Off-Campus Housing Blog

Decorating Tips: How to Make Your Student Apartment Feel Like Home

July 21, 2015

Your favorite boy band poster from seventh grade. Mom’s cooking. Showering without flip flops. These are just some of thing you will miss about home when you leave and head into student housing. Your school schedule, friends and classmates, and, in some cases, the city or town, will all be new and unfamiliar to you as you…

Parental Advice: Guidelines for Communicating With Your College Student

July 20, 2015

Apartment Living

Constant parental advice can make adjusting to college life difficult on your college student. Some parents expect a phone call from their college student daily. If the student doesn’t contact them that day, they will call late at night to make sure they are doing fine. This can make day-to-day college life difficult, as they often have to take time…

College Apartment Living: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

July 19, 2015

Apartment Living

College is all about new experiences. New learning, new environment, new people and finding yourself at the odd age of being an adult but not being quite sure how to be an adult. College apartments are a big part of this process. For most people, it’s the first time being solely dependent on yourself and not…

Five Roommate Types You Will Meet in College

July 18, 2015

Roommates

Part of being a college student is learning to live with roommates. Even if you shared a room with a sibling at home, it’s nothing compared to living with people you barely know. You can’t run to your parents when they make you mad, or threaten to beat them up, or… actually beat them up.…

Teaching your Child About Student Finances

July 17, 2015

Budgeting, Parent's Corner

As your teenage children get ready for their time in college, money matters will be a constant subject. Teaching your children about student finances and how it will influence their college experience will allow you to foster transparency, as well as act as a gateway to teaching your children about the power of the dollar. Here…

Three Terrifying Roommate Scenarios

July 16, 2015

Roommates

You did your research. You prepared ahead of time. Somehow, you still ended up moving in with a nightmare of a roommate. Suddenly, the semester seems twice as long as it did before. College apartments are never perfect, but you’re pretty sure your roommate is worse than anyone else you’ve ever heard about before. Trying to…

Five Tips for Finding a Roommate for Your College Apartment

July 15, 2015

Roommates

When you go off to college, it seems as though everyone you know has a “dreaded roommate” story or had a difficult time finding a roommate. Your mother had a roommate who would come in drunk and try to use the closet instead of the bathroom. Your sister had a roommate who had a sleeping…

Getting the Most out of Your Living Room

July 14, 2015

Apartment Living, Decorating Tips

One of the most difficult aspects of creating a great living space is deciding how to get the most out of your living room. After all, if you’re a student living in an off-campus apartment with a roommate, you’re probably dealing with disorganization, because you don’t feel like you have enough time. In other cases, your roommates possibly…

Aquavault: A Safety Solution for Students

July 14, 2015

Apartment Living, Safety Tips

A secure solution beyond your water adventures, the AquaVault® outdoor travel safe is made of durable high impact ABS thermoplastic to withstand aggressive attempts on your valuables, and is perfect for any dorm room or apartment. The 120-square-inch cargo hull is roomy enough for wallets, watches, mobile phones, jewelry, keys and other valuables. AquaVault® is…

6 Tips to Avoid Nightmare Housemates in College Apartments

July 13, 2015

Roommates

Living off campus in college apartments is awesome. You finally have your own place. No more dorms and nasty roommates. You’re about to get excited, then you calculate your budget. You realize how much cheaper rent is with a housemate. Don’t stress. Here are 6 tips for finding the perfect college housemate. 1. To Party, Or Not To…

Parent’s Corner: Providing Practical Tips for Your College Bound Student

July 12, 2015

Parent's Corner

Providing parental advice on finding off-campus housing might feel obtrusive if you believe in the idea of letting your college bound student have their own freedom. Regardless, you should still be there to help them through the sometimes confusing path of looking for housing since they’ll likely run across issues they’ve never encountered before. With your…

How to Have a Positive Roommate Experience

July 11, 2015

Roommates

The conventional wisdom about college roommates is “The best friends you make are those you make in college.” It’s partly true. You do make friends after college too and those friends you made in high school — well, some of them will continue to be your friends. However, in college, you have the chance to make…