The time has finally come: your child is ready to live on their own in their first college apartment.

While the dorms may have prepared them for being away from home, living in an apartment is a totally different deal—preparing meals, cleaning, and (sometimes) furnishing the place is now completely up to you and your child.

But before you get down to the nitty gritty details, you’ll have to help your child decide where they would like to live.

The location of the apartment can make or break the deal, so consider these points when choosing that first home away from home.

How Noisy Is It?

You’ll likely want to pick somewhere that’s relatively quiet to live, so take a cruise around the neighborhood after you’ve viewed the unit.

Units that are close to campus may be louder than those a little further away because it means that students will be walking around and visiting friends during the week—and especially on the weekends.

It may be convenient for your child because they would be able to walk to campus for their classes within minutes, but it also means that there will be more traffic on foot (and maybe by car) near their apartment.

This could make it a little louder than your child prefers, but if they want to be near the campus, it’s a sacrifice they may have to make.

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How Close Is It?

Take a look at where the apartment is in relation to other main roads or businesses.

An apartment near restaurants may be very convenient if your child doesn’t plan to cook often or frequently has to eat on the go. This would keep them from needing to travel far out of their way for a meal, but it also means others will flock to the area for the same reason. Having a variety of restaurants nearby is important so your child won’t go without something to eat if they need a meal in a pinch.

However, this also comes at the price of increased traffic in the area and the potential for the apartment to be noisy. 

Will They Need A Vehicle?

Another important factor to consider is whether or not your child will have a vehicle and how this affects where they should live.

For example, if your child has a car, they may be able to live a little further from campus or grocery stores because they will have a reliable way to get there. They won’t need to rely on friends or the bus schedule to get from one place to another.

However, if your child won’t have a car, they will need to rely on the buses or a bike to get to class or the store.

They may also have to cross busy intersections or train tracks, which can slow down their commute whether on foot or by driving. 

Choose the location that works best for your child’s needs, but consider the benefits of being near the campus and food sources.

There will surely be somewhere with what you want, so keep searching! 

Photo by Tom Rumble on Unsplash