(The Beacon)
By Bruce Garlinghouse, Staff Commentary -- The Beacon
As you freshmen head into the final semester of your first year in college, many of you are probably in the same position I was at that time: You're ready to cross Willamette Boulevard from the safety of campus and the dorms and rent a home.
Don't get me wrong, I had a blast living in the dorms. It's great having all your buddies living on the same floor. The practical jokes, the hours of Call of Duty and football games on Sundays are all things that remain cherished parts of my freshman experience.
But it only allows a sample taste of the freedom you long for. Roommates, RAs, hall directors and meal plans are all necessary aspects in easing the transition between high school and college. But they also apply a sort of limitation on freedom in the forms of intervisitation, waiting for washing machine availability and navigating through the Commons cuisine.
So in order to reach the promised land, you decide to gather a couple of your friends and begin looking for an off-campus house. If you are one of these people, I hope for your sake this process has already begun because it can be quite a pain. But if you haven't, then here are a couple of pointers that extend from my experience in home hunting and renting
First, talk to your parents. For most of you, your parents are probably paying for your housing, or at least a portion of it. So talk to them. Letting their children live in a house with no supervision as well as signing a lease can be a scary thought for parents. So how do you convince your parents you are responsible enough to handle living on your own? Be responsible. Do your homework, and have all the estimated costs documented. Not only will it be easier for your parents to understand, but they will be impressed with your initiative.
Second, put a lot of thought into who you want to live with. Living with best friends may sound appealing, but there are numerous problems that can arise. There is a fine line between a friendship and a housemate relationship and it is important to understand when it is appropriate to treat a friend like a friend and a housemate like a housemate. So, if you are going to live with friends, make sure you can distinguish between the two because often the friendship can take a beating because of miscommunications as housemates.
Third, start looking for houses now. Like, now. Seriously, put The Beacon down and start looking. But if you want to keep reading, I understand. Not only do you have to compete with many other freshmen in your position, you also have older students moving out of the dorms or switching houses to compete with. First come, first serve is the general rule with landlords and property owners so make sure you jump on it.
Fourth, make sure you communicate with your potential housemates. There are several things involved in renting a house such as applications and credit checks, all requiring multiple signatures and paperwork. Make sure you communicate to your housemates what needs to be done as well as when they need to be finished.
Living off campus can be a lot of fun but is a lot of responsibility. Carpets have to be vacuumed, dishes have to be washed, groceries have to be bought and bills have to be paid. So when your parents say "Johnny, you understand the responsibility of renting a home right?", do the exact opposite of what you want to do and listen.
Bruce Garlinghouse is a sophomore English and communications studies major. He can be contacted at garlingh13@up.edu
