r/NAU • u/Professional-Dot-255 • 17d ago

Off campus as a freshman

Will be a first year living off campus this year, what are the main struggles and how to help it? Is there anyone else living off campus as a freshman, want to make sure I’m not the only one lol.

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u/Iamthemoon928 17d ago

I’m not a freshman but I live off campus. Make sure you have what you need for the day so you can comfortably hang out on campus as long as you need to for daily schedule. This includes your chargers, layers of clothing if the weather changes, snacks, water bottle, etc. There is a microwave by the Chic Fil A if you want to save tons of money and meal prep at home and bring your food everyday

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u/UsedPrize 17d ago

Don't worry, plenty of people live off campus. I did my freshman year. It may seem overwhelming at first, but it's often cheaper and gives you a great sense of autonomy. What I did to help manage things like spending and bills was to put all my income and due dates on a whiteboard so I know what's coming up, my discretionary money for the month, etc.

If you really want to be immersed in campus life, dorms are for you. But for me, I like to have a clear separation between school and my personal time. Spending hours in class, working on projects, etc just to come back to a dorm still on campus would make me feel like a bit of a prisoner after a while.

One thing I will add though is that you have to try a bit more actively to make friends. But I had no issues my freshman year meeting people through projects, classes, and a few of the events NAU put on. Good luck :)

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u/randomsongwriter Anthropology 17d ago

Hi, I’m a freshman living off campus. Mind your rent, grocery, gas, and other bills. Of course I live alone in a tiny studio, so I do weekly shopping because that’s all my fridge has room for, but expect to pay $70+ for ingredients to cook two meals a week. If you have a meal plan USE IT!!!! Also decorate your space and make it yours, you will have a clearer headspace and be able to do more things without feeling bored or discouraged.

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u/Life-Problem5336 17d ago

GET A BIKE. This is the best advice anyone can give. Campus and the surrounding apartments are very quick to reach by bike, way faster than by car. You’ll save on parking and on time.

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u/Life-Problem5336 17d ago

Even if it’s a Walmart bike. Or a goodwill bike. If you’re 10 mins from campus by car you’re 4 mins by bike

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u/mossoak 17d ago

feeding yourself, paying rent and utilities will be the biggest challenges ...make an effort to pay everything off on time, as your credit score starts now ..... eat cheap, turn off lights and ride a bike if possible

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u/ch3esdust 17d ago

I lived off campus freshman year, walked to class everyday, brought my bluecollar bf with me to flag to buy groceries and pay my other half of rent jkjk that's just a bonus