Sophomore Summer, when heating bills are low and barbecues become an everyday occurrence, is arguably the best time to venture out of the dorm to an off-campus house or apartment with friends. While leases, contracts, security deposits, cleaning supplies and utility bills are a little daunting at first, the perks of an off-campus house a kitchen, double beds and cheaper rent make it well worth the effort. The recipe for a perfect off-campus living experience, however, requires a few tools, a bit of planning and a fair amount of energy.
This recipe should be prepared as far in advance as possible.
Ingredients:
1 cameraApprox. 25 pictures notebook 1 inky Sharpie1/2 cup extra bedding1 futon10 tablespoons of receipts40 lbs excess food2 lbs blenders12 cups fruit juiceDirections:
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Preheat the oven: Before move-in day has actually arrived (it might have passed for this term but you'll live off campus again some day), make sure you've talked a little about who's going to get the air conditioned presidential suite and who's going to get the small dungeon buried underneath the storage room. While it may be that someone does, in fact, have to live in the dungeon so three people don't have to share a bed, make sure the unlucky victim gets something in return cheaper rent, the only parking space, or even shower time priority.
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Recruit an excited jogger to help you carry your 500-lbs box from storage up the several flights of stairs up to your apartment as part of their workout
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Bust out the Sharpie and label everything that's going to be in common spaces. Your housemates may be your best friends, but you don't want to end up killing each other in an epic battle over the ownership of a can opener like a couple of squabbling divorcees come move-out day.
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Make a group shopping venture to the grocery store/Walmart. Don't let one person spend hundreds of dollars buying everything from five kinds of cheese to toilet bowl cleaner or if they do, at least make sure it's a classy French brie.
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Stock the fridge. Be the one that has food on Friday or Saturday when literally the only dining option is the Hop and the world shuts down at 8:00 P.M. Make use of the six-piece fondue set the previous owners of your house thought was a kitchen essential and throw a classy party glasses that make clinking sound not optional.
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Spice up your off-campus living adventure with odds and ends that make your place the best place to hang out. A blender adds a delightful touch of excitement to your post-workout smoothies or evening soirees. An ancient but still functioning Nintendo 64 that you dug out of your brother's closet might even add a touch of spice and charm to your cozy den.
Mix well. Serves six, or however many you can fit on your double bed.
