The Joys of Off-Campus Living

By Katherine Tolentino

Reposted from: http://thesantaclara.blogspot.com/

When I found out that I'd be paying just $750 a month for a spacious room in a lovely Victorian house on dark side, I was elated at the prospect of a cheap alternative to the ever-growing costs of on-campus housing.

...Elated, that is, until the bills began pouring in. First PG&E, then Comcast, then Silicon Valley Utilities... Plus the costs of Trader Joe's runs every week, not to mention the time I spend trying to ensure that I cook relatively healthy meals [every once in a while in an otherwise monotonous rotation of pesto pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches].

Add to this the garbage collection service, which assaults my ears virtually every morning of every week at the crack of dawn, and suddenly shelling out an extra couple hundred bucks for a quiet single in Nobili takes on a fresh allure.

But young ones, do not let my petty rants persuade you to cling to on-campus housing for your whole four years-- apart from the healthy (read: merciless) introduction to The Real World that off-campus living provides, sharing a house with a group of your closest friends is nothing short of an amazing and inspiring life experience.

I will say, though, that I felt a twinge of jealousy as I walked through the newly remodeled Benson Dining Hall today with a rumbling stomach, and my envy only grew after a solid hour of cleaning out several years' worth of mold and expired dairy products from our house refrigerator.

Friends, my advice to you is, enjoy it while it lasts. And/or unlock the secret of eternal youth.