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Friday, 1/19/2001
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Friday, 1/19/2001
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 Apartment experience proves unpredictable
By Vanessa Renderman Shoving a cat into a microwave is something that only happens in the movies, unless you aren't allowed to have pets in your apartment and the landlord is banging on your door. Such was the case for Cara Simaga, a senior in the School of Science, when her landlord made an unexpected visit, illustrating one of the possible downfalls of apartment life. Simaga knew she wasn't supposed to have pets at her last apartment but owned a kitten anyway. Usually the kitten remained well-hidden, but when the landlord arrived unexpectedly to show the apartment to potential renters, panic struck. The litter box was out of sight, and Simaga covered the food dish with a towel. All that was left was the kitten itself, a fast little creature who didn't like people. Simaga's friend caught the kitten, scooped it up and hid it in his jacket. Then as the landlord guided the tour down the hall, Simaga's friend put the kitten in the microwave. The microwave was, of course, off and the kitten was only in there for a short time. The kitten wasn't injured at all. What happened to Simaga could happen to other apartment dwellers, but Simaga says the advantages to living in an apartment outweigh the disadvantages. She and one roommate have been living in a two-bedroom apartment since last semester, and Simaga says the best thing about living there is the freedom. She can light candles in her apartment, something that's not allowed in the residence halls. She can be as loud as she wants without being written up. She can have guests over any time. But she also has to deal with the responsibilities that accompany living on her own. "It's closer to being in the real world; it's a good way to prepare you for that," she said. "If you live in a dorm, you're spoon-fed everything. They baby you." Simaga says responsibility sometimes slips, especially when it comes to grocery shopping. "We try not to go until we're down to beer and condiments," she said. Cleaning and cooking are ways she's learning life lessons, and Simaga says her parents think it's a good experience for her. One of life's lessons learned living in an apartment is that getting things repaired can sometimes be a challenge, depending on the landlord. "There's a bunch of little things that are broken; they never come to fix them," she said. When Simaga and her roommate moved in, the apartment wasn't as clean as it could have been. They even found a "petrified hamburger bun" behind the refrigerator. But for Simaga, an apartment is the best place to live. "I don't think I'd have fun living with 80 or 90 girls," she said. "I love coming back here. It feels like home." Having your own space is one of the most common reasons students choose to live in an apartment. Jill Baumann, a graduate student, lives in an apartment with three other women and says she chose to live in an apartment partly because she gets her own room. "I like the freedom of having my own place and not having to follow any rules like quiet hours," she said. But again, quiet hours might be nice to have when it's late and the neighbors decide to throw a party. Baumann is considering moving into Lafayette, rather than staying in West Lafayette, because it's quieter. Living in an apartment is a good fit for Baumann. And although she lives with three other women, they don't have conflicts. "We're the Brady Bunch," she joked. What does cause a problem is parking. Baumann says it can be a challenge. Sometimes she has to move her car three or four times in a day. But a bigger challenge for many people who live in apartments is coming up with rent money. Monthly rent can cost anywhere from $200 to $450 per person, in general. Apartments closer to campus tend to cost more, and apartments with new appliances and features might be a little more expensive too. Living in an apartment gives students more real world experience, according to Simaga. But that experience comes with responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking and other little details people take for granted until they have to do them.
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Apartment experience proves unpredictable Cooperative housing offers more freedom Residence halls allow opportunities to meet Greek system provides opportunities, benefits Roomate situation alleviates expenses
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 Purdue Exponent 2001 | |||||||
