We are at the end of the long summer vacation and wow, it has been a great one! Our whole family traveled to South Africa for a month-long (!!!) visit and to celebrate my 50th birthday. Yep, I am that old now… It was an amazing trip and even more special since we could share our lovely “birth” country with not just our family from the US, but amazing US and UK friends as well.
Now that August – and back to college time – is here, I wanted to share some Mom Tips for when you move into your first student apartment. As before, my tips come from our own experiences. Simon moved from a dorm room setup in his first year to an apartment his second year and then to a shared house setup. Sidney will be sharing an apartment again this year (her third year at college), so we have been through this exact scenario many times already.
What is a Student Apartment?
Most college towns will offer this type of accommodation as well as basic dorm accommodations. It is not exactly like a regular apartment complex (similar to the ones we’ve all lived in at one time or another), but it is generally more geared towards students. Often, these come fully furnished and your lease is not for the whole apartment, but for one of the rooms in the apartment. Sidney is leasing an apartment with three other girls, so everyone has their own lease agreements.
Besides your own room in the apartment, you will share a kitchen and living/dining space with your roommates. And because all other renters in the complex are mostly students, the common spaces are shared with your fellow classmates, teammates or friends.
How is Life Different in Student Apartments than in Dorms?
More freedom, and in a good way. The dorm served its purpose in cementing your place at college and university. It offered you a chance to make new friends, learn how to get along with people who are different from you, and belong to a smaller community within the bigger college setup. Now your new student apartment is the next step and allows you to use what you have learnt in the dorm and apply it to a more real-life setup.
A student apartment will offer the following that the dorm can’t:
- more personal space (own bedroom and bathroom)
- sharing a kitchen and living room with fewer people
- shared cooking and cleaning duties
- shopping responsibilities
- monthly rent and utility bills
Cooking was a big change for my two students. Moving out of the dorm means moving further away from the actual campus and most likely away from the official meal plans. Both Simon and Sidney know their way around a kitchen and together we decided that student apartment life will mean cooking for themselves now.
Furnished vs Unfurnished
The different apartment options we looked at in Statesboro and Milledgeville, all came furnished and included the basics: the rooms had a bed, desk with a chair, and even a dresser. Be prepared that the furniture will be very similar to dorm room furniture and can show some wear and tear. The best part of the student apartments we’ve rented (and definitely the deciding factor for both our students) was getting their own bathroom. After sharing a bathroom in the dorm, having your own bathroom will be a welcome change again.
Similar to most apartment rentals, kitchens will include all the necessities: an oven and fridge, and depending on the age of the building or complex, a dishwasher and microwave. Laundry facilities will either be in the apartment or offered on-site. Much easier than dorm life laundry.
Now it is important to check all your options before you pick your home for the next year (or three) and make sure it suits your needs. Equally important, is to get a jump on who your roommates will be. Maybe you and your dorm roommate got along swimmingly and are ready to live together again (but with more space).
TIP 1: Visit as many different apartment complexes as possible. Make sure to see it during the day and visit it in the evening to see what it is like when all students are home from classes.
Moving into a Student Apartment
Moving into a student apartment is very similar to moving into a dorm. Especially if you picked the furnished option. You will want to do a walk-through and note all apartment damage and non-working appliances or features. All your belongings need to be transferred from your vehicle to the apartment.
What will be different is how you move in. First, you can move into the apartment at your own time and pace, versus the specified dorm move-in time slots. And second, there will not be official move-in help, like when you moved into your dorm. You would need to bring your own help (hopefully Mom and Dad can assist) or have friends in other apartments that will help you carry your belongings to your new home.
TIP 2: Pack your belongings into as many easy-to-carry containers as possible. There will be stairs for sure. And lots of trips back and forth to your vehicle.
BONUS TIP: Use clear bins to see your items (preferably grouped together according to where they will go in the apartment) or mark regular bins with their contents. Bins can be used as storage for seasonal clothing and free up space in your closet. They can also be used for special occasion clothing (think themed parties) and craft items and most of the time can be tucked away under the bed.
