Off-campus cons:
-Commuting. Plain and simple, driving to school is a burden. You have to wake up earlier and give yourself plenty of time to fight traffic and find a parking spot somewhat near your building.
-More complex. Instead of paying one basic fee at the beginning of the school year you have to keep up with rent, utilities and Internet. You could also wind up with a wacky landlord, and taking care of damages and repairs will be up to you.
-More responsibility. Plenty of schools have residential life offices available to help students with dorm life, but how many schools also have an office devoted to helping off-campus students? Not many. If you live off-campus and your roommate runs out on your lease, it’s your responsibility to find a new one, not your schools’.
-You can become out of touch with campus life. Word of mouth travels slower when you’re off-campus, and there aren’t bulletins advertising events on campus in your apartment building. You have to work a little harder to keep up when you have your own place.
-Costs can add up. While it seems cheaper to live off-campus, and it often is, the cost can add up quicker than you expect. You’ve got the usual monthly bills plus furnishing and maintaining the space. It may seem insignificant, but purchases like vacuums, curtains and doormats can get overwhelming.
-Less community. Instead of having a whole residential hall full of people to meet and interact with, your off-campus community consists of your roommate, existing friends and maybe the guys in the apartment next door. It isn’t impossible to build community, but just like staying in touch with campus happenings, it takes more work.