As an underclassmen, living on campus was the biggest pain any student could think of doing. Resident Assistants and their rules personally drove me insane. Then, sharing a bedroom and bathroom with other people usually drive students up the wall.

Moving off campus seems like a liberating experience. You can do whatever you want, drink whenever you want and play your music as loud as possible. Everything seems fantastic about not having any rules and having your own room.

With living off campus comes a little annoying piece of paper called a lease. For those of you underclassmen who do not understand what a lease is, it is a little piece of paper that ensures you will empty your bank account once a month to pay an annual fee called rent.

Unless you pay the astronomical prices of Campus Pointe or Province, you will probably pay a little more than $400 for a house that should be condemned. I know from personal experience. Rent is the definition of why college students are broke. If you ever see a college student express how poor they are, they probably just paid rent.

Another issue that follows being poor and paying rent is buying food. On campus there’s a Monopoly money luxury called meal plan. This money is not real money, but it is the currency that makes the Kent State student body function. When you move off campus, you basically become a homeless person begging for food. If you are fortunate, you can buy a commuter plan and somehow survive throughout the year.

One more issue with living off campus is the commute to class. When you wake up in the morning, you feel exhausted. Then you have to get dressed, pack your book bag, drive to campus, find a parking spot and then walk to class. This is a long production no one wants to complete during the early hours of the morning. When I say early hours, I mean anytime before 11 p.m.

If you complain about living on­ campus because your RA told you to turn down your music or because you can’t bong beers in your dorm, remember you do not have to pay rent or pay for groceries. If you complain you have to share a room with someone remember you have to pay for your own room in a house off­ campus, which will kill your bank account.

Welcome to off campus eating where food is expensive and meal plan doesn’t matter. You will probably spend at least $700 a month on food. Let’s be honest, you’re going to eat out all the time. If there is a college student who doesn’t hit up the Wendy’s drive thru four times a day, you must not be in college.

Just remember the next time you get a noise violation in the dorms that it could be worse. Cheers.

Zachary Downes is an opinion writer for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].