Students offer views about on, off campus living
   After moving from East Laville Hall to her own apartment, physics junior Carrie Buell said the best thing about dorm life was the location.
“I enjoyed rolling out of bed five minutes before class,” she said.
Many students said they feel the same and moreover, said on-campus living offers more convenience and more opportunities than living off campus.
Lindsay Olinde, a poultry science junior and Buell’s roommate, said living on campus provides students with more socializing outlets.
“Being in the dorms freshman year, you get to meet so many different people,” Olinde said. “It forces you to at least say hello to some people.”
Biological sciences freshman Chris Causey said he honestly prefers living on campus because of its relaxed atmosphere.
“The classes are closer and I don’t keep a car, so that’s good for me,” he said.
Causey added living on campus without a car, he thinks it comes out the same financially as living in an apartment and driving to school.
Buell added one of the perks about on-campus living is a student is more likely to get involved with organizations on campus.
“Living in an apartment is cool, but if you are interested in getting involved, you don’t have much opportunity off campus,” Buell said. “But I think you can still thrive at LSU either way.”
Communications coordinator for Residential Life Mimi LaValle said college is a big investment, and living on campus helps students to get the maximum experience from college.
“It makes college life easier,” LaValle said. “You are closer to your classes, closer to the library and closer to the Union.”
However, there are many students who say there are more advantages to living off campus.
Having experienced dorm life and now living in an apartment, Olinde said she supports freshmen housing but now enjoys living off campus.
“With apartments, there aren’t as many rules, and you don’t have to be checking people in and out,” she said.
Marketing junior Holly Champagne has lived in off-campus apartments throughout her college career.
“There’s more freedom with apartments,” she said. “I don’t have to have people out of the room at two in the morning.”
University House on Brightside manager Casie Vanzandt said a big difference between on-campus and off-campus living is privacy.
“It’s your own personal apartment, you can come and go as you please,” she said.
Champagne said a disadvantage of on-campus living is the unclean state of the bathrooms.
“If I am going to get naked, I want it to be in a clean place,” she said.
Young agrees on-campus living is more convenient and helps students to get more involved; however, she does think that living off campus has its perks also.
“Off campus is cheaper, and you don’t have people inspecting your rooms,” she said.
Buell said living off campus puts students out in the real world.
“With off-campus living there is a lot more responsibility than dorms like groceries and bills,” Buell said.
LaValle said the Residential College program has been really successful in keeping students on campus.
“The main thing about living on campus is that students can get really involved with the University because they are in the middle of all the action,” she said.
LaValle also said because of the many renovations that have occurred, living on campus now is much easier.
“It offers students a more satisfying social experience,” she said. “And it makes making the transition from high school to college easier.”
Benjamin Leger