Adjusting to Off-Campus Living

I thought I finally understood college life when I arrived at Cornell’s beautiful campus in August for my junior year. I knew where all of my favorite study spaces were, could show freshmen how to get to classes, and found all of the tricks for how to skip the lines at Terrace and Mac’s. I thought I finally adjusted to the college lifestyle, but I was wrong. Despite all my knowledge about college life, there was still one thing I knew nothing about: living off-campus. Over the past few months, I’ve learned the tips and tricks of off-campus living, and now I want to share them all with you. This way, future juniors can be better prepared for this change before it comes along.

Your Bathroom is Your Bathroom

When living in dorms or other forms of on-campus housing, I never thought twice about the bathroom. Two times every week I would come home to a beautifully clean bathroom, shower, and sink thanks to Cornell’s cleaning services. I simply forgot that things like toilet paper and paper towels don’t just appear when needed. Now, having my own bathroom, I often forget to buy basic necessities including hand soap, toilet paper, and paper towels. To all of you underclassmen out there, don’t take Cornell’s services for granted—they don’t last long and you’ll miss them!

There is More to a Kitchen than Cooking

Another element that changes with moving off-campus is the fact that I have my very own kitchen. For the past two years, I was always on meal plans. Now, I am able to make and eat whatever I want whenever I want. This change was very exciting for me. As a picky eater, I was not always satisfied with the dining hall options. Having the opportunity to choose what I could eat and when I could cook seemed life-changing. However, I did not anticipate the challenges that would come along with this change. To start off, I did not know how to cook most of my favorite foods. While this was a struggle at first, with time and practice, my skills definitely improved.

Grocery Shopping Becomes a Favorite Activity

With cooking comes grocery shopping. I have shopped at the supermarket near my house many times, and I would often go to Wegmans over the past two years to get snacks. I thought I was fairly confident with the layout of Wegmans—that is, until I had to shop for real food. I realized very quickly into my first shopping experience of off-campus living that I only knew where the snacks, fruits, and vegetables were located. Over the next few weeks, I learned where to find spices and other ingredients that I use in everyday meals. I also learned about the immense options of frozen food from Trader Joe’s. I can confidently say I am a proud Trader Joe’s girl now and would not survive without their frozen food. Some favorites I recommend for a simple dinner are chicken potstickers, frozen veggies, and mandarin chicken. I generally go to the grocery store once a week and try to go with friends as a study break.

Collegetown is Bigger Than You Think

Although Collegetown may seem small, there are so many apartment buildings, restaurants, and convenience stores. If you’re too lazy to drive to go grocery shopping, 7-Eleven and Green Star are right around the corner. There are a multitude of restaurants for all kinds of food including Souvlaki House (Greek and Italian), Pokelava (Hawaiian), Plum Tree (Japanese), and Luna Inspired Street Food (American). The streets are also longer than you think. When going from the top to bottom of Collegetown, one would be surprised by the number of houses and apartment complexes they pass. Who could forget about the amount of late-night eats available! There’s Jack’s, Dos Amigos, Jason’s, and Insomnia—just to name a few.

Overall, Collegetown is understandably daunting for an incoming junior. There is so much to see and so little time between move-in and the start of classes. I plan on taking advantage of the next two years I have living here to explore all of the restaurants and stores Collegetown has to offer. I also hope that by living on my own and having my own space at school, I will mature and be better prepared to move out into the “real world” when I graduate. Collegetown is something special, and although it definitely took some adjusting, I appreciate living here now more than ever.