Having just moved into my new off campus apartment, it’s safe to say that “milk was a bad choice.” What do I mean? You just get that taste in your mouth after you take a big cold gulp from the milk you thought was still good but was actually 2 months old left their by roommate… “thanks, buddy.” Just like I would say “thanks for picking out the nice apartment.”
Sure, I was abroad and couldn’t really help out… but did you have to pick this place? Let’s face it, the walls look like a dalmatian, chocolate lab mix but do blend nicely with the “dirt-decor” floors.
“Hey man, I checked it out, no roaches or nothing.”
Well thank you so much my wonderful roommate for doing such a thorough investigation of this apartment. Perhaps you forgot to ask if the roof leaked when it rained and would get my bed soaking wet? Or maybe you just completely missed those sweet and friendly little insects in the tub.
And guess where my friend found this glorious apartment? Craigslist. The home for all those who advertise as little information as possible. America’s sphincter of a marketplace, where anyone and everyone can sell (and misrepresent anything they want). Here’s the text from the ad my roommate sent:
“Beautiful two bedroom apartment just minutes from campus. Plenty of space and furnished. (etc etc)”
I can’t help but feel like those Vehix Report commercials “told me so” – this advertisement conveniently made no mention of the lack of a garbage disposal, dish washer and general lack of decent living conditions. But who am I to complain? I’m just a college student. I eat ramen noodles for dinner and party 5 nights a week. Well, this is America buddy and I’ve got a right to party my ass off. It doesn’t mean I should be living in this dump.
So how can you avoid this catastrophe? It’s pretty simple: do the research
Unfortunately I discovered this website only after I had come back to school this year, but a great resource is: http://www.movingoffcampus.com. The great thing about it is that the listings are all sorted by distance to campus and frequently include pictures, square footage and other detailed information about the apartment. Even better, you can actually see all the restaurants, bars and stores near the apartment. You can always Google it but if you’re a college student that would be my first stop
