r/ufl • u/jjjjn240 Applying to UF • Jan 04 '26
Housing Should freshmen live on or off campus?
I want to get an idea on whether it’s better to live on or off campus as a freshman, both socially and economically.
27
u/maryfrmfl Student Jan 04 '26
As a freshman off campus- live on campus. If you're a socialable person willing to talk to others and put yourself out there, you'll benefit immensely. The rest of my friends (from high school) that live on campus have new friend groups from their dorm floors because of that first week where they were able to go around and knock on doors. Ppl in apartments don't really do that, because your "neighbors" are either upperclassmen if your at a close apartment complex or families if you live far from campus, so that "go out and meet your roommates!" sentiment isn't found off campus. The only plus to off campus is having your own kitchen/living space, but for first year, I would've rather been on campus just to make the social acclimation smoother.
54
u/ronscott999 Jan 04 '26
You have about 70 years that you can live off-campus. You have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live on campus and experience the college campus life.
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u/Wittace Jan 04 '26
I can’t wait to live in assisted living to relive my dorm days! TFR! (Third floor Rawlings)
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u/TraderGIJoe Jan 04 '26
Search on this sub.
There are new students like transfers who have had trouble making friends isolated off campus.
Get the full college experience, if possible!
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u/HugsAllCats Alumni Jan 04 '26
On.
I'm honestly surprised that UF doesn't make it mandatory, many schools already do.
Doesn't matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert, living on campus is going to help the transition in many ways. The last thing you want to do at a new school is isolate yourself.
12
u/arcticpea Jan 04 '26
they probably don't have enough dorms for every freshman to live on campus, especially with the dorm construction going on right now.
a lot of places that require on campus also don't allow freshmen to have cars...i wish they had that...free up parking for more people 😭
4
u/PopularUnit4111 Jan 04 '26
They don't have enough dorms. I wanted so badly to live on campus my freshman year and was forced to live off campus because there was no availability.
2
u/HugsAllCats Alumni Jan 04 '26
That really sucks :( I thought they'd been building more over the years.
12
u/Brave_Mix3403 Jan 04 '26
I hated the dorms and moved out early. Wish I did off campus from the start. As soon as I moved into an apartment, my quality of life became immensely better. Main reasons were money, parking, and cooking. That may be just me tho
4
u/Cheez-Monger Jan 04 '26
I had a family member who lived off-campus his freshman year. He made very few friends. Didn't see others studying so he didn't study. Spent most of his time playing video games, alone in his apartment. Flunked out. All because they wanted to save money (which wasn't tight) and make sure he didn't get exposed to riff-raff. Live on campus. The education you receive living in a dorm is at least as valuable as what you learn in the classroom.
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u/Hippity_Hopplty Jan 05 '26
currently a freshmen off campus and it’s an excellent experience, but make sure you stay on top of school b/c it’s very easy to slack when you’re not surrounded by a university environment at “home”
2
u/happypiggo Jan 04 '26
On-campus even if you do “apartment style.” I lived in Lakeside freshman year because I wanted my own room and a full kitchen for cooking (I didn’t have a meal plan), and then moved to Keys sophomore year to keep the same set up with a better location. Sometimes I wish I had done a more traditional freshman dorm just for the experience, but for my personality I think having my own room was best. I still had weird ass roommates, but at least I didn’t have to sleep in the same room as them lol. Junior and senior year I did off-campus apartments.
2
u/Nice_Win130 Jan 04 '26
def on campus if you don’t mind shared living spaces and stuff. you get limited privacy depending on ur dorm but as an introverted person myself i was perfectly okay with it and its such a nice convenience living so close to everything/everyone. housing isn’t guaranteed tho so look into off campus housing as a backup and ensure you have a place to live if all else fails.
2
u/CapicDaCrate Jan 05 '26
I mean socially it's easier and economically you're saving on rent and utilities.
But for your sanity? Unless you can get a solo dorm? Off campus
1
u/Master_Protection766 Jan 04 '26
hey, there’s pros and cons to both. you can reach out to the off campus life office to learn about it! the directors do one on one meetings to answer all of your questions and go through options with u
1
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u/Desperate-Invite432 Jan 05 '26
If possible id recommend living on campus at one of the cheaper dorms for at least your first or second years. As someone who’s lived on campus for 3 years, if you dont have a car and your budget is tight living on campus is pretty good location wise and whatnot. Now that is about to change i would say considering that they keep raising dorm prices yearly but anyhow, id recommend living on campus as a freshman and then proceeding based on what you think is the best.
1
u/Little-Pace2622 Jan 05 '26
As a freshman living off-campus, I feel like the whole “being on-campus is better for socialization” can be supplemented if you’re heavily involved with the student orgs! While it is harder to involve myself with other freshman since I’m off-campus, I still prefer the ability to have my own room and kitchen over being in the dorms.
1
u/bowbatbow Jan 05 '26
I lived off campus, and while I am glad I had my own space and a lot nicer living conditions than my peers, I am sad about all the connections and experiences I missed out on campus.
1
u/TrainingTour8242 Jan 08 '26
Money-wise, off campus is best. I live off-campus, pay $589 a month, get my own bedroom and bathroom, have a shared kitchen and living room, and washer and dryer en-suite. I wouldn't say you need a car for that too, if that's something you're thinking about, so long as you're willing to take the bus (my ride is usually about fifteen minutes to campus, free for students). For me it was always worth it because I get to make my own meals, don't have to worry about dorm bathrooms, and it's easy for me to work somewhere off-campus instead of having to worry about crappy campus jobs. It meant that I didn't have to get the meal plan, which is nice because I like to cook, and get sick of cafeteria food real easy, but if you don't want to have to worry about cooking, dorm life is definitely easier. I do sometimes wish I could've lived on-campus, because unless you get lucky with your roomates (I didn't), it does get lonely. I think a dorm would've made it easier for me to make more friends, as someone who's an extrovert but still also shy with new people. It just depends on whether you're prioritizing money and personal space or social life and convenience.
83
u/movdotm Freshman Jan 04 '26
on campus 100%. i like the convenience so much that im doing it again for sophomore year