Living Off-Campus? Best Tips to Help You Thrive

Living Off-Campus?

College or university experience can be somewhat different for different people, one of the differentiating factors will be whether you stay on campus or off-campus. While living on campus or off-campus both have their benefits, knowing how to manage yourself well to handle any of these situations is important. This article is focusing on living off-campus. To have your hostel outside the school walls means certain things and you have to be able to find a good way to handle the situation putting in mind your primary purpose of being in the school. How can you make the best of the situation being off-campus, to have a balanced university or college experience, manage yourself properly and have the good grades you want. This article: ‘living off campus? Best tips to help you thrive’ could prove quite helpful.

Get a place near school

You should be very deliberate about this. The farther your place is from the school, the more money you will have to spend on transport fare or the more fuel you will have to use if you have a car. Ensure that if you intend to stay off-campus, you should look for a room or apartment near the school.

Network

You should network with your colleagues and also keep up to class group possibly on whatsapp, don’t allow yourself to be uninformed about major things happening in school. Be sure of your test and examination time tables, deadlines for assignments and all the important things. Having people you can connect with about up-to-date information on what you need to know is very important. You should have the contact of your class rep handy so that should in case you want to confirm anything, you can easily do that. And you could also have friends that you watch each other’s backs.

Be part of an organization

Try to be part of a school group or organization. This will help you to mix more with people and will likely improve your social life. Don’t be the type that is just class and home. Try to be involved in some well-meaning student organizations on your campus. That kind of involvement could form part of the good memories to look back on. So that though you stayed off-campus, you do not allow your social life and impact to be too much affected.

Have a discussion group

This is a very good one, apart from the fact that a discussion group will help you academically, you know you rub minds together, help each other to study and prepare for examinations and all of that, the social aspect too can be somewhat helped, you get to mix and talk with other colleagues of yours when you belong to a discussion group. If you are just a lone ranger, it’s not the best. Try to belong to a study group or form one if possible.

Take care of your car

If you have a car, you likely don’t want your car to break down on your way to school. So ensure that if as a student you have a car, you take good care of it and make sure it’s kept in good shape as much as possible. You could also give friends lift as a student. Put things in order as to the money you will need to keep your car in order and ensure that you don’t mismanage the car. Your mobility is an advantage and you could help you to be more flexible with your schedule.

Schedule your time properly

Yes, you have to be more conscious of managing your time well. If it will take you some minutes before you get to school, then you should put that as part of your consideration in working with time. Don’t behave as someone who is in school and won’t have to spend as much time as you before getting to class. You might even want to give yourself more time to go early to class and interact with others before class begins. If a class is slated for 8am, and if for instance you need fifteen minutes before getting to school, then you should not be working towards 8am, you should be working towards an earlier time that will afford you the time space to get to school and also get to class.

Have a good place to study

If you are living on campus, it may be easier for you to go to a class or somewhere in the school where other students study and read, but if you are living off-campus, you should endeavor to know how you will go about your study. If you will have to stay back and read in the library or if your room is convenient, just ensure you get a place and time that can enhance your study.

Be self-motivated

A student living on campus will likely see many other students studying and doing all of that, but if you are off-campus, once you live school, the academic environment thing may not really be there again that much,it could also be that you go to school from your parent’s home. You have to be self-motivated and know how to get yourself to read and study. You are going to be responsible for your choices, whether they lead to success or otherwise, so you should ensure that your choices are inline with the success that you desire.

Don’t ‘stab’ class

Be disciplined and principled, and don’t get into the habit of missing classes. Do not allow excuses to make you miss class. As much as possible manage yourself well to be ready to get to class. Pay the necessary price to be at every class, whether morning class or otherwise. Identify the factors that could make you miss class and decide not to allow them. Your transport fare is available.

Budget your transport fare

Don’t take chances with money. Ensure that you have the money for your transport fare. Budget it accordingly.

Observe the security

Take security and safety of your environment around the room or hostel that you have rented.  Don’t rent a room in a place where the security and safety has been compromised. Have the necessary information before just renting any house. Also, you should ensure you take necessary security and safety measures even after renting the house.

Arrange your meals

You should arrange how you will go about your meals. How do you want to go about cooking? Plan your meals in such a way that you can cook and eat at the appropriate time.

Go for a good roommate

If you will not be staying alone in your room, you should ensure that you go for a good roommate. This point cannot be overemphasized. You don’t want a roommate that you can’t cope with, be very careful about going for the right roommate. Your psychological and emotional balance is very key, so please ensure you go for the right person. If you prefer your privacy, it might just be better to take your room alone if you can afford it, otherwise, make the right choice of a roommate.

Be part of sporting activities

As a way of balancing your social life, you should also try to be involved with sporting events in the school.

Enjoy time with friends in their hostels

If you have pals who are staying on campus while you are staying off-campus, you can decide to check on them in their hostels at times and spend time with them.