full kitchen, whereas the residence halls have a closer proximity to campus. There is also the freedom from responsibilities of cleaning, utilities and maintenance of the dorms. Currently about half the students living in the dorms are freshman while the other half remains upperclassmen.
Houses and apartments off-campus tend to vary in prices due to landlords, bills, and the number of roommates but generally run about $300 to $600 a month .The Bellamy ranges from $510 to $590 per person depending on the floor plan. Most off-campus apartments include full amenities. Along with the monthly rates of living off-campus students also have added responsibilities such as yard work, and taking care of any damages.
“I love living in my own house,” said Natalie Wright, junior nursing major. ” I love my roommates and the freedom of living off-campus, though sometimes I feel like a housewife with all the responsibilities.”
Due to the rather large influx of freshman to GCSU this year, Housing offered many students the opportunity to live in The Village for the same price as the dorms. For Will Saunders, it was a different experience.
“I don’t really see people in The Village as much as I did in the dorms.” Said Saunders, history and theatre major ” I don’t like it quite as much socially, but I spend most of my time on Front Campus, I’m playing the same price as the dorms, and I have a kitchen!”
GCSU Housing argues that students living on-campus generally have a higher GPA as well as being better socially integrated, safer, and eating better. Yet many students are finding that it is cheaper to live off-campus, and with the economy still in a downward spiral students are exploring their other options.
“I stayed in the dorms for their convenience. It’s easy to walk to classes and great for social networking,” junior Meredith Carpenter said. “I’ve really gotten to get to know people in the dorms and it’s easier to get involved around campus.”
Living on-or off-campus is a matter of preference. Some prefer the residence halls, some prefer houses, and others prefer apartments. Whether for finances or social aspects, everyone can find their place in the GCSU community.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 11 2009. Filed under News.
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