It was only three weeks into my first year when someone asked me where I planned on living next year. I responded with an incredulous, “I’m only just remembering how to get from my dorm to Gibson, and I barely know anyone here” — but I couldn’t seem to shake the question. Students are supposed to be figuring out where they want to live next year, while this year is only just beginning. This can be tricky for upperclass students, but for first-years it is a high-stakes game of guessing who you’ll be friends with next year. In many cases, the wiser option is to avoid the stress of immediately finding a place to live and wait to sign a lease with people you know you want to live with.
While unfortunate, it is not a surprise that students sign leases so early in the year. With demand for convenient and affordable student housing outpacing supply, there is a shortage of appealing living spaces. It has become important to secure housing early if one wants to live in the “best” spots. For example, CBS Rentals had a deadline of Sept. 13 for those who wished to renew a lease. The system incentivises students to sign early, which can lead to unfortunate consequences.
The early deadline means that first-year students have to decide to spend the next year with people that they may have met only three weeks prior. Signing an early lease is committing to live with a group of people a year from when you all sign. You’re placing a big bet on the fact that your friend group of today will look the same in a year. In a university packed with interesting people and intriguing opportunities, it is very possible that commitments and friendships will evolve throughout the year. This is completely normal and healthy, but it can make a pre-arranged living situation rather complicated.
I witnessed multiple instances of someone signing a lease with people either on their hall, in their Biology class or at their orientation session, and later realizing they would rather live with a different group of people. All situations eventually resolved themselves, but the process of finding someone to take over a lease can be stressful. Signing a lease with people you have known for a short few weeks is like choosing random roommates all over again.
There’s nothing wrong with living with people you do not know very well — many of us did it as first-years, and it was a valuable experience. However, living with friends is undeniably more enjoyable. If students are willing to wait a little bit longer to sign a lease, there is a better chance that they will end up with closer friends to live with. This obviously comes with a trade-off — waiting longer means that some housing options will already be taken. However, on-Grounds housing options like Lambeth are in many cases both more convenient and more affordable than off-Grounds competitors.
While it is stressful to hear everyone talking about their finalized housing plans for the next year, patience is its own reward. Don’t buy into the housing hysteria. Wait, settle into a grove and find people you really want to live with. Following this path will make you less stressed now and more content next year — as Michael Scott would say, it’s a “win-win-win.”
Connor Fitzpatrick is an Opinion columnist for the Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
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