Housing season is in full swing and creating stress for CU students. Competing with 30,000 other students for that perfect place to call premier estate properties can prove to be quite the challenge.
Michelle Willett, the Marketing/Publications Coordinator at the Off-Campus Student Services office said that students worry too much about finding housing.
“Many students stress out about housing running out but 52 percent of the housing in Boulder is rentals, so it won’t run out,” Willett said.
For many students, the logistics of housing are confusing and overwhelming.
Jaeda Sichel, an 18-year old freshman aerospace engineering major, said her first time house hunting was stressful.
“It was stressful until we signed a lease,” Sichel said. “You have to figure out where you are going to live, who to live with, how much to pay and how to get this information.”
Off Campus Student Services, located in UMC 313, has reformatted Ralphie’s List, an on-line database that serves as a housing resource for students and faculty, to help smooth the transition from the dorms to independent living.
Willett said Ralphie’s List is a helpful tool during the house hunt.
“Over 180 properties are listed; you can search by location, number of bedrooms and bathrooms,” Willett said. There are message boards to search for roommates to sublet.”
Claire Palius, a 21-year old junior psychology major, said she found her housing in an unexpected way.
“I actually found my housing on Facebook through someone who went to my high school,” Palius said. “I recommend talking to anyone you know to see if they know of any properties. And the housing fair is a really good resource.”
Off-Campus Student Services will be hosting another housing fair on March 10th.
Before the lease is signed it is very important to understand the agreement made with the landlord. Willett said that students should focus on thorough discussion with landlords to avoid future problems.
“Make sure you have good communication with your landlord,” Willett said. “Document any problems there are, keep everything in writing, know your obligations.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Lauren Knobbe at Lauren.knobbe@colorado.edu.
