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Useful resources for off-campus students
Being an off-campus student comes with a long list of problems. Not only those concerning study, but also those that prevent one from organizing one’s life in the best way.
For these reasons, we at Uniaffitti decided to create a kind of “survival kit” for all students who face daily challenges away from home. Let’s begin!
House Search
Of course, the first problem to be faced by off-campus students is that of housing or at least a decent accommodation that can serve as a foothold for sleeping, studying, partying, and having everything they need.
If a small minority of the fortunate can take advantage of the opportunity offered by university housing, for the others all that is left is to look for alternative avenues, with the risk of having to contend with landlords eager to make the most of the availability of housing in prized areas such as those stretching around university towns.
In this regard, here are the first tips: how to get along with the homeowner.
Those who want to have a good chance of finding decent housing without having to shell out an arm and a leg should as a first step take advantage of such an important resource as web ads. For those arriving from another city, the search for a home to lean on in the college year can prove not only difficult but also exhausting. Therefore, to shorten the time, all that is left to do is to log on to the net and do a search that can shed light on the availability of housing in the city where the studies are to be conducted. And here we can only recommend that you take a ride on our website And to try the latest implementation: the interactive map, thanks to which you can know whether, around the apartment you choose, there are Bus stops, grocery stores and universities; plus it is free and privacy-friendly thanks to the contact request system (you can decide who to give your phone number and/or email to).
Bonus:
If accommodation is important, location is certainly no less so, not least because classroom classes could be supplemented by a small job for those who do not want to burden the family too much, and in this case the time spent within the four walls would be minimized. Reason why it is preferable to put the location before the characteristics of the dwelling, always of course keeping a fixed limit of dignity below which not to fall.
In large cities, such as Rome, Milan or Turin, where spaces are much larger, the ideal thing is to find a house near one of the subway stations. Areas well served by public transportation, perhaps with a train station nearby, may also be fine. The availability of services also matters in no small measure, particularly those that can be provided by shopping malls or supermarkets. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that the faculty must be easy to reach, so even roads with little traffic may prove ideal, even if they are not very close to the university.
Before any choices are made give a close look at the guides, for now there are five, but they will increase shortly:
Expenses and bills
One assessment that needs to be made very carefully is that of the expense involved. In this sense, not only the rent should be counted, but also the expenses that need to be met, starting with the deposit. Very important information in this regard is that concerning condominium expenses, that is, whether or not they are included in the other party’s claim. If this is not the case, it is necessary to make sure of their actual amount by having a receipt issued by the administrator shown. Another item that can greatly affect, especially in a country where tariffs are as high as Italy is that related to the heating: self-contained or central heating? Same for every other utility, and in all cases it is necessary to ascertain the true extent of the financial burden to be borne by having the landlord release the bills, so as to avoid unwelcome surprises once the lease is signed.
It should also be remembered that in case one intends to go ahead and take along a few things that may be needed, such as a desk and a small bookcase, you can proceed to hire a company that specializes in student transportation, perhaps using one of the sites that offer quotes from companies.
- Incidental expenses, what the roommate pays and what the landlord pays
- The decalogue of energy saving
Once the far-reaching problems, such as those related to housing, roommate, and contract, have been solved, all that remains is to start organizing your time as best you can and enjoy college life!
Roommates
Having found your ideal study place, don’t forget that you will have to learn to live with roommates, whether friends or strangers in the house there are rules!
Don’t like your roommate? We help you on this as well:
Contract
Another important aspect for the off-campus student is the contract. If a few years ago the rental market was a jungle, in recent times things, fortunately, have changed today. We leave the word to our guides: