Just under 25% of Eastern students live off campus, and I am one of them.
Because I live so close to campus housing, I am basically living on campus without the rules of the halls. It takes me two minutes to drive from my apartment to Stevenson Hall and about ten minutes to walk there.
Despite this, I always get weird looks when I tell students who actually live on campus that I live off campus. There are some differences, but there are also similarities.
Students who live on campus generally get their meals from the dining halls. But for me, I have to get in the car anyway to go to a dining hall, so I may as well go to McDonald’s or some other restaurant.
However, I do not have to eat whatever is on the menu in the halls; I make my own menu. This means I get to choke down the burnt noodles I cooked myself, while dining hall eaters can complain about the mediocre food all they want.
I also have to own a car, or I have to walk twenty or so minutes to my classes. This is a double-edged sword, because on one hand, I do have more mobility, but on the other, I have to buy and maintain a car. Gas is not cheap, but it is worth it to be able to travel and visit home whenever I like, which is in Peoria, two and a half hours away from Charleston.
For utilities like electricity, water and Wi-Fi, I have to pay for those separately. Students who live in EIU campus housing can just pay rent or a flat fee at the beginning of the semester, with the utilities included.
I live in a two-bedroom apartment by myself, so I have to pay around $4,020 every four months, which is the length of a semester. Add an extra $200 dollars for groceries and food, and I pay a total of $4,220 each semester.
To live in the dorms by yourself in a two-bedroom apartment with the least expensive dining plan, it costs $6,813 a semester. Even with a roommate, it still costs $5,713,
I don’t really know about on-campus events, because I am just there for classes. I don’t walk around and see what is happening. But I am able to get away from the hustle and bustle of campus loud life, meaning I don’t have to deal with drunk students and constant foot traffic right outside my door.
Most of these things make on-campus living seem far better, but I am honestly happy living off campus despite the setbacks.
There are a lot of restrictions for campus housing that I do not have when living off campus.
Alcohol restrictions vary across campus halls, but in general, you can only have certain types and drinks can only be opened in certain areas.
On campus, students are not allowed to have air conditioners, electric heaters or candles in their dorms. Air fryers are only allowed in kitchen areas. However, you can have a microwave and a small fridge.
I do have to be mindful of my neighbors, but I do not have to abide by specific times. Meanwhile, campus housing has hours during which excessive noise is not allowed.
You also can’t toss a baseball through your window if you live on campus. But I can throw as many hard objects through my window as I want.
On second thought, forget about the similarities between living on and off campus; living off campus is just better.
You can invite strangers in, have snowball and water balloon fights within 100 feet of your apartment, and you can eat like an absolute slob in the dining area.
To be clear, I do not recommend inviting in strangers or throwing objects through your windows. But have all the fun you want with snowball fights, fellow off-campus students, if we ever get any snow.
Essie Newton can be reached at 581-2812 or eanewton@eiu.edu.
