First time Freshman are going to have a much different experience then I did when I first attended in Fall of 2007. Prescott College is making changes on how first time freshmen will experience the school and I believe that many of these changes are for the best. Not only will students build great friendships during their orientation, but students will have a wonderful opportunity to to build and or expand their community through student housing.
For transfer students, their experience might be a little different because most transfer students will be living off campus. There will be opportunities for transfer students to live on campus but most will be living around town.
I have lived off campus my entire time here at Prescott College and finding housing has, some years, been very effortless, and others, very tedious. I have lived in a variety of locations around town and have found really wonderful communities in Prescott that I am proud to be apart of. As the Fall semester approaches I would start my search with the anticipation of finding the best house with the most affordable rent. For me I am always interested in finding a house close to campus, that has a yard, and is affordable. In the past I have found my ideal house, other years not so much, but my main goal when moving into a house is turning it into my sanctuary. I spend a lot of my time at home so it is important that not only my house is my sanctuary but my roommates contribute and respect that space. I think there are some wonderful individuals in the community at Prescott College and it is very easy to find individual who share similar requirements for living.
I think there can be a lot of uneasy and unknown moments concerning where you are going to live and also who you might live with as a transfer student. I believe there are many outlets that are provided that can help ease your mind when looking for housing. There are plenty of options in town ranging from single room apartment to 2 and 3 bedroom houses. Prescott isn’t that large of a city so getting around town isn’t that difficult if you don’t own a vehicle. Biking is definitely one of the preferred methods of transportation, at lest by Prescott College students, around town. I have lived in houses during my time here at Prescott College, and many of them have never been more then 5 blocks from school.
To find my ideal house I usually search for house for about a month. This is also a bit easier because I have lived with good friends of mine who are usually roommates I have lived with before. About a month before the fall semester starts I would start looking on craigslist. There seems to be a lot of houses that are affordable and near the Prescott College campus. Personally I have found that checking frequently is an effective method because of how regularly the postings change. In the past I have found renters who are very supportive and willing to give 9 mother leases for students, but I will say this hasn’t been my experience all of the time. There is also a facebook page for every incoming class. This is a great place to find other students who are interested in finding a roommate that are also students at Prescott College. One of the popular methods for students is looking at the Off-Campus Housing section of the school’s web site. This is a great resource because it provides rental agencies to go through and as well as other rental providers. If you are having difficulties, contacting your admissions counselor, can be a great way of finding more information as well.
~Eric Davis, 03/2012
