The process of selecting an apartment can be overwhelming to some and completely worth it to others. Even though every student has different reasons for choosing to get an apartment they all have different experiences with the process that follows.

Mallorie Mosely, a sophomore psychology major, said some of her reasons for selecting an apartment over the residence halls are for sanitation and cost.

“(I was) living with a bunch of girls, (and) it was dirty,” she said. “They only clean showers twice a week and there’s like 50 girls on the floor. The apartment is also cheaper.”

Julie Roberts, the property manager of Unique Properties, said she has many students each year getting apartments from here. Most of Unique Properties is online and they are one of many places students can go to find an apartment that is closer to the school.

“We show them different apartments based on what they’re looking for like different sizes, number of roommates and cost,” she said. “Then they have to fill out an application. We give them a handbook to look through and they sign their lease agreement. We make it easy for them.”

In Mosely’s case she went about finding an apartment the old fashioned way.

“We just got a newspaper and started from there,” she said. “We wrote down every place we were interested in and called to find out more. At the beginning we had about seven places to choose from but after figuring our budget and a distance from campus we ended up with three we were looking into.”

Amy Whitcomb, a graduate psychology major, tried a different route at finding her apartment.

“I did a lot of searching on different websites to check out prices and listing apartments side by side to compare,” she said. “I Google searched a lot of apartments to find the information I needed.”

Both these students have said this process for them was long and stressful.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” Mosely said. “Especially when you don’t know where to go to first. It took us a month or so but it took a lot in that month and we were some of the lucky ones. They even lowered their price knowing we were moving in mid-school year.”

When students choose to get an apartment with another person they also have to consult with them as well before making final decisions.

“Among all three of us, when we were searching for an apartment, some of the biggest things we had to agree on when deciding what apartment to take were safety, location and of course a price that is budget-friendly for everybody,” Whitcomb said.

Whitcomb also said that finding the best pricing as the hardest step in the process.

“Each of us had a slightly different idea of what’s considered a good price,” she said. “It took me from October until December to decide.”

Mosely said the most stressful part for her was agreeing with her roommate. “We couldn’t decide whether price or comfort was more important,” she said.

When going apartment shopping, constant communication between potential roommates is vital and can change the course of plans, as was the case with Tony Alozie, a junior biology major.

Alozie decided to get an apartment with a friend from a different campus but after signing the lease the friend backed out.

“At first I couldn’t find anyone at all,” he said. “They said by the time move in date comes I would either have had to have found a roommate or they would give me a random one. After a month or two I found a friend willing to move in.”

Alozie said his reasons for getting an apartment was to get freedom and save money. But through his experience he has some advice to share with others.

“I would suggest wait till your friend is there to sign the lease with you,” he said.

Alozie said while he managed to save cost without room and board he still had to find a way to pay for his living expenses.

“I had to get a job to pay for food and electric bill,” he said. “I paid my rent with my refund check. The rent was $515 a month but it all worked out for the best.”

While an apartment is more affordable and favorable to underclassmen some upper level students have found a different option. Kara Baker, senior science with teacher certification under earth science major, decided to live in a house with her two other friends two years ago and said she prefers it as an alternative option.

“I think that a house is better because you get to know your neighbor better and it’s cheaper,” she said. “It also feels more like home and you have a yard. Also you have better parking in a house.”

Baker said that people who don’t like roommates should not get a house because they will be intimately involved in their lives. She said she was already best friends with her roommates before living with them in a house.

“Make sure your roommates are your friends first. I was lucky because my roommates were my best friends first,” she said. “Look at a lot of places. Also if you plan on having a cat or dog make sure they are pet friendly. Don’t wait till the last minute because the good places will be gone by then.”

She also had some advice for people who might be thinking about choosing that option in the future.

“I would say find a good landlord and see who rents from a good landlord,” she said. “I highly advise paying your rent in full for the whole year that way if you run out of money you at least have a place to live. Ask how much utilities cost. See if they allow gardening. Ask if they will allow you to put nails on the wall. Lastly, don’t let the person pressure you to sign for the house until you absolutely want to.”

Alex Seidler can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].