Off-campus living is worth the commute

As I planned my move to Pitt, one of my and my parents’ main concerns was that Pitt only guarantees students three years of on-campus housing. I was sure that I wanted to live on campus for as long as possible, and the idea of having to move off campus at some point gave me anxiety.

After one semester at Pitt, I had changed my mind completely. Coming from boarding school, I underestimated how sick of dorm life I would be by my first year of college. The dorm was loud, I had no privacy and disliked how much making friends seemed to depend on who you lived near. Plus, I couldn’t go to bed at 9 p.m. and get up at 6 a.m., like I preferred — at least not if I wanted to be a considerate roommate. Dorm life does not adhere to early bedtimes.

So as a sophomore, I decided to live off campus. Pretty far off campus, actually — I rent an apartment in Squirrel Hill. And with the fall semester nearly over, I can say that moving off campus has undoubtedly changed my college experience for the better.

Apartment hunting taught me to be independent. I knew absolutely nothing about how to find and rent an apartment, and my future roommate was a friend from high school who would be transferring to Pitt in the fall. I was alone in my search. Navigating the waters of rental companies, landlords and leases was stressful and required making a lot of phone calls filled with what were, in my opinion, stupid questions.

My move paid off once I scored an apartment with rent that would cost me less than campus housing. The average room and board at Pitt costs $11,582. With the school year lasting around eight months, that comes to $1,447.75 per month. The average apartment cost for a single person renting near Pitt is about $700 a month, plus utilities. This is a difference of over $700, and a major incentive to make the move away from campus — even if it means being a little further from our beloved Cathedral.

Despite the distance, moving away from campus came with a greater appreciation for Pitt itself. Now that I don’t feel like I’m stuck on campus all the time, I find that I actually want to spend more time there. It’s hard to appreciate campus life when daily aggravations begin to add up — whether it’s finding your roommate’s hair everywhere, being kept up too late the night before an exam by your EDM-loving neighbors or waking up to find the community bathroom one step away from an abandoned Porta-Potty level of cleanliness.

Breaking the campus bubble around Pitt is vital, even if it means moving more than a few blocks away. Renting an apartment in a neighborhood not overrun by undergrads, like Shadyside or Squirrel Hill, can cause students to feel like a genuine part of Pittsburgh instead of Pitt’s guest in the city. My apartment building is mostly home to single people in their mid-20s, young families and even some elderly people. While there is a small handful of students, it’s a true collection of Pittsburgh’s East End-South demographic, from hospital workers to small business owners.

It’s a good reminder that Pitt is not Pittsburgh, and vice versa.

The simple daily-life advantages of living off campus also add up quickly. Being able to cook meals is a solid step above visiting Market three times a day. Sharing an apartment but not a bedroom allows for privacy, quiet and most importantly, the ability to watch Netflix without headphones. Not having to swipe in at a security desk means freedom of visitors and a sense of ownership over one’s own space. The same goes for not having to deal with RA’s.

The lack of proximity to campus can be frustrating at times, particularly for those with longer commutes. It’s not as easy to meet for group projects, late-night club and organization gatherings or other on-campus events. Backpacks can be heavy and buses are often crowded. Making an 8 a.m. class might not be a top priority when it involves a 20-minute walk in the bitter cold. And you’ll potentially miss that meal plan, especially when it’s Kraft Mac & Cheese for dinner for the fifth night in a row.

Deciding to live on or off campus is a personal choice. Living off campus has made my second year at Pitt infinitely better than my first. In retrospect, I can hardly believe that I ever wanted to stay on campus for all three years of my housing guarantee.

To those toying with the idea of moving off campus, I encourage you to take the leap. If nothing else, you’ll get to avoid the fire drills.

Emily primarily writes on culture and education for The Pitt News.

Write to her at eks50@pitt.edu.