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Virtual Apartment - Page 2
The Program
If you're a parent, this part of the page is intended to show
and tell you what we have shown and told your children. We apologize
for any difficulty with the pictures to the right. If there's
one that's too hard to see, don't worry. We subscribe to the
idea that a picture is worth a thousand words . . .so we'll
just fill in. Anyhow . . .
Welcome to
HOUSING 101/GOT HOUSING?
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Remember, OCL is for you and your student.
We provide many services including
- Information on Housing
- Roomate Connections
- Conflict Resolution
- UDAP Information and Contracts
- Lease Reviews
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Why are we here? 4Well, we want . . .
- you to be an informed consumer
- to give you different options
- to give you 'real word' experience
- you to be aware of your rights as a tenant
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Well,
let's talk about some benefits of living on and off campus. |
There are some inherent benefits
to living on campus.
On campus living puts students in close proximity to classes,
the post office, the health center, food options and other on-campus
activities. While on campus, students don't have to worry about
simple things like cleaning bathrooms, buying toilet paper,
and general maintenance on a residence. There are studies that
show that living on campus for at least two years improves student
performance academically and socially. |
There are also some
inherent benefits to living off campus. Off campus living
give students responsibility. They are in charge of themselves
and their apartment. Off campus there are no RA's or IDOC's,
but there are police. There are still rules off campus. It is
true that you get your own room, maybe your own bathroom. You'll
get to learn how to cook for yourself and you'll definitely
feel that you're not at school 100% of the time. Either way
you look at it, there are plusses and |
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STOP! Roommates
are the key to healthy living.
Having great roommates is definitely the key to great living.
As Hilarie always likes to say: "You
could live in a castle with bad roommates and have a horrible
year or you could live in a shack with great roommates and
have the time of your life." Finding good roommates
will be the key to your happiness. You want to make sure that
the roommates that you are signing a lease with will be responsible
and courteous to you and your possessions.
Why wouldn't a significant other be a good roommate?
What if you break up? You would be locked into a lease with
an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
What about a best friend's, boyfriend's cousin's brother?
Well, this is a random person,
how can you know what kind of roommate this random person
will be.
What about your friend from home who is transferring?
Well, this person may not be
the same as you remember, and furthermore, if they are transferring
and going to live off campus with you, they won't be able
to have the same experiences that you have been able to have. |
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Know Your Options!
There are three basic options for living in the 'Burg. They're pretty complicated.
House- Houses are very popular around Harrisonburg. Frequently, large student
groups such as fraternities or religious groups rent a house. Houses are definitely
the hardest residency to find and maintain. They are generally larger than any of the
other options and therefore take more effort and money to maintain. Houses are sometimes
drafty and rely on oil heating which can be very expensive. Utility lines and pipes may
be older; therefore, the probability of a cost increase in utilities such as water or
electricity. Furthermore, houses may be farther from main campus. Houses can vary in
expenses depending on where they are located and how many people will reside there. A
majority of houses have yards that the tenant may be responsible for. A house runs
between $200 and $500 per person and the tenants usually sign a group lease (discussed
later).
Apartment- Apartments are the most popular choice for JMU students and therefore
comprise the majority of the housing available. An apartment is usually 3-4 bedrooms
with 2-4 baths but there are individual apartments available. Most of the apartments in
Harrisonburg are newer and therefore easier to maintain. Apartments run between $150 and
$515 per person. In apartments, students either sign a group lease or an individual lease,
but we'll get to that in a second.
Townhouse- Townhouses are essentially two story apartments. There are two different
styles available in the 'burg. The first and most popular contains two floors with a
kitchen, living room, dining room, bedrooms and bathrooms on each floor. The other style
is the bottom floor consisting of a common kitchen, living and dining rooms, with the
bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floors. Townhouses cost between $200 and $700 per
person depending on how large the townhouse, where it's located and how many people live
there.
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