For sophomores preparing to search for on- and off-campus housing, the next several months can be a stressful time.

When College of Arts & Sciences junior Jenny Latendresse and her roommate searched for an apartment last year, they had their eyes fixed on Campus Town. But when they were given a late sign-up time — a process similar to that of class registration — no apartments were available by the time they could apply.

Latendresse and her roommate had no other plans.

They used the Tenant Guide, which is available in the University Apartments and Off-Campus Student Services Office, to research an off-campus apartment. However, Latendresse said she and her roommate were tricked into signing an off-campus lease after being told the apartment would not be on the market long.

"We thought that if we didn't sign, we would be living in cardboard boxes," Latendresse said.

Latendresse's sophomore friends are also going through a tough time with housing.

"This is their first big adult decision, which is worrying them," she said. "They are banking on Campus Town and I told them not to rely on" one location.

Latendresse's case is not isolated.

"There is a belief that if you don't sign a lease by October for the following year that you'll miss out on the opportunities to live off-campus," said Jim McMahon, assistant vice president and dean of residence life. "That's just not true."

"The landlords will want students to believe that if they don't commit right now that they will lose out," McMahon said. "It's in the landlords' best interests; it's not always in the students' best interests.

"One of the smart things is don't rush into it. Students now feel rushed so they sign up, they sign a lease with someone that they know, but don't know very well and by the end of the year, they decide they don't want to be there," he said.

Some students have an easier time with housing than others.

College of Communication senior Emily Deimel, who currently lives in Campus Town East, described a "rat race" to get into Campus Town, but she was able to avoid the stress.

"I have a lot of friends that didn't know where they were going because all of the decent on-campus housing was gone," Deimel said. "They were waiting for a better option."

She recommended on-campus housing because there is more security and because furniture and upkeep is provided.

There are about 1,000 beds available in on-campus apartments, which include Campus Town East and West, Carmel, Frenn, Gilman and Humphrey, McMahon said.

Students can sign up for on-campus apartments starting in late October, when housing deposits are accepted, McMahon said. If a student does not want to live on campus, "there is plenty of time for them to do a thorough off-campus search, with the assistance of our off-campus student services office," McMahon said.

In order to find their most ideal housing, whether on- or off-campus, students should be informed and prepared.

Latendresse offered the following tips when looking for housing: Look at all of the options, don't rely on university housing, don't rush into it, have a back-up plan and do the research.

"Talk to the residents of the apartment to get a thorough idea of the true apartment," she said. "I like where we live… but we will be moving" next year.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 27, 2005.,”James A. Molnar”

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