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Campus Dining Ins and Outs
David Tuttle
The transition to off-campus life can be stressful, but there's no rule that says your Florida State University student must do it alone. Sharing their space with a few roommates — whether strangers or longtime friends — can ease the transition both financially and socially.
While the benefits are obvious, your student should remember that living with roommates off campus will bring new challenges. It's important to find roommates with similar values, interests and habits. Communication is always key.
Here are great tips to pass along to your FSU student to ensure a happy and comfortable transition to apartment life!
Several apartments near FSU offer roommate matching services to help pair individuals with similar lifestyles, interests and personalities. Communities typically match roommates with the use of a questionnaire. Tell your story and make your preferences clear so that you and your future roommates agree on things like pets, quiet times and cleanliness. Be honest about your habits and interests so that you may be matched accordingly.
When living with others, communication should always be a priority. Once you’ve all settled in, take some time to chat about living together and to create a few "house rules," such as a policy on guests, noise level and even what temperature the AC should be set to. Chat about how chores like cleaning and dishes will be split up, and discuss what food, if any, you want to share. This will ensure that everyone is comfortable and help to prevent future disputes. You and your roommates may consider drafting a roommate agreement to outline the responsibilities each of you has to the apartment and each other.
Swap class/work schedules with your roommates and discuss what an average day in your world looks like. By exchanging schedules you can determine common quiet hours so that everyone can rest or study in peace. Knowing your roommates’ schedules, including classes, extracurricular activities and jobs will allow you to limit noises and activities that may disturb them.
Student apartments in Tallahassee offer a variety of cost-cutting amenities like in-unit washers and dryers and energy-efficient appliances. However, you’ll still have to budget for living expenses like laundry detergent, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. It’s best to determine up front how these expenses will be shared or if each roommate will purchase these items individually.
To make this process easier, consider looking for apartments near FSU that offer individual leases with utilities included, so that the monthly utility bills will be automatically split amongst your roommates by the apartment office.
With our all-new Dorm Shopping Guide and checklist in hand, you won’t overlook any essentials!
