I want to go to Mac next year, but my average was just under the 82% for residence. Is it hard to make friends when you live off campus (in student housing) first year? (I am from out of town).

Not at all! I lived in res first year and made lots of friends through res, but I had a good friend who started a year before me and lived off campus first year. He made lots of friends in his faculty through class and also became friends with his housemates and some of his housemates' friends. There is also the society for off campus students (SOCS) so you'll have a proper "res group" for welcome week.

You'll find so many ways to meet people and make friends at Mac that it won't really matter much where you live.

I made more friends living off campus than I ever did in res! Plus, you won't have to put up with nonsense like guest sign in, arbitrary move in/move out, quiet hours and restrictions on alcohol.

You'll have to take more responsibility for things like groceries, dealing with your landlord and paying your own bills, but you'll grow up faster off campus. Basically, you won't be babysat as much.