All of us will have to decide whether to live on or off campus.  
Moving off campus will probably be your first time living without someone watching over you. 
You will have a lot more freedom to drink and watch Key and Peele until 3 a.m., but you will also have to make sure to wake up for class after drinking on a Wednesday. 
This is just one example you need to consider when making the move off campus.
At LSU, you can expect to pay between $600 and $800 a month in room and board. There are plenty of apartments that are cheaper and plenty that are more expensive. 
It’s easy to compare rent prices, but there are other factors to take into                                        consideration — some you can’t put a price on.
The first obvious factor is being close to campus. On LSU’s campus, you will never be more than a 10-minute walk from a class, somewhere to eat or a sports venue. 
Don’t take this for granted. 
I know middle-aged men who would pay lots of money to live on campus during football season to be close to the Parade Ground and tailgating.
Keep in mind there are apartment complexes surrounding campus that are still a 15- or 20-minute walk to class. You have to be honest with yourself if you can get up and drive to campus. 
I know I skip class more now that I have to walk 20 minutes to class, especially if it’s raining. I’ll take my warm bed over accounting class every time.
Keep in mind that traffic around campus can get very busy, and parking on campus has gradually gotten worse.
We’ve heard rumors of a parking garage every year, but every year a new dorm is built instead. 
Don’t expect the parking situation to improve. If you aren’t a fan of driving, then staying on campus might keep you sane.
Living off campus will give you a more freedom than you had on campus. You won’t have room inspections, resident assistants or mandatory floor meetings. 
However, living in a dorm is the simplest living situation you will ever have. 
While you are on campus, you don’t have to worry about paying rent every month because it was covered in tuition. 
LSU doesn’t make you pay for electricity or water in a dorm. You won’t have to worry about grocery shopping because The 459 or The 5 is right around the corner. It’s almost like living at home where everything is taken care of for you.
If you decide to live off campus, you will find it more difficult to know about the events that are happening on campus. 
Of course, this is no problem if you already have friends that you know you will stay in contact with after living together.
The difference that’s closest to my heart is food. 
Since moving off campus, finding food has been a struggle for me. I can’t just go to The 459 whenever I want or eat as much as I want anymore.  
LSU offers commuter meal plans that are similar to the ones you get while living on campus. 
Residents get a certain number of meal plans a week plus Paw Points. Commuters get a “lump sum” of meals and some Paw Points. Students also have the option of getting a plan that consists of only Paw Points.
If you get a meal plan while living off campus, then you will have to commit to going on campus when you want to eat, which can be an                                    inconvenience.        
However, eating at the dining halls is a healthy alternative to eating fast food every day if you don’t cook.
You also need to keep in mind all the expenses that come with living off campus. 
Living on campus is going to cost more unless you are living somewhere like Southgate Towers. But depending on what apartments or house you decide on, you may have to pay for electricity, water, cable, internet and                                                garbage pick up. 
You won’t have to pay for these in a dorm.
Be sure to ask what utilities you would have to pay and how much those utilities generally cost. Factor that into your price comparison of living off campus, along with all the other factors like the ones I listed.
Jay Cranford is a 20-year-old finance junior from St. Simons,  Island Georgia. You can reach him on Twitter @hjcranford.