When it comes to on campus versus off campus living, how much is your freedom worth?
Director of Residence Life Jim Bajczyk spends a lot of time researching the price of gas as well as the costs of groceries, dining out, auto repairs, renting apartments, and—well, all sorts of things that Lakeland’s commuter students encounter living off campus.
He needs to be familiar with those things so the school’s room-and-board costs for dormitory and apartment living remain at least competitive with the costs in both the surrounding communities and other schools.
“If you look at Lakeland compared to other schools in the WAICU (Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities) area,” said Bajczyk, “we are usually at or near the bottom when it comes to cost-per-student.
“We’re pretty constant in our costs,” he continued. “At the most we’re going to go up around 3 percent annually. And that’s only some years. Other years we might not go up hardly at all.”
Bajczyk went on to explain that Lakeland tries to balance changes in the costs of both room and board to limit increases to that 3-percent figure.
“If we’re going to realize an increase in food prices,” he said, “then in order to keep the total costs down, we won’t raise the cost of rooms as much.”
There are many other costs, both obvious and hidden, to take into account when considering moving off campus.
“When students try to decide between living on campus or moving off,” said Bajczyk, “generally they only look at food and rent. Generally, we’re pretty comparable in rent with the surrounding communities, but students sometimes underestimate how much they’ll eat.”
Some start out thinking they’ll be able to eat macaroni and cheese all the time, “…but the first couple of times they order out for pizzas,” he said, “that budget can be blown. Also, there are snacks and beverages involved, which we cover through our meal plans, with the Muskie Mart and such.
“What they [students] seem to forget the most is the cost of utilities,” Bajczyk continued. “The cable, internet access, telephone, laundry, and the transportation costs—going back and forth with gas increases and wear-and-tear on the car.”
That last part—the cost of transportation—is becoming more significant as gas prices push towards $4 per gallon, with serious speculation by the major news outlets that it may top $5 before finally reaching its peak.
With costs like that looming, Lakeland’s shuttle service to and from the surrounding communities in Sheboygan County may become increasingly attractive to those affected.
“The service is free,” Bajczyk stressed, “and while, no, it’s not as convenient as having your own car, generally by the time you’re into your first or second semester, you’re going to find friends with cars you can make arrangements with.”
Bajczyk estimates that about half of the students living on campus own their own cars.
While the cost of room and board is obviously important, there are less tangible considerations, too.
Icy roads? Not a problem for on campus residents who can simply walk to class. Studying for classes, though, can be quite a hassle as you’re tempted to get involved in the variety of activities that occur within such communal living spaces.
The independence offered by off campus living can offset many disadvantages.
Consider the story of Cuiqian Chen, an international student from China known around campus simply as “C.J.”
C.J. began his Lakeland experience living on campus, which was a good way to assure maximum support from the college while he became accustomed to his new surroundings.
After a while, though, C.J. decided to move off campus for a number of reasons. Being from another country, he wished to get to know the local residents of the area—not simply as a visiting resident, but as a neighbor as well. He wanted to experience what it was like to live as a traditional American.
Some of what he found surprised him. He found that the topic of studying offered some contradictions.
“Studying at school is more [convenient] with the library and tutoring center nearby,” he said, “but it is easier at home [his apartment], with more comfort and space, to relax and do homework.”
He finds his social life to be somewhat stifled now that he lives in town, because the move has disconnected him from many of his friends. “When you live off campus,” C.J. said, “you need to go home and clean the house and study—sometimes while your friends stay and talk and party.
“I’m not saying you don’t meet people across the hall or around the area in Sheboygan,” he continued, “but it’s not like at school.”
C.J. said that in many ways, he’d rather be living at school, but has found himself having to weigh the pros and cons. “With the meal plan, you are more restricted in the kinds of foods you can eat,” he said. “Then you find yourself going to places like Wal-Mart to pick up what you like.” This can greatly increase a student’s expenditure for food since meal plans are paid for in a lump sum (whether the plan is used or not).
While the rising price of gasoline is touted as a good reason to live on campus, circumstances can sometimes make the opposite true, especially at a college like Lakeland, with its isolated campus.
“It depends on your personality,” C.J. said. “Now, I can walk to places like Piggly Wiggly, or to church or a restaurant. Before, just a few 20 minute trips from the campus to Sheboygan or Plymouth cost more than commuting to classes.”
When asked if he’d had any problems with landlords, C.J. responded that he had, but that they weren’t serious as they were more like misunderstandings. “Right at first,” he said, “there was confusion about who should do things like care for the environment and mow the lawn.”
Bajczyk noted that problems with landlords are not as bad at Lakeland as at many other institutions, particularly those in large cities. He stressed that students who live off campus should be realistic, and they should remember that landlords don’t always have the students’ best interests in mind.
“To be honest,” Bajczyk said, “there are some landlords who are just in it for the money and don’t keep up their apartments very well.” Trying to get back security deposits can sometimes be a battle in situations like these.
“Another tough thing a student can run into is having to sign a 12-month lease,” he said. “They have to include that in the cost, too, unless they can find someone to sublet the place during the summer—which can be hard around here.” Although, students looking to stay at the same location year-round will not be as hampered by signing a lease.
The bottom line seems to be that Lakeland doesn’t discourage qualified students (21 years old, married, ex-military, family in the area, et cetera) from living independently, but wants to be sure students closely consider the pros and cons and are aware of the pitfalls.
The way the school approaches achieving such a goal is to make on campus living as appealing and cost-competitive as possible; add the advantages of close proximity to campus functions and free services like in-house laundries, paid utilities, free TV, Internet service, and Lakeland’s shuttle service to the package all make living within the campus community something most students will desire.
“Our general philosophy,” said Bajczyk, “is that we don’t really want to force people to live in the dorms who don’t want to be there, so we try to be generous about granting permission for them to live independently.”
Both Bajczyk and C.J. agreed that the college has done much to make living on campus appealing, but both also realize there are legitimate reasons for living apart from it.
Bajczyk wants to be sure that all students, whether they live on or off campus, have the fullest possible support of Lakeland behind them.