Choosing A College Based On Its Housing & Eating Options
College means studying for four years or more in a new and bigger campus most often away from home. Many teenagers grab this opportunity to attend school far away from their small towns and venture in the big city. College is the stage in life when most teens become independent as they try to live on their own.
Students who prefer to study in colleges and universities away from home need to consider the housing and eating options (room and board) available in their chosen institution. Majority of universities are situated not in the heart of large cities but in small cities or even towns. Some colleges, though, are located at the center of urban areas close to many facilities. But whatever the location, students should decide whether to stay in housing facilities like dormitories on-campus or rent apartments off-campus along with friends. Eating options should not be missed while searching for places to stay. College students need all the nutrients they could get to stay fit while in school. Studies have found that college students often encounter eating problems due to lifestyle changes, limited finances, irregular part time jobs and homework loads.
Housing options – either room only or room and board — are not available at all schools. On-campus housing is usually not offered at community colleges while some schools only provide housing for college undergraduates or for freshmen and sophomore students only. Check each school for more information by visiting the campus or searching the school’s web site. Include meal plans in your search as well because your nutrition while in school also counts a lot.
For the first two years of college, experts advise teens to stay in dorms inside the campus. This is to get the feel for the real college environment. During your junior and senior years, you may already opt to stay in apartments near the school. Dormitories offer several options for student accommodations. They have single rooms exclusive for one person only, double rooms for two students and rooms which can accommodate more than two people. In order to initially get a feel for the dorm life in your prospective colleges, spend a night there during your campus visit. One edge of dormitories is its proximity to classrooms and other school facilities hence, no need for a car. Some dorms have a guest program that allows students who plan to stay there and who pay in advance, to stay at least one night just to find out the atmosphere there.
Students have various eating options while on-campus. Dorms offer flexible meal plans along with rooms and may be charged separately. You may opt to pay in advance for your three daily meals or you may deposit a certain amount at the start of the semester. Other places to eat would be the cafeteria and
Off campus, there are a variety of housing options to choose from such as halls, suites, apartments, residential colleges and language houses. Apartments, normally fully furnished, can usually accommodate four to six people who should be responsible for keeping the place clean. Students must provide their own food, linens, cooking and eating utensils and bathroom items. They have the freedom to prepare their own meals while renting an apartment.