Financial Burdens: Comparing On-Campus and Off-Campus Living

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Studying, friends, and money: all of these are areas that normally consume an average college student’s time. The main reason students attend college is to learn and develop skills for their future career, but they need money to pay for it, and friends help make the journey less lonely and stressful. Most college students prefer to live on campus for a variety of reasons, whether they attend a college far from home, or they just want to get out and expand their social skills. Many other students, on the other hand, prefer to live off campus, if they live close to the college, or they have other responsibilities. Although most students do live on campus, the number of commuters is high as well, which may prove that either option is able to meet
Finances are a huge part of college because if you can’t pay, you basically can’t stay. College in itself is expensive, with tuition fees, supplies, and books, the money really adds up. Whether or not someone chooses to live on campus, both options have positives and negatives. The cost of living on campus is quite expensive when added to the rest of the costs of college, but some students are able to receive scholarships to help pay for this if they choose this route. For others, they may need to find a job to help pay to live on campus, but depending on where a college is located, finding jobs on and off campus can be tough. Usually on-campus jobs get picked up quickly because there is such a high demand for them. Sometimes a student may be able to find a job outside of campus, but they may not have reliable transportation since everything on campus is within walking distance. Also, because of the easy access to social events, more money is spent on social outings as a result. Many students are able to find jobs both on and off campus, however, and usually they keep their finances in check also. Living off campus can be expensive as well. A commuter student will probably use a lot of gas throughout a semester, and since everyone knows gas prices are not exactly cheap, this cost can really add up. Many commuter students choose to carpool or use public transportation to cut down on these costs. On the upside, it is often easier to find work since a commuter probably rides past a few towns on their way to and from school, which can open up a lot of opportunities. If someone is still lignin with their parents and paying minimal bills, their time at college is probably cheaper than someone who chooses to live on their own. Whichever option people choose, each choice has its financial burdens and

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