Many students decide to move off campus after their sophomore year at UW Oshkosh into either a house or an apartment. This can be a big change.
Check out some of the following tips to help make it a smooth transition:
Be responsible
Moving off campus means taking on more responsibilities. It’s important to become more independent and take care of tasks ranging from paying bills to cooking and more.
Lease
Before signing a lease for renting a house or an apartment, be sure to thoroughly read through the landlord’s lease. There are many important details to know in the lease such as rent amount and due dates, pets, snow removal, lawn care and general maintenance policies and more. Know the details before you sign.
Rent
A big part of renting a house off campus will be paying the monthly rent fee. Some landlords will require payment the first of the month whereas others may prefer bulk payments of three months’ rent payments at a time. Be sure to pay rent on time in order to avoid any late fees.
Bills
Not only will you have to pay rent, but some places might require the tenants to pay for utilities such as electricity, water and heat. Be sure to talk to roommates about how to split up the bills for any of these utilities.
Laundry
Most apartments will have laundry services, but many off campus houses do not. Find a friend who has a washer and dryer or locate the nearest laundromat. No one likes having smelly clothes lying around the house.
Cooking
Living off campus means (for most people) not having a campus meal plan. It’s time to invest in some pots and pans and start cooking. Be sure to have a healthy selection of food to choose from and not just frozen pizzas. Schedules are busy in college, but try to find a couple evenings each week to make a full, healthy dinner. Try to plan out a weekly meal schedule before going to the grocery store in order to buy only what is needed. Set aside time one night a week for meal prep, that way meals can be cooked much quicker throughout the week.
House maintenance
There are no custodians to clean up off campus houses. Be sure to clean up the house every couple days, if not every day. Make a cleaning list to split up chores with roommates. It’s also important to take care of any damages around the house. Landlords are often available to help out with anything that needs repairs, but try to keep an eye on the house.