One of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a student is whether to live on campus in residence or rent a place off-campus. Having experienced both, I can say that each option comes with its own set of pros and cons. Let’s break it down.
Living in residence is an excellent choice for first-year students. It provides a sense of security when you first move to a new city, encourages you to interact with fellow students, and makes getting to class easy—especially if you don’t have transportation. You won’t have to worry about finding roommates, furnishing a place, or paying rent monthly since it’s all settled upfront. Living in residence also offers the best opportunity to meet new people. Whether it’s through your roommates, their friends, or people from your classes who also live on campus, residence life makes it easy to build connections. Plus, there’s no need to learn the bus system right away, and you can get up later since you won’t have a commute.
However, residence life can have its downsides. By your second year, the novelty might start to wear off. You’ve experienced the loud parties when you’re trying to study, the 3 a.m. fire alarms, and those thin walls that reveal way too much about your roommate’s personal life. Yet, it’s still incredibly convenient. Maybe you’ve clicked with your roommates and want to live together again. Or maybe the ease of being close to classes outweighs the downsides. Even though living on res can feel like a bubble, separating school life from personal life can be challenging, it’s still an option some students stick with.
By third year, I decided to move off-campus. Not only was it cheaper, but it also offered more privacy and space. Living off-campus is a completely different experience. You get the option to live by yourself or with roommates, you might even score a place with more than one bathroom, and the living conditions tend to be better. The downside? You’ll be further from your friends, whether they’re still living on campus or elsewhere, and the bus system in Prince George isn’t exactly stellar. However, navigating the city’s public transit is part of the experience, and living off-campus allows you to explore the city in a way that being on-campus doesn’t. For me, moving off-campus led to me discovering new restaurants and entertainment options in Prince George. You’ll need to get up earlier and pack lunches, but having your own space to invite friends over and host gatherings more than makes up for it.
By fourth year, staying off-campus is the way to go. Residence life has its benefits, but living off-campus allows you to grow as a person. You’ll become more engaged with the city, enjoy better living conditions, and take a mental break from constantly being around school. If you’re considering moving off-campus and haven’t done so yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an experience that helps you grow, both as a student and as an individual.
