Weinberg sophomore Anna Patten started looking for off-campus housing for next year when she returned to campus in September.

“It can be alarming to feel like you’ve started your year already behind on something that’s important,” Patten said.  

Northwestern requires students to live on campus for two years. Juniors and seniors, however, can choose to live off campus — and often start looking for housing up to a year in advance. 

Patten will live in a house on Hamlin Street with four friends from her current residence hall, North Mid-Quads.

She said she is looking forward to the freedom of being able to cook her own meals outside of the dining hall.

“I’m really excited to eat what I want to eat, rather than what’s provided to me,” Patten said. “It feels like a waste of money to buy groceries (now) considering there’s a meal plan I’ve already paid for.”

However, she acknowledged the dining halls are conveniently located, and she’s worried about cooking for herself regularly when she’s tired from academics, clubs and work.

While Patten said there is no strict timeline for finding housing, she recommended those who have specific needs start their searches now. 

 “If you’re less picky, you can definitely start later and it’s not an issue at all,” Patten said. “We had kind of a weird size group where our specifications were such that we had to start early.” 

She said there aren’t many apartments that offer five bedrooms, which is why her group was particular about finding a house that offers more space. 

However, in many cases off-campus living provides less social structure than on-campus living. 

Weinberg senior Elena Jacoby, who lived in Bobb Hall in her freshman year,  said she had to go out of her way to be social while living off campus her junior year.

“Having that communal living space (in a residence hall) is such a great way to hang out and meet people,” Jacoby said. “Inviting people over to your own space is completely different than inviting them to a dorm.” 

But living off campus offers more freedom, Jacoby said. She appreciates how she can go about her early-morning routine for crew practice without waking up her roommates.

Medill sophomore Nicole Tan said she is looking forward to the independence of living off campus.

“It’s almost a step forward,” Tan said. “In a sense in college, you’re still in a bubble. Being able to live off campus, manage your own finances, cook your own food and learn how to budget is a very important step toward feeling more independent.”

For Weinberg junior Lily Cohen, living off campus meant dealing with issues she didn’t have to face in a residence hall. She said prior tenants left her current apartment in bad shape, but the landlord was unresponsive to her maintenance requests.

For some students, finding roommates with whom they are compatible is another challenge in searching for off-campus housing.

Jacoby recommends students don’t pressure themselves to find the perfect roommate group.  

“Selecting your roommates for off-campus housing is more important than it is for the dorm situation,” Jacoby said. “Don’t live with people because you think that’s cool. Live with who you’re comfortable with. That’s what makes me want to go home.” 

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Twitter: @GraceKnickrehm

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