Penn State students living off campus should expect the unexpected

As a new semester begins and students start new schedules with new classes, they also may welcome new living situations — for many, this means living off campus.

From housing that’s directly off campus to the apartments that require a bus to reach campus, students get to live in places where they start to live with friends, or even alone, without Penn State’s oversight.

However, these new experiences also come with many surprises, according to Penn State students.

Vishal Janapati noted that his relationships with his friends changed in unexpected ways.

“You also learn that when you live with other roommates, though, you might be friendly on campus, it’s a lot different there,” Janapati (junior-biomedical engineering) said.

Despite this, Janapati also shared positive aspects of life that came with living off campus.

“You realize that you have a lot more responsibility, but also more freedom,” Janapati said.

This increase in both freedom and responsibility was a feeling shared by many students, like Jake Paul and Jianwu Tan, who both talked about how they handle their situations of managing personal and financial obligations.

“With more freedom came a higher amount of responsibilities you have to take on by yourself. It’s a big wakeup call, especially when it comes to making your own food,” Paul (junior-civil engineering) said. “If you’re hungry, you can’t always just take a one-minute walk to the dining hall.”

Tan (junior-electrical engineering) said what was most unexpected for him was “managing all the costs and living expenses.”

“I didn’t realize how all these different bills like electrical fees and water bills really add up and can change how much you can actually spend on other things,” Tan said.

Ashley Person noted how easy the transition was when it came to managing time and getting around.

“I was really surprised how easy it is to get back and forth on the buses that run,” Person (sophomore-English) said.

Despite Person’s comments about the convenience of the CATA system, some students, like Chloe Sobel, noted that there are also inconveniences to living off campus.

“I was surprised that there [were] not really any study spaces provided or funded by the school,” Sobel (senior-psychology) said. “So many people live downtown that I think it would be helpful to have a community space for students to do work — like the [HUB-Robeson Center] — but off campus.”

Michael Vazquez said he used to be a resident assistant in East Halls, and he felt “relaxed” once he moved off campus.

“One thing that surprised me when I moved off campus is how different it feels being able to leave campus [to go] home,” Vazquez (junior-biochemistry) said. “It’s so peaceful.”