Apartment Shopping

The suspense of finding a place to live can often be as thrilling and as nauseating as finals week. As we entered the apartment market, our inexperience drove us to some lackluster places.

The first apartment complex we investigated was but two blocks away from campus. However, on our walk-through, things began to get awry. As we were shown the apartment, obviously occupied by men, we saw on bedroom doors signs warning us of the mono-infested environment. The guide then slipped up and told us how the entire apartment complex was currently suffering from a mono outbreak. I covered my nose and proceeded through the front door. I tried to finish with the tour as fast as possible so I could step off the nasty green carpet, avoiding the walls, which seemed as if they housed a thriving culture of mold. Needless to say, we quickly crossed this place off our list.


Our next apartment escapade took us to a grand complex. Sadly, it was too far away. Meanwhile, other houses located directly on campus, were taken up by other students in this race to find an apartment. Just when things were looking bleak, and chances of us having to live in the dorms again grew, we were referred to another apartment complex. Not only was it cheaper than the amazing apartment we had fallen in love with, but also it was 10 minutes closer to campus. The layout of the rooms was just as nice if not better than the others. With cathedral ceilings and skylights, it had a laundry room all to ourselves. For fear of losing our dream place, we ran around frantically, working to fulfill all the requirements of the leasing process and just about when we had completed this, one of our roommates was having doubts. For fear of not getting everything done in time, we decided to simply go with 3 roommates instead of 4. Finally, after signing a MILLION papers, or what seemed like it, we now own our own apartment!

I never knew what all you had to go through just to get an apartment. It was an experience well worth going through. I would have to give it a rank 6.