Updated with current information for 2022
So, it’s summertime. You’re enrolled at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, but you don’t have any housing yet. Is it time to panic?
While it’s not the end of the world, you should move with some sense of urgency. But you don’t need to lower your standards and settle for on-campus university housing. You’ll pay close to what your parents are paying for the house that contains that imported leather sofa to get less space than your bedroom now, and you’ll have to share it with a roommate. Just Google “Naked Roommate.” We dare you. Yikes!
Shack Up with High School Buddies?
You might be tempted to join ranks with high school friends who are also going to OU. The catch with this game plan is you’ve already had the high school experience. Why go to college just to relive old high school memories? It’s a big world out there. Sure, it’s fine to remain friends, but the whole idea of going to college is to expand your world and make new ones. Just saying….
Social Networking
Hit the social networks. Sign up for the OU alumni page on Facebook or join a Facebook group with students from your class. Make some virtual friends and ask if anybody’s looking for a roommate.
Consider a One Bedroom Rental
You might consider renting a one-bedroom rental in Athens Ohio. You don’t have to negotiate with roommates, have full control of the stereo/fridge and never technically have to put on pants. (Although technically, that’s always an option. See “Naked Roommate” above. Hey, it’s college.)
You can also go with a studio apartment – but they’re more expensive and harder to find that late in the year.
Alternatively, go for many roommates
Sometimes, big rentals – like those with five people living in one space – can have vacancies lasting the entire year. These rentals are usually old frat houses close to OU’s campus and oftentimes come with their very own off-campus parking.
Some houses get big. They range from the four-bedroom rental on up to ten or more bedrooms. And while you may not want to deal with that many people, it’ll certainly lower rent costs and make for an interesting year.
Whatever you do, get on it. Housing flies fast, and by summertime, you’re pretty much just left with the scraps. The sooner you sign your name to a lease, the better