Housing is one of the most important aspects of college — where you live defines your daily schedule, routine, and habits. Whether you live in dorms, on-Grounds housing, off-Grounds housing, or something in between, your living situation represents a refuge away from school and the public, a personal place of sanctity that you mold to fit yourself and your needs. So of course, deciding where to live, and who to live with, from year to year is a daunting decision not to be taken lightly. However, it is a growing trend at our University to make this immense decision about housing earlier and earlier in the year, a trend that creates many problems for students of all years.

The early push for housing mainly affects those looking to live off-Grounds. Many people would probably prefer to live off-Grounds, given the multiple advantages that stem from non-University housing, such as complete personal freedom (no RAs!) and freedom to live with friends of your choosing. Even those who choose to remain on-Grounds need to commit to that decision early — otherwise students may face regret at not searching for off-Grounds housing later and finding that all possibilities have dried up. And the push has already begun. At my own apartment on Rugby Road, I have already received several jubilant notifications from my apartment realtors, inviting me to renew my lease by Oct. 7, as they would “love to have me stay for another year!” This strikes me as a little bit absurd. After all, I have only been living in my apartment for a couple months. How am I supposed to make the decision to commit to another year without first forming an opinion of the pros and cons of living where I am now, let alone decide if I want to live with my current roommates (one of whom is an insufferable slob who refuses to turn off the AC at night). However, as a second-year I at least have some idea of who I want to live with and where I want to live. First-years are thrown into this huge decision within the first month of school. According to George Gianakos, a current first-year, “there’s a lot of pressure to sign a lease early.” In fact, many of his first year friends have already decided where they are living next year, because “it’s kind of forced upon you so early.”  He finds himself at a loss for his housing situation next year, claiming, “it is kind of overwhelming to figure out right away.” And this rings true for many first years who are still in the process of making friends and sorting out how to manage the college experience.

So why is there such an early push? Unfortunately, availability of housing is limited in Charlottesville. Realtors who own apartments and houses close to Grounds and especially close to the Corner have a distinct advantage over students. A limited supply of housing in high demand spots means that realtors can offer early leases to students who are willing to commit themselves sometimes months in advance. So if you want these spots close to Grounds, be it JPA or Rugby or 14th, you need to be willing to sign early. This puts many people, especially first-years, in a complex predicament. In fact, many people sign up early without properly looking at all other options or taking into account inclusions such as water, electricity, or cable, all of which can add big numbers to an already potentially high rent. Last year I was a perfect example of this, signing a lease a mere two days after viewing my apartment, and failing to inquire about these basic necessities, most of which were actually not provided.

And what about students living on-Grounds? Well, the University does provide affordable, quality housing for students. Lambeth, Gooch/Dillard, Bice, as well as many other places are much cheaper than their off-Grounds counterparts. The quality of these places may be less than other apartments and houses, but they offer significant savings by comparison. And many students shy away from the idea of having an RA after first year, but the general consensus is that RAs themselves are much more lax as well when presiding over a larger amount of residents. Plus, students can decide to live in on-Grounds housing much later, thus giving them time to decide about roommates and to look into off-Grounds housing at their own leisure.

Ultimately, deciding where to live is a huge decision. Students need to be aware of the multiple options that are offered, be it off-Grounds or on-Grounds housing. The growing push for making this decision earlier and earlier needs to be discouraged immediately. Don’t worry about signing a lease in early September or October — there will always be plenty of quality housing year after year.

Danny Di Giulio is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.