Is Residence or an Apartment Right for You?

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Is Residence or an Apartment Right for You?
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• One of the biggest decisions to make before you
  head off to university is where to live. Many
  students decide to spend at least their first
  year in residence, but others find this
  uncomfortable and prefer to live in apartment
  rentals in Waterloo. Waterloo students are lucky,
  as there are plenty of options whatever you
  choose you just need to figure out what would
  better suit your needs.

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Cost of Living

• Living in residence is almost always more
  expensive than renting an apartment. You pay for
  the convenience of being on campus, receiving a
  meal plan, and having a furnished space.

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• However, the total costs could be lower, as
  youll only pay for eight months rather than 12
  months. This could be convenient if you want to
  go home over the summer, but it will be an
  additional complication if you want to stay in
  Waterloo for a job or internship.

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Meet New People

• A major reason why many students opt to live in
  residence for their first year is because they
  have no friends at university yet. When you live
  on campus, you meet a huge number of people in a
  short period of time. Beyond just being around
  other people, you can attend organized events
  that are designed to help you make friends.

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Privacy and Freedom

• A downside to living on campus is the lack of
  privacy. Youll be sharing a room with another
  person, which means youll rarely be alone. Plus,
  youll have to share a bathroom with even more
  students.

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• Youll also have less freedom. In residence, you
  need to stick to the rules about who you are
  allowed to bring to your room and stay quiet
  during exams. At other times of the year, you may
  find the dorms quite loud, which could make it
  difficult to study.

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• If you live in your own apartment, youll most
  likely have your own room and share common spaces
  with fewer people. Plus, you can set your own
  rules.

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Commute

• The last factor to consider is your commute.
  Living in residence means that youre already
  close to everything and rarely need to think
  about transportation. If you have an apartment,
  however, you will need to think about how youll
  get to class.

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• It is possible to have the best of both worlds.
  With Waterloo student housing rentals like King
  Street Towers, youll be around other students
  and live near campus, but you can enjoy freedom
  and privacy. Plus, the suites are much more
  affordable than living in residence, even though
  rooms are furnished.