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Two generic desks, two generic desk chairs and two generic extra-long twin beds take up most of the space in a room not much larger than a walk-in closet. A square of industrial plastic carpeting covers scuffed linoleum tile. A mini fridge with a microwave bolted to the top has to be plugged directly into a wall, so there are basically two options for placement: to the left of the outlet or to the right. Assorted personal effects are crammed anywhere they can fit. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever had to live in a dorm room, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

For most college students living in the dorms is seen as a right of passage; everyone has to do it at some point. At first the dorms are fun. You are a freshman and there are always new people around and something interesting is always happening. After a while the dorm becomes uncomfortable. Communal living just isn’t as good as home. Eventually, it becomes the bane of your existence. There can’t possibly be anything worse than staying in the dorms another quarter. Like the majority of upperclassmen, you begin to look for a place to live off campus.

Searching for off-campus housing is hard. It’s often time consuming and confusing. There are lots of things to consider and decisions to be made. You have to take the time to make appointments to see houses and apartments, look at every lease, and weigh all of your options before making a very important decision. After all, you’ll have to live there. Sometimes the best advice comes from people who have gone through the entire process. Gimme’ Shelter is here to help you find the right place with advice from people who have found off-campus housing and lived to tell the tale.