Advice from an Upperclassman
The Truth about Signing a Lease
We have a little over one month left of the semester and our friends are putting the pressure on us to sign that lease. Any upperclassman will tell you how stressful it is to find where you are going to live. You have to balance the cost, location, bedroom size, and everyone’s opinion that’s involved (plus their mom’s opinions). And while we are excited to be leaving the residence halls, and experience that sweet taste of independence, we often make decisions ~maybe~ too rash.
I was told, like many of you, that you MUST sign a year in advance. Otherwise, there will be no houses left, you won’t be able to live with your friends, and the closest location will be near Walmart. Trust me, this is not the case. In fact, in my case, it was the exact opposite. So many students sign for their Junior year house in their freshman year. Then they later grow apart from these friends or realize that $4,500 might not have been as good of a “deal” as the realtor promised it was.
I personally didn’t sign for my Junior year housing until April of my Sophomore year. At that point in the semester, landlords started dropping prices dramatically to fill up empty spots. I got to live in a phenomenal location, with all my friends, for only $3,600 a semester (a $600 discount). They also – and this is a MAJOR bonus – let me only sign a half lease because I was studying abroad.
Now, I don’t recommend everyone wait until nearly the end of your sophomore year to sign a lease, but I would recommend waiting at least until you are a sophomore, and preferably – the spring semester of that year. There will not only be houses available on the North and South sides of campus, but apartments scattered around town too. Additionally, take the time to truly think over who and where you’re living. Don’t rush into any decisions – because, really, you don’t have to!
Hannah Frier | Marketing