It’s a common occurrence in homes every year. Your college student announces at Christmas that he or she is not going to live in the dorms next year. It’s time for an apartment.
While your first thought might be panic: “She’s not ready for an apartment!” “It can’t be as safe as the dorm!” The reality is that most students desire the independence and additional space of off-campus housing after a few years in a dorm. If students choose wisely and focus on student-oriented complexes, apartments can be both safe and affordable alternatives to dorm life.
Your best bet as a parent is to accept the inevitable and embrace the idea of apartment living for your son or daughter. Sure, there is a lot they aren’t considering: he can’t cook, she doesn’t have even the most basic furniture, but those are issues that can be resolved with time, before the apartment move-in date occurs.
In today’s parent’s corner, we show you how to help your child make the jump to apartment living.
How to Help:
Although your children surely don’t want you dictating their choice of apartment or their roommates, if you’re footing the bill you certainly have the right to be a part of the process. However, your student actually has a better handle on the best locations and options for him or her, so this is a good chance to sit back and let him take the lead.
If you will be paying for the apartment, start by letting your student know his or her monthly housing budget. Knowing what they can afford will help narrow the search and focus them in on the best alternatives.
Help your student make a list of the important factors for their new apartment. Usually that includes: location, amenities (laundry, parking, swimming pool, work out facilities, etc), access to public transportation or bike routes and cost.
Comparing alternative apartments using the criteria above can help your children pick the best apartment for their needs.
As a parent, it can be difficult to sit back and let your children handle their own decisions, but by providing guidance and observing quietly from the background, you can ensure that your student makes the right decision while taking ownership for his or her choice.
Now, it’s your turn. As a parent, how do you feel you can best help your child adjust to apartment living. Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below.
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3 Comments. Leave new
As a parent helping my daughter move into off campus housing it is very nerve racking but doing research really helps as well as speaking with the apartment managers. If you raised your child the right way then them moving into off campus housing should not be extremely stressful thing.
Because my parents let me choose my off campus apartment I am where I want to be and in the neighborhood that best suites me and my lifestyle. There is no way the could have known where would be closest to my favorite shops and classes.
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