Is it Better to Live On-Campus or Off-Campus?

Source: TIME 

The economic principle I’m exploring is because of scarcity, people choose. All choices have an opportunity cost.

My research question to help me study the economic principle is “Is it Better to Live On-Campus or Off-Campus?" The article published in Investopedia titled “Living on Campus: Valuable or a Ripoff?” explains that the decision to live on campus or off campus is one of the biggest choices new students make. Many four-year degree program colleges require enrolled students to live on-campus for a certain amount of time but there are some exceptions when schools have this rule. There is no right or wrong choice, but different students prefer different living environments.

The article proves my economic principle by arguing that when deciding whether to live in a dorm or off-campus you should consider: costs (rent, food, etc.) and proximity to college activities. 

First, although “off-campus rents may be cheaper than the price of room and board at school, rent rarely provides the range of services that a school offers.” Living on-campus eliminates the need for extra costs like food, furniture, electricity, gas, water, cable, and internet. One downside to on-campus housing that is worth mention is that students can face many different fees for infractions like noise complaints or damages to walls that are fairly minor issues when living off campus.

Second, there are many considerations when choosing campus options. According to Investopedia: “living away from the school does cut one off from the campus social life and social networking possibilities,” which can be necessary for creating a college experience. Because many students can’t handle the responsibilities that come with living alone for the first time, colleges may require on-campus residency. I could see this happening to many people including myself, and from my own experience, it seems like students are better off living on-campus rather than off-campus.

In my next blog post, I will research the question: “Should College Students Participate in Athletics?”