On Campus vs. Off Campus Living: What should I do?

By Lauryn Nania

Should I live on campus or off campus? A huge question that roams the minds of college students. I’m a junior at Point Park, and I have lived between both scenarios. I’m here to offer you both the benefits and disadvantages of living on and off campus through my experience.

Lawrence Hall vs. Thayer Hall

Majority of freshmen students at Point Park have the option to live in either of the two different dormitories, Lawrence Hall or Thayer. If you’re like me, you would choose Lawrence Hall as the thought of communal bathrooms makes your skin crawl. But, that’s what it’s all about; your preferences.

As previously stated, I chose to live in Lawrence Hall my freshman year solely because I got to have the small luxury of having my own bathroom shared with just two other roommates. I never had to worry about sharing a shower space with other residents which was a huge relief to me.

However, the biggest con of living in Lawrence is the absence of air conditioning. August and September consisted of numerous fans blaring in our dorm room, and falling asleep on top of our blankets. So, if you’re someone that needs to fall asleep in a cool environment, Thayer may be the option for you. 

Conestoga Hall and Pioneer Hall

After your freshman year, you have the choice to leave Thayer or Lawrence, and move to either Conestoga Hall or Pioneer Hall in which contain both personal bathrooms and air conditioning.

I chose to live on campus in Conestoga Hall. I would rate my experience in Conestoga a 5/10. It was great in certain aspects like having a beautiful view of the Smithfield Street Bridge and Station Square. Another perk was having a microwave and minifridge in your room. 

However, I still had to share a room with a roommate. Luckily, my roommate was and still is my best friend, but I know it doesn’t work that way for everyone. If having your own room is one of your top priorities, off campus living could be an option. 

The biggest downfall of continuing to live on campus was the expense. I was paying roughly $1,000 a month to live in Conestoga accompanied with sharing a bedroom and broken elevators. (I lived on the seventh floor, and the elevator was broken the majority of the time)

The expense also tied in with having a mandatory meal plan which cost me $400. A meal plan is great for those who enjoy having premade meals, and not have to worry about cooking. I prefer to cook my own meals, so this expense was completely redundant to me. 

Off Campus Living 

Starting June before my junior year, I moved into an apartment off campus. Between my two years of living on campus, and four months into living off campus, I prefer off campus. 

Since Point Park is located downtown, it gives you a great opportunity to live off campus in a nearby house or apartment without much of a commute. My apartment is one block away from campus, so the travel has not been an issue. 

The biggest advantage of living off campus is the expense. I am paying $500 a month to live with three roommates in which all utilities are included. Each of us have our own bedroom, and share one and a half bathrooms. 

Another advantage of living off campus is having a full kitchen with an oven and a full-sized fridge. As I said before, I prefer to cook my own meals so having the proper equipment is definitely a perk for me. 

One disadvantage in living off campus is not having free wifi. It’s a necessity to have wifi as a student, so my roommates and I split the cost of paying for our own. The expense of this is an additional $18 per month. 

Overall, I definitely prefer to live off campus as the expense was my biggest concern. I am saving half of the amount I was spending when I lived in Conestoga.