[Chad]

Off-Campus Housing
Part One: Introduction
A series by Danielle Lorenz

It has gotten to be that time of the year again; the house hunt has begun (but slowly...it picks up in term two...). Although you technically have about four months to really figure it out, I suggest you start thinking about it now. I have a myriad of information to throw at you, including what you should look for and what you should avoid. Thus, this article is going to be composed of a few parts. Otherwise it is going to end up being excessively long.

The first thing you want to do is check out McMaster Off-Campus Resource Centre. You can either by drop into their office on campus, or visit their website, http://macoffcampus.mcmaster .ca/. Here you will find everything you need to know about living off-campus. You can also hunt for house listings; either sublets, full-year or short-term.

Seems pretty straight-forward, right? It is, but there are so many things you need to consider, which is why this article is turning into a series. You can either look around by yourself, or you can examine the other parts to this article, which will hopefully answer your questions and lead you in the right direction.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS SERIES:

Off-Campus Housing Series by Danielle Lorenz

• Part 1: Intro
• Part 2: Who to live with
• Part 3: Where to live?
• Part 4: What to look for when finding a place
• Part 5: What's included? (Lease)

Things to bring to:

• The Bedroom
• The Bathroom
• The Kitchen
• The Laundry room
  
• The Front closet
  
• The Common room

Also check out:

• Surviving Your Roommates
• Dining Off Campus
• The Hamilton Bar Scene: Pubs
• The Hamilton Bar Scene: Clubs
• Looking for Off-Campus Housing?

Residence:

• Residence Survival Part 1: What to bring
• Residence Survival Part 1.5: Apartment or Suite Style Checklist
• Residence Survival Part 2: Freshman Fifteen
• Residence Survival Part 3: Rules!
• Residence Survival Part 4: Getting Along With Your Roommate
• Residence Survival Part 5: Studying While in Residence