Moving away to college and living on your own is always a hard experience. It can be especially difficult to find a new place to live that meets all your necessities and still fits within your budget. To help navigate the world of student housing, here are some tips on how to find the perfect place to live.
The first thing you need to do is decide where you want to live. Some of the options you may want to consider are proximity to campus, social environment and personal space provided If you want to stay closer to campus, it would be best to live in Orem. If social life is more important to you, Provo would be a good place. If you want something more private and less crowded, look at some places in Vineyard.
The next step is setting a budget to determine how much you are willing to spend. Having a set budget will cut down the list of possible places significantly. Provo usually has cheaper options, but Orem and Vineyard have newer and more modern spaces. Having an estimate of how much you can afford will help narrow down your choices.
UVU offers assistance through their Housing Office, located in the Student Life and Wellness Center on the second floor. There you can find a booklet with many different complex options and their price range as well. It is very informative and will definitely be helpful when starting to look for apartments.
After you have a list of places you are interested in, look through their website to look at pictures and amenities. List the ones that are important to you such as pool, hot tub, laundry room, and internet. Decide if you want a shared or a private room. Select the ones that you like and ask for a tour in person.
It is also useful to look into Facebook groups, they have many for UVU and BYU students looking for housing. There you can try and find roommates, or ask for opinions on the places you are looking into. It is also a great place to sell and buy contracts.
Don’t get discouraged if you can’t find the perfect place right away. With diligence and research, you can find a great place to live and experience all that college life has to offer.
