How To Find An Apartment For Nursing Students
It’s no secret that when you’re an Accelerated BSN student you don’t get all the amenities of a regular undergrad. As a newly admitted ABSN student myself I realize that my university along with most other universities do not offer their ABSN student housing or meal plans. The universities figure that we were working or are independent and would have an apartment or rent an apartment near campus. For those of you who live close to your program this post doesn’t necessarily apply to you. However for those ABSN and Four year BSN students this could be a helpful guide.
Five things you should look for when searching for an apartment
1. Proximity
2. Price
3. Amenities
4. Safety and security
5. Comfort
Proximity is a huge factor when looking for apartments. You don’t want to find a well-priced apartment that has low rent, decent appliances just to realize that its 30 minutes away from campus. Searching between 10 to 15 miles around your campus is ideal. The further out you go the less expensive rent will be. If you’re lucky you might even find an apartment that covers utilities or has free internet
Price can be tricky. The general rule of thumb is that the farther out from a city or campus you go the cheaper the rent is. There is an important balance that must be struck between price of rent and the value of the apartment. It isn’t uncommon for landlords to jack up prices when students mention that they have housing assistance or that they come from out of state. Being savvy about the local rental market is important. Find similar apartments with similar amenities so you know when you’re being swindled.
Amenities are what drive up the value of an apartment. Newly renovated apartments cost more and have newer appliances. Some landlords offer furnished apartments that have everything from a TV down to a bed and dishware. The price can vary based on what is offered. Always keep and eye out for apartments that cover utilities and or internet service. This will cut down your living expenses tremendously.
Safety and Security is of the utmost importance. Having the peace of mind that your laptop, tv, cloths, jewelry, etc. are safe makes for a stress-free living experience. most apartments will have some type of controlled access and some will offer individual security systems. As a side remember that this does impact the price of rent, but you can’t really put a price on security can you?
Comfort is key! It’s simple, if you are not comfortable studying, relaxing, sleeping, eating, doing whatever in your apartment than that living arrangement is not a value add. Finding a comfortable place to stay can’t be beat. For some students, this will mean having newer appliances, possibly furnished living space. For others, it could mean having a 1-bedroom apartment vs. a 2-bedroom apartment.
Personally, I have settled on corporate housing. Corporate housing caters to students in internships, residencies, or semester to semester students. They also serve business people and traveling medical professions. Most corporate housing services will include all utilities, high speed internet access, furniture, and appliances as a part of one consolidated rent. For anyone who is curious this is how the math works out for me, a decent 1-bedroom apartment cost 700$ a month, plus utilities that average about 150$, plus high speed internet at about 80$, then factor in furniture at a one-time cost of 700$ and cook and dishware which can add to the cost. In total your monthly expense is about 900$ and you still need to buy furniture. On the flip side, corporate housing cost between 700-1000$ a month and covers furniture, cookware, dishware, utilities, high speed internet access, and in some cases even has a linen service. All that combined I end up with greater comfort and convenience through corporate housing. I’ve put a link below to so you can learn more about corporate housing.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-myths-facts-you-should-know-corporate-housing-ghaith-trabelsi
No matter what your preferences are I hope this post makes it easier for you to find an apartment.
Happy Hunting
Vish