What to Bring for a Furnished Student Apartment
We’ll start with your room and bathroom. You will need bedding (you will most likely have a bigger bed now), additional storage solutions for your closet and room, decorations and everything that goes into a bathroom (shower curtain, floor mats, trashcans, etc.).
Additionally, you will need everything for the kitchen – cookware, plates, glasses, a coffee maker, an air fryer, other cooking gadgets, cleaning supplies and last, but not least, food and snacks.
You will also want to personalize the shared spaces so remember decorations, televisions, and additional storage solutions or furniture.
TIP 3: Please shop your dorm stock first before you go shopping. Chances are you already have those closet storage systems, a trashcan, a rug, throw pillows and blankets, just to name a few. On that note – don’t be one of those students who throw away their dorm items after just a year of usage. If you buy good quality basic items they can be used year after year.
Living with Roommates
You might be out of the dorm now, but most likely you will still have two to three roommates. Being a good roommate is just as important as having good roommates. It means communicating and establishing ground rules up front, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Not only does it help to know what type of roommate you are getting (friendly, helpful, neat, messy, life of the party), but the necessities needed for the apartment can be divided between all the roommates. No use in showing up with four coffee makers!
Remember, you will live together for at least a year (most rental agreements are for 12 months) and most likely, you will extend this for two more years.
TIP 4: Get to know your roommates before moving in together. I mean it – really get to know them.
Establish Ground Rules
You just got to have these. Chat at the beginning of the year and establish some ground rules. No one wants to try to study while there is yet another party happening at 2am on a Tuesday morning. Set expectations for everyone in the apartment and vow to keep to it. Make sure all roommates know that if something bothers them or is not working for them, it needs to be discussed and resolved immediately for the whole group.
TIP 5: Establish a good set of apartment ground rules. This is much easier to do right after move-in day, rather than when everyone is angry at each other. Schedule an apartment meeting right away, make notes, put it on a shared platform and keep those communication channels open!
Divide Chores
Not only can you divide the grocery shopping and food costs, but you can set schedules for general cleaning. I know cleaning is not a fun chore to begin with, but it can be made fun. Get together, put on some music and divide and conquer!
Take turns cooking. If you are the one cooking, then someone else can be in charge of cleaning up afterwards. Plan on eating some meals together and use that time to chat about roommate life and life in your apartment in general.
TIP 6: Pick a dedicated laundry day for each roommate. Most of you have more than enough clothes to wear and will only need to do laundry once a week. Take student class schedules and workloads into consideration when selecting your preferred laundry day.
Paying the Bills
Up till now, Mom and Dad have taken care of all the bills surrounding your college life. Most likely you don’t even know how much money went into keeping you on campus and in the dorm. With a student apartment, you will not only have your monthly rent bill but most likely other utility bills as well. We saw this as an opportunity for Simon and Sidney to learn the responsibility of paying their own bills. They are both signed up for the various bill portals and are responsible for paying those on time every month. The payments are also made from their individual checking accounts. Don’t worry – they don’t have to use their own money – we still provide the necessary funds to cover these bills every month.
TIP 7: Get into the habit of receiving bills and paying bills every month. Create a schedule for these payments or set up monthly reminders for when bills are due. This is another step towards the real world outside of student life and will help you prepare for the responsibilities that it brings.
Enjoy this Chapter of Student Life
Guys and girls – this time in your life goes by fast! I spoke to Simon just last week and he can’t believe that this coming year is his senior year and that he will graduate in less than 9 months! The “real world” is out there and you will soon be joining the workforce and making your own way in life. Enjoy this chapter of Student Life to the fullest!
Tip Summary:
- TIP 1: Visit as many different apartment complexes as possible.
- TIP 2: Pack your belongings into easy-to-carry containers.
- TIP 3: Shop your dorm stock first before you go shopping.
- TIP 4: Get to know your roommates before moving in together.
- TIP 5: Establish a good set of apartment ground rules.
- TIP 6: Pick a dedicated laundry day for each roommate.
- TIP 7: Create a bill pay schedule or set up reminders.
- TIP 8: Enjoy the new chapter of Student Life!
What did I miss? What was your experience? Please let me know what you think in the comments section!
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