Choosing a major, finding a job and picking classes are not the only concerns for a college student. One of the most critical decisions one must make is whether to live on campus in the dorms, or off campus in a house or apartment. While dorm living does allow students to be closer to the campus community, living off campus provides independence and fewer restrictions.
In Turlock, there are many off-campus options for those who want to spread their wings and truly experience living on their own. Living in apartments close to the school allows students to stay connected to what is happening on campus, but still keep their freedom. Several apartment complexes surround California State University, Stanislaus.
Santos Ayala (senior, Kinesiology) chose to live off campus in Briarwood Apartments, which are located right down the road from CSU Stanislaus at 351 E. Monte Vista Ave.
“It’s not as expensive as the dorms and there’s more liberty of what you can do,” Ayala said. “I’m still close to the school and it’s easy to stay connected because events are still advertised around campus.”
Briarwood Apartments are popular with CSU Stanislaus students due to their proximity to campus. Amenities include two pools, laundry facilities and patios/balconies. They are pet-friendly and rent ranges from $685 for a studio apartment, $785 for a one bedroom apartment and between $860 and $1010 for various two bedroom floorplans.
Another off-campus option for students are the Boardwalk Apartments. Located directly behind CSU Stanislaus at 1000 W. Zeering Road, this complex offers one, two and three bedroom apartments ranging in price from $650 to $1,399. Boardwalk has two swimming pools, laundry facilities and controlled gate access. Pets are allowed with a deposit and furnished apartments are also available.
Park Place Apartments are directly across the street from CSU Stanislaus at 3701 Crowell Road, making them a perfect home for Stan State students. Studio, one and two bedroom apartments are offered, starting at $650 and ending at $900. All apartments come equipped with energy efficient appliances, and the complex offers community amenities including a picnic area, swimming pool and high speed internet.
While there are countless apartment complexes around campus that are great places to live, some students opt for renting a house. A great way to find houses for rent is to check Craigslist, as it has filters where you can choose the square footage of the house you would like, number of bedrooms, price range and more.
Another way to find homes for rent is to check property management sites. These sites often have numerous homes for rent to choose from, and a quick Google search can bring up hundreds of results. A few reliable property management sites in Turlock are Central Valley Property Management (cvpm.com), Sequoia Property Management (sequoiapropertyrentals.com) and New Bridge Management (newbridgemanagement.com).
College is an adventure in itself, but living off campus adds a new kind of excitement to the college experience. Whether you choose to live in an apartment or a house, it is the place where a majority of your college memories will be made, so choose wisely. Happy hunting!