Living off campus can be tumultuous.
Between finding roommates, paying rent and traveling to and from campus, students can find themselves overwhelmed with new responsibilities.
Srinivasan Sankaranarayanan, a graduate student at Oregon State University studying computer science, quickly learned how difficult finding off-campus housing was.
“I started by looking through various online platforms, including student forums, housing websites and even social media groups dedicated to student housing. It took a lot of time to filter through options and find something within my budget that was also close to campus,” Sankaranarayanan said.
Sarvesh Thiruppathi Ahila, a sophomore at OSU studying computer science, said students who are thinking about living off-campus should “Start looking for houses early and try to be the first to apply. This would minimize the stress and anxiety caused from the house-hunting process.”
The Facebook group “Oregon State University Housing, Sublets and Roommates,” is a private platform for OSU students to post and respond to housing opportunities in Corvallis.
Paige Rhoden, a sophomore studying art history, about her experience searching for housing, said “Some parts were easy while others were challenging. I knew a few upperclassmen in different apartment complexes so it was relatively easy finding where I want to apply for housing.”
Rhoden added that although she prefers to live alone, she experiences difficulty paying rent and that she is looking for a new housing arrangement for the summer with roommates.
“Look at several apartment options before choosing the right one and find at least one roommate,” Rhoden said. “Also check the safety of where you’ll be living. It’s better to live further away from a busy road. My bike was stolen and the neighbors above me have had their apartment broken into. So it’s important to be cautious, especially if you’re a young woman living alone, like me.”
Living with roommates can be another arduous facet of living off-campus, between finding the right ones and dealing with conflict.
Sankaranarayanan said that conflicts over cleanliness and noise were some of the challenges of adapting to new roommates, but over time they learned how to talk things out and respect each other’s needs.
Venkat Ramnan Kalayanakumar, another graduate student at OSU studying computer science, said that when his heating broke down in winter, it taught him and his roommates how to deal with home repairs and each other.
Abhishek Enaguthi, a sophomore at OSU studying computer science, said he and his roommates were able to get household work done by delegating chores.
Enaguthi added that it is important to compromise and understand others, because managing a household has many different aspects to it.
“People might disagree with you or the way you live,” Enaguthi said. “You need to compromise and understand others’ feelings and live happily.”
