Essay Sample on Making a Choice: Staying in College Housing or Living Off Campus in Los Angeles

Introduciton

The decision on whether to stay in college provided housing or off-campus living can be difficult as one makes their choice on how they will live their life in campus. Some of the factors one has to determine include; the cost of housing, security, additional costs, convenience and quality of the environment and personal preferences. Where the student is engaged in other activities other than studying, they may prefer living off campus for reasons known best to themselves. Los Angeles has different Universities and colleges most of which provide on-campus accommodation for their students and security. Where one has other engagements, they are usually better off finding living spaces outside campus for privacy and convenience to their places of work. It is in the student's place however, to select the most appropriate mode of accommodation that will be fit for their schedule and also provide a serene environment for their studies.

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To begin with, on campus living provides a cheaper model of housing in Los Angeles than where the student elects to live off campus. On campus living provides different amenities to the students when they move in to start their studies (Zortuk, Eylem, & Hasan, 16). Students will not normally be required to report to campus with furniture, housing equipment and other basic amenities that the individual will need during their time in campus (Brubacher, 259). As such, the student will only have to pay their accommodation fees to the requisite office and be ready to start their studies at the shortest convenience. In off-campus housing, the individual is usually required to pay for monthly rent as may be provided by their landlord. In addition, the individual will be required to buy kitchen equipment, furniture and other necessities they require while they are in college. Looking at the cost of moving in therefore, college housing is majorly preferred to off campus housing because of the initial cost of moving in.

Living off campus also requires the individual to individually pay for certain costs that will not necessarily accrue where the individual elects to lives on campus. For instance, an off-campus student will be required to pay for their own electricity bill, water bill, gas and internet services (Etikan, et al, n.p). To this extent, off campus living can be quite expensive for students especially those with insufficient funds to support such kind of living. On the other hand, on- campus living does not require the student to separately pay for their own bills at the end of the month. Campus accommodation considers a one-time payment method where one pays for their college housing for the semester and will be required to pay no more as the semester proceeds. In the long run, an on-campus student will be able to afford cheaper housing and amenities as they study for their degree.

Moving on, on-campus living is convenient for studies and access to school resources. In Los Angeles, there are numerous colleges and campuses. Some of the campuses have metropolitan locations which present a noisy environment for the student while studying. Living on-campus provides convenient movement of the student from their dorm accommodation to classes, library and research centers (Graham, Polly, Hurtado, Robert, n.p.). Meeting for school activities such as group assignments and discussions is easier when the student is on campus because of the ease of reach where an emergency meeting has been set. In an off-campus environment, one may be required to buy a car or take taxis to the school premises for such meetings. The school environment is also serene and less noisy than off campus environments where the accommodation may be located close to other establishments such as night clubs and busy shops. To concentrate on studies in such an environment will be difficult on the part of the student.

Los Angeles is a large city with different issues to deal with where one choses to live off campus. Los Angeles has different challenges such as gang related violence and drug abuse. It is easier to live on campus than off-campus because one is not usually guaranteed of their security where they elect to house themselves. Most colleges in Los Angeles have a prescribed security framework with qualified personnel to handle the issues of security as and when they occur (Seelman, 625). In the streets, one risks being mugged when they get off campus late because of night classes or other commitments that they may have had during the day (Broton & Sara, 123). On-campus accommodation however allows one the privilege of 24 hour security as officers are strategically located to attend to any issues of insecurity while in campus. Cases can therefore be concluded at the fastest convenience than in off campus accommodation.

Whereas on campus living provides security, convenience and affords cheaper housing to students, off-campus living has its advantages that must also be considered. Off-campus living provides privacy where the individual prefers their personal space over communal living (Crutchfield & Maguire, n.p). Dorm room accommodation is less costly but it also means that the students will have to share their personal space with other students. Where one prefers to study in the dorm room rather than in off-campus accommodation, they may come home to noisy music from their roommate which may affect their studies and revision. While living alone off-campus, the student will be able to plan their day and know at which specific times they will conduct their studies and their other commitments. Privacy and personal space are important for the personal peace and reflection of the student as they will be able to concentrate more on their studies and organize their time accordingly.

Los Angeles universities enroll students from different parts of the world. Many international students also apply for graduate studies. It is therefore commonplace to find older students in campus. For a masters or PHD student with a family, it is preferable to seek off-campus accommodation because of the convenience and space for family interaction (Nicolazzo & Susan, n.p). In addition, students who work shifts in the local area may need to seek alternative accommodation because of their shifts in time. It would be unbecoming for a student to report to school at 2:00 A.M while the rest are asleep. For personal privacy and swift movement between different activities, it would be necessary to seek off-campus accommodation.

Social life is an important aspect of student life in Los Angeles. For instance, the city is famous for many entertainment activities that may not be allowed while one is living on campus. Off-campus living will thus provide the student with adequate space to fulfill their social activities (Kremer & Dan, 198). This does not, however, mean that on-campus social life is limited. There are various sports, games, activities that the student can involve in. for elevated social life intermingling, the student might need to take a tour of the city to explore the culture and the events that are on offer on foreign spaces that they may never get to witness if they did not live in Los Angeles.

Conclusion

Living on campus and off-campus both have their unique advantages and disadvantages. As discussed, on campus living provides cheaper accommodation, easy access to the institutions and its resources, a safe environment for studies and a community to support in group discussions and assignments. Off-campus living provides privacy, extended social life where the student is engaged and space to have family around. On campus housing carries the risk of noisy neighbors, lack of privacy and limited freedom on what to eat while on campus. Off-campus living bears the burden of security on the student. Also, off-campus students may need to acquire their own cars for ease of access to the institution. It is in the place of the student to choose the form of housing based on their budget convenience and ease of access to the institution of learning.

Works Cited

Broton, Katharine M., and Sara Goldrick-Rab. "Going without: An exploration of food and housing insecurity among undergraduates." Educational Researcher 47.2 (2018): 121-133.Works Cited

Brubacher, John. Higher education in transition: History of American colleges and universities. Routledge, 2017.

Crutchfield, R. M., and J. Maguire. "Researching basic needs in higher education: Qualitative and quantitative instruments to explore a holistic understanding of food and housing insecurity." (2017).

Etikan, I., et al. "Influence of Residential Setting on Student Outcome." Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal 6.4 (2017).

Graham, Polly A., Sarah S. Hurtado, and Robert M. Gonyea. "Living on campus: Does it still make a difference." ACPA International Conference, March. Montreal. Retrieved from https://cpr. indiana. edu/uploads/ACPA_2016_Graham_et_al_slides. pdf. 2016.

Kremer, Michael, and Dan Levy. "Peer effects and alcohol use among college students." Journal of Economic Perspectives 22.3 (2008): 189-206.

Nicolazzo, Z., and Susan B. Marine. "" It Will Change if People Keep Talking": Trans* Students in College and University Housing." Journal of College & University Student Housing 42.1 (2015).

Seelman, Kristie L. "Recommendations of transgender students, staff, and faculty in the USA for improving college campuses." Gen mder and Education 26.6 (2014): 618-635.

Zortuk, Mahmut, Eylem Koc, and Hasan Arda Burhan. "AN EVALUATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS'APARTMENT PREFERENCES: A REAL WORLD STUDY IN A NEWLY URBANIZED CITY." Ekonometri ve Istatistik Dergisi 21 (2014): 1-20.