To live near campus? Or to live off campus? I know many of students go through this dilemma of deciding where to live during our upcoming semesters.

From my personal experience, living on campus and living off campus both have pros and cons. I have commuted to CSUSM for four years but this will be my first year living near campus and I am loving every minute of it! I honestly wish I would have made this choice sooner.

As a student, it’s great not having to wake up an hour early to beat traffic on the freeway or having to carry everything with you to campus. Not to mention, having to cook meals the night before or even having to squish every class on a two or three-day schedule because you don’t want to make that extra drive to campus.

These are just some of the perks of being able to live near your university. Living on/near campus also means that you’ll have the opportunity to make new friends, get involved in school activities and explore the beautiful city of San Marcos.

Living off campus does save you money but you’re not enjoying your college experience as much. When I was a commuter, I would only rely on the days I was going to campus for my classes. I wasn’t fully connected to the campus. I was only there for my classes, only a student and nothing more.

Your college experience is based on how you want to live it for the next four years. It is a sacrifice either way if you choose to live near campus or to live off campus. CSUSM has a great page, csusm.edu/housing, that explains more about life in San Marcos as well as living on campus.

Ask yourself, how do you want to spend your college career? Living in your car because of your long commute? Or living near/off campus and having the opportunity to get more involved with the school? The choice is yours.