Finding the right place to live is not always easy as there are so many factors that need to be considered. Some of the things that need to be considered are rent, location, convenience, etc. Certain homes satisfy most of your needs but may be higher in price. Certain homes may be budget friendly but may make your commute to school a terrible experience. It is important that you balance out all these factors in making your decision. Here are a few steps I took in my decision making process.
1. Living on-campus vs. Living off-campus
First things first, you may want to decide whether you want to live in a dorm on campus, or live somewhere off campus. The dorms are located in various locations around North and Central Campus and function as small accessible communities within the university. About 97% of the incoming freshmen decide to live in the dorms because it allows a smooth transition from high school to college. Also, as the meal plans are included in the housing price, there is one less thing to worry about. All students at the University of Michigan are eligible to live in the dorms. However, due to high demand, the priority is given to freshmen and students who have lived in dorms for fewer terms. More information can be found at the university’s housing website.
2. Selecting a price range
The price is definitely something that you want to consider before anything else, as it is pointless to search for housing that is not affordable to you. Naturally, the homes with nicer facilities and convenient locations tend to be higher in price. If you don’t mind a little walk every morning, finding an apartment that is slightly farther away from the campus can bring down your costs by fairly large amounts. Also, sharing an apartment with other roommates is another way you can cut costs (however, it is more difficult to sublet because most people who are looking for rooms during the summer prefer to live alone!). The university offers off-campus housing resources on its website, so you may want to check that out.
3. Selecting the location
Michigan winters are brutal. So to be honest, the walks between your house and your classes or to the gym are not fun during the wintertime. Therefore, I highly recommend that you think about where you will be spending most of your time in. If you are a business, economics, or a psychology major for example, you may want to look for a place to live somewhere near South University. If you are a fitness maniac and like to hit the gym two times a day, you may want to find a place to live near the recreational buildings. Also, you may want to think about your lifestyle before you make your decision. If you are a type of person that likes to eat out, you may want to find a location where there are many restaurants around. If you like to cook, you may want to live near a grocery store. If your house does not have a washer or dryer, you may want to see if there is a place where you can do laundry around your house.
There are many other things that should be considered in finding your “perfect home,” but I hope these steps have made your decision making a little bit easier. Ann Arbor is a beautiful city and I assure you all locations are awesome in their own unique ways. I hope you make the most out of it, and good luck!
Jaeyoon Jung
Summer Orientation Peer Advisor
Major: Economics
Country of Origin: South Korea
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