On-Campus Living vs. Commuting vs. Off-Campus Living
Though some schools require all students live on campus for their freshman (and sometimes also sophomore) year, your child will most likely have a choice between living in a residence hall owned and operated by the university, living at home and commuting to school each day, or living in a house or apartment close to campus. The pros and cons of each option will differ from school to school, student to student and parent to parent but we’ll detail each one to ensure you and your child select the most beneficial option.
Living on campus is ideal for freshmen for several reasons. Many schools group freshmen together in the same dormitories or areas of campus, meaning your child will be living with other first-year students and sharing this new chapter in their lives with others in the exact same situation.
Some schools give housing priority to students living the furthest away so if you live within a certain mileage of campus, your child could be ineligible to take advantage of university housing. Even if this isn’t the case, students whose parents reside close to campus should consider living at home and commuting to school each day.
As students become more familiar with the area surrounding campus, they may consider moving into a house or apartment close to the college grounds instead of on them. Typically, this happens junior or senior year but some students elect to forego university housing from the beginning.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed our perspective on education. Online education, quarantine dorms and virtual campuses have been broadly implemented in the COVID era. In the midst of this education shakeup, some businesses have begun to offer alternatives to both traditional college and our current pandemic-flavor of education. The U Experience is one such venture that promises a small number of students a mask-free, COVID-free resort campus where they can take online classes. [...]
November is nearly over, which means National Scholarship Month is winding down. When it comes to finding scholarships online, students all across the country are discovering how easy it is to get matched to vetted scholarship opportunities at Scholarships.com. Creating a student profile, discovering your customized scholarships matches and finding new opportunities daily couldn’t be easier. Plus, like any legitimate scholarship site, Scholarships.com is 100% free. This Cyber Monday, take a break from online shopping and spend some time applying to these end-of-National Scholarship Month scholarships at Scholarships.com! Your college financial aid opportunities are just around the corner. [...]
For many college students this year, Thanksgiving is the end-of-semester holiday rather than a traditional winter break in December. Some colleges started their semesters early so they could wrap up by Thanksgiving, while others are having students finish out the semester virtually. Whatever your circumstances, it helps to have a thought-out plan on how you will be travelling from campus to home so you can enjoy the holidays with your family. Here are our tips for COVID-friendly travel this Thanksgiving. [...]
