Student housing

Living on university campus

Student housing

In the US you can find good student accommodation at universities, but it doesn’t come cheap. Student housing is available at most large universities or schools in America. You can usually rent a room and share the common areas with others.

In some cases there are also shared rooms available, but this certainly won’t appeal to everyone. There is also accommodation for families.

The housing conditions vary, depending on the year the place was built and how well it is maintained. Old residency halls can be dull and depressing, while new or renovated facilities sometimes offer very high living standards.

Note that most Americans are very young when they go to university, so many campus residences are transformed into consistent ‘party zones’. If you don’t mind meeting drunk freshmen running through the residence hallways on a Wednesday night to try their luck with the female campus population (which at traditional campuses will live on another floor or even in another building), you’ll be fine. If you prefer a quieter environment, check out a hall of residence before you sign up and try to meet people living there. Many American students spend their first year or two on campus accommodation and then opt for another independent form of housing.

Unfortunately, the price for student housing can be very high, and in the big cities there is little difference between student housing and regular rentals. Universities usually have detailed information about off-campus housing.

Further reading

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