Renting an Apartment While Attending College

Off Topic
1

For the last two years my best friend has bothered me about getting an apartment with him and some other people. I currently go to a CC (transferring to Umass next year) while living with my parents. I only pay 100$ a month and pay for random stuff like taking them out to dinner or just give them money if they ask to borrow it, so in reality maybe 130$-150$ a month. I work for minimum wage and during the summer I make about 170-200$ a week. During school I only make about around 100$ a week. I have roughly 600$ cash saved and plan to reach 1000+ before the end of the summer. I also will get roughly 1100$ cash from financial aid this September.
I do have a car in decent shape.

My friend and his girlfriend currently live with her parents, pay no rent and have no expenses other than 50$ a month for his cell phone. He makes about 250$ a week with roughly 250$ saved…even after working full time for a year due to messing up on college entrance stuff. They don’t have a car or even a license between them

I think it is crazy to get an apartment with them. I don’t think I make enough to afford an apartment with roommates and I would prefer to live in a dorm when I transfer. I also think he isn’t very good with money and of course doesn’t have a car and I’m not a taxi service. I also do not want to waste the money I have saved on having an apartment for 6 months then getting booted.

So what are your opinions?

2

Don’t live with people who don’t have a car. Period.

And if you want to try to live out on your own, I guess it could possibly be a good life experience but you can kiss that money you saved goodbye. It depends on what matters more.

3

I agree with tootles, living with people without a car you will get run over by them, because if you take them out ONCE, or loan them the car ONCE, they will think it’s theirs for the taking, its pretty obvious their shit isn’t in order and have no business getting a place of their own.

4

Bang his girlfriend in your car.

5

Live in the dorm! It can be a fun experience and you have the rest of your life to live in apartments. Roommates always seem like a good idea until you find out your very best friend is a total pig, total mooch, or other. Don’t reward them with your good saving habits – not only will they have your car or your taxi service but before you know it…dude I don’t have money for pizza today can you just pay THIS time?

6

My experience and observations lead me to believe that one should never be roommates with a friend if either of you have never lived on your own before. If there is a SO in the picture this complicates the dynamics X a billion.

There is a high probability you would no longer be friends with this person if you moved in with them.

Go live in a dorm, as it will have the effect of introducing you to a wide variety of people and experiences, and give you a gentler intro into the world of sharing a living space with people you aren’t related to.

7

[quote]attydeb2005 wrote:
Live in the dorm! It can be a fun experience and you have the rest of your life to live in apartments. Roommates always seem like a good idea until you find out your very best friend is a total pig, total mooch, or other. Don’t reward them with your good saving habits – not only will they have your car or your taxi service but before you know it…dude I don’t have money for pizza today can you just pay THIS time? [/quote]

My best friend became a hardcore stoner shortly before we moved into an apartment for first year university. Add in the fact that he was a spoiled kid whose mom cleaned up after him all the time and it was a housekeeping disaster.

8

Yeah man. Don’t room with anyone that doesn’t have a car or money.

Bad news.

9

[quote]fraggle wrote:
My experience and observations lead me to believe that one should never be roommates with a friend if either of you have never lived on your own before. If there is a SO in the picture this complicates the dynamics X a billion.

There is a high probability you would no longer be friends with this person if you moved in with them.

Go live in a dorm, as it will have the effect of introducing you to a wide variety of people and experiences, and give you a gentler intro into the world of sharing a living space with people you aren’t related to.

[/quote]

This. You won’t be friends by the time you transfer to UMass, and you will be short a lot of cash that you could have saved by living at home. Don’t do it.

Live in a dorm and fuck as many girls as you possibly can.

10

/ thread

11

[quote]Steel Nation wrote:

[quote]fraggle wrote:
My experience and observations lead me to believe that one should never be roommates with a friend if either of you have never lived on your own before. If there is a SO in the picture this complicates the dynamics X a billion.

There is a high probability you would no longer be friends with this person if you moved in with them.

Go live in a dorm, as it will have the effect of introducing you to a wide variety of people and experiences, and give you a gentler intro into the world of sharing a living space with people you aren’t related to.

[/quote]

This. You won’t be friends by the time you transfer to UMass, and you will be short a lot of cash that you could have saved by living at home. Don’t do it.

Live in a dorm and fuck as many girls as you possibly can.[/quote]

While sex with girls might be a bonus, living in a dorm can be expensive. At UofA living in a dorm is about twice the cost of living off campus.

With the place i live in now, I only pay about 5 grand for a full lease (12 months @ 400/mo).

The dorms were about 4 grand a semester which does not include summer. And that was for the shitty dorms, the expensive ones are 5+ a semester.

Also, if you are planning on getting an apartment, find better friends, NEVER POTLUCK.

Some people say pot-lucking is ‘fun’, but they are mistaken, i have gone 0/3 on room mates who are even remotely sane.

Also if you are looking for new room mates, assess their current place to decide on whether or not to room with them, you do not want to get stuck with a bad room mate.

12

My car got totaled, and I have a roomate. I walk and hop the bus most places, just ride with him to groceries and the occasional, DUDE I WANNA BANG THIS GIRL DROP ME OFF AT HER PLACE.

It’s also strange circumstance tho, because we’re both Interns, so it’s sort of a different story.

13

Live in the dorm for your first year at the new school, make new friends that go to the school, and move in with your new friends to an apartment your 2nd year.