For students who choose not to live on campus, the housing search has begun. The housing search can begin in many different ways, from word of mouth through friends and family, browsing the Internet or simply walking by a place.

Most students arrive at Iowa State and live in the dorms. The on-campus housing is convenient and a good way to meet others coming into college.

Cole Hart, freshman in pre-business, currently lives in Willow Hall and enjoys his housing experience so far.

“I enjoyed the friends I made in Willow, but I am excited to leave,” he said. “There is a lot of noise and limited access to things like the TV that make it a hassle to live here.”

More space isn’t the only aspect of off-campus living he’s excited for.

“I am looking forward to more freedom and being able to do the things I want without it taking over others’ time and vice versa,” Hart said.

Hart started his apartment search in October and, like many other students, he heard Campustown is the trendy neighborhood to live in and signed a contract in December.

“I started looking in October because I heard places started to fill up very quickly, and the earlier the better,” he said.

Students also need to realize the amount of bedrooms different apartments offer. Some range from one bedroom to five bedrooms with other buildings offering only one-bedroom and two-bedroom options.

“I wanted roommates, so a four-person place appealed to me,” Hart said.

There are pros to living in certain buildings, but knowing what is not appealing is a personal decision that is also important when looking for a place to live.

“Distance is important, and a turnoff would’ve been a small living room and kitchen,” Hart said. 

Campustown is an attraction to students because of its close proximity to campus, nightlife, many student apartments, restaurants and other attractions.

Freshmen are not the only students looking for housing, however, as returning upperclassman are in the hunt as well.

“Location is hands down my highest priority,” said Maggie Loomis, junior in animal ecology. “I want to be near Campustown, but I’ve also come to realize the beauty of neighbors that don’t feel it necessary to throw parties five nights a week.”

She is switching apartments and is on the hunt for another place to live that is closer to campus.

Loomis realizes living in Campustown means there will always be a chance of parties from her neighbors, but understands the advantages and disadvantages.

“I just want to be [within] walking distance from campus and the bars,” she said. 

The beauty of living off campus is that students can either be walking distance from campus or live in other locations such as east or west Ames, and they can still feel connected to campus. However, off-campus living is not only limited to Campustown.

West Ames has a vast majority of apartments and houses for students and it’s only a short ride away from campus.

West and east Ames properties, as well as more Campustown properties, can be found from University Plains, University West, First Property Management, Haverkamp Properties, Real Estate Service Group Inc., the Grove, Green Acres Property Management, Coady Enterprises, Jensen Property Management and more.

Students can find even more properties all around Ames online.

The attraction for students are locations near campus, but there are also apartments on campus as well, such as Buchanan Hall, Wallace Hall, FrederiksenCourt, University Village and the family housing, Schilletter Village.

The housing search this year has been in full force, and Campustown Property Management has begun noticing the increase in enrollment.

“We’ve got more people signing leases,” said Mark Zikra, leasing director. “There’s high traffic this year and record number of people signing.”

Campustown Property Management’s goal is to sign tenants who want to feel as if they’re a part of the Campustown community.

Zikra said that tenants have been signing leases since October and one of their buildings, Brickstone, located on 215 Stanton Ave., is already full for fall 2012, but it is never too late to sign with their other locations in Campustown.

Most students have more luck with apartments because houses are the first to go due to word of mouth through friends, Zikra said.

A new feature in the Legacy Tower apartments, owned by Campustown Property Management, are the fully furnished rooms that will be available for fall 2012.

Another location, just off the Gray CyRide route, is the Grove. The Grove leases apartments by the bed, meaning tenants can be matched with a roommate if needed, and apartments come furnished.

The general manager of the Grove Ames, Julianne Bacon, believes the Grove is a great place to live for students.

“We’re an interactive community; you can have a life here,” she said.

The Grove’s location has amenities such as a pool, fitness center, tanning, a cafe, library and game room.

“It’s never too late to sign a lease, if we have rooms. We’re more than happy to talk to future tenants,” Bacon said. 

The Grove is a place where roommate-matching can be helpful for students who want to live with someone but don’t know who.

Gage Kensler, president of United Residents of Off-Campus, a representative body for students who live off campus, said the organization is a great way for students who live off campus to have a voice. The group is an opportunity for students living off campus to feel as if they are still involved on campus.

“UROC was reformed a few years ago since they were having problems with getting students involved,” Kensler said, “Sometimes I hear from people that they don’t like the way that something is going or the way something was decided, but then they don’t really try to get involved with the decision-making process anyway.”

Kensler encourages freshmen and any other students living off campus to get in touch with him if they feel they want to be apart of the group.

“I think UROC provides those students who want to make a difference while they are here at Iowa State with a group of peers that are passionate about doing the same thing,” he said

Picking roommates

Picking a roommate can be an important part of living in a good environment and forming close friendships.

Psychology professor and department chairwoman Carolyn Cutrona teaches a class about close relationships.

“In general, people like other people who are similar or like themselves,” she said.

Choosing to live with someone who is similar to you can be a good and bad thing.

“Just because they’re similar to you in one way, one can assume they’re similar in other domains,” Cutrona said. 

There are two types of personalities that are generally looked at, introverts and extroverts. The differences between the two are that “an extrovert is more of a people person, and an introvert is more shy.”

“Living with someone opposite of you — [such as] an extrovert with an introvert — can be good because you’ll need each other to balance,” she said.

A personality that is viewed as less likely to be a good roommate is one known as the neurotic.

“Those are the kind of person where negative emotions are triggered easily,” Cutrona said. 

Having the right roommates can be an important asset to college students, but it does not have to be perfect.

“You don’t have to develop a close relationship,” Cutrona said. “Just be respectful of each other.”