Off campus living in the Caribbean – the good & the bad

When the school announced earlier this year that all classes would be in person starting August 2022, I knew I had to find an apartment ASAP. And one that was close-ish to the school, because I didn’t want to live on campus. Almost 1.5 months in and I’m still happy with my decision. But as with anything, there are some downsides. Here’s a rundown of the some of the pros & cons of off campus living.

Off campus living pros

More space

The greatest perk to living off campus is having more space. And it’s probably the main reason that many students move off campus after 1-2 terms.

My apartment is fairly small but it still provides more square footage than what I’d get on campus. I have a small kitchen area, bathroom, living room with a small couch, and bedroom. It’s essentially a studio apartment but there’s a wall (no door) that partially separates the bedroom from the rest of the apartment. And the best part is that there’s just enough room to workout. I usually have to rearrange some things or work at an angle but mostly I can make it work.

Based on how much you pay for on campus living, you really don’t get much space. My friends’ dorms have small bedrooms furnished with a single sized bed and some desk arrangement. And that’s really the only space you have to yourself. The rest of the apartment involves a shared bathroom and kitchen area. Depending on the size of the suite, you may be sharing it with 2 or 3 other people. And since everything is shared, you have to be conscious of the smallest things. For example, one friend is very mindful when getting groceries and cooking that she doesn’t take up too much room in the fridge.

There’s also a lot of variability in the aesthetics of campus dorms. One friend is in a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite. It looks outdated (although apparently some things have been updated) but I noticed the shared area is a little more spacious. Another friend is in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom suite that is much nicer and fully updated (you can tell as soon as you walk in) but it’s definitely smaller.

Privacy & freedom

The other great thing about off campus living is that you have a little haven where you can retreat after a long day. That’s why I specifically wanted a single bedroom apartment aka no roommates lol. After classes and being surrounded by people all day, I like having the space and time to just be alone. Have some peace and quiet. And be able to focus on whatever I need to get done without endless distractions. Like a roommate coming in to chat because she’s now taking a study break lol.

On the topic of roommates, if you want to dorm with someone, you have to include them on your campus housing application and the school will assign you to the same suite. Otherwise, you get assigned roommates according to the preferences you specify. And that really seems to be a hit or miss. Some friends have had a terrible roommate experience while others have had a pleasant to good experience.

Since I don’t have roommates, I can do whatever I want whenever I want and not worry about inconveniencing other people. I don’t have to worry about coordinating when I can cook. Or being in someone’s way when I’m working out. Or waking up my roommates since I like to start the day early. Especially since I’m up before the roosters these days. There’s just a lot more freedom without roommates.

Off campus living cons

Traveling to campus

The biggest downside to being off campus is then having to travel to and from campus. It’s great that the school provides a busing service that we don’t have to pay (out of pocket) for. But there are a lot of students on the island. And a lot of students living off campus. Meaning the buses are often packed and you might see a few drive by before you can get on. Which is especially difficult in the heat here. So it takes some trial and error to figure out the best times to take the bus on your route.

If you’re taking the bus from campus to run errands, you obviously get on the bus at the starting point so it’s easer to get a seat. And it’s obviously very convenient to go back to your place in between classes when we have longer days. On days I have tutorials, they’re about 3 hours after lectures. And since my bus ride is 5 min from campus, I usually try to go home during that break. It’s enough time to have lunch, get some work done and come back. Going home is a nice break from campus and because it’s quiet, I can usually get more done there than on campus. But I lose time waiting for the bus both ways. So I’m still trying to figure out a happy medium.

Late night campus events

Building on the issue of traveling to campus – this can be a bigger pain point for late night classes. It gets dark here by 6:30-6:45 at the latest year-round. Which means if you have a class that ends around that time, you’ll be traveling home when it’s dark. Also, most extracurricular club meetings are usually at 7 or 8pm to not interfere with classes. So if you want to attend, you’ll either be sticking around campus all day after classes or going home and coming back. Either way, at the end of the meeting you’ll be traveling home when it’s dark. I prefer getting home before the crickets and frogs begin their evening orchestra. So there are many events and meetings that I’ve skipped out on because I didn’t want to come back to campus that late (they weren’t that important anyway lol).

Fortunately, the school does offer a solution for traveling home when it’s dark. After 6pm, the school offers small off-road buses that drop you off right in front of your home rather than leaving you at the bus stop. Which is really convenient and safe. However, they’re even smaller than the usual buses so they fill up fast. And if you live further along the route, it can take you much longer to get home depending on how many other students are on the bus and where they need to stop.

Apartment hunting takes time

A final point is that looking for a place off campus requires some time investment. Especially if you have certain requirements, like being close to campus. In which case, you’re not just going to the take the first listing that shows up.

I started apartment hunting before my 2nd exam in Term 1. Luckily, I got in touch with a realtor who helped me find a place not too far from campus. But all the back and forth took up a lot of time. Trying to get videos of the apartments, payment details, figuring out which option works best for my budget, etc. Having a realtor made it much easier – I wouldn’t have known where to start on my own since I don’t the areas in Grenada. I was also dependent on the realtor being honest in terms of finding me a “good area” – safe, not far from campus, good building management. Leaving those decisions to someone else can always be risky. But I have a friend who had already lived on the island for a previous term. So getting her input made the process a little easier.

If you’re living on campus, you don’t have to worry about any of that. I think all you have to do is fill out the campus housing application.

Takeaways

There are several things to consider when deciding whether to live on campus or off campus. There are pros and cons to both. Ultimately, it comes down to your preferences and what’s important to you.

Did you live on or off campus during undergrad? What was your experience like?

-M

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