Thousands of students attending Lethbridge College do so by moving to the city from different towns, provinces, and countries.
In addition to having the weight of school on their shoulders, finding a place to live is also a big stressor during the months leading up to the fall term.
Though the college provides students with the option to live right on campus in their residences, many choose to live off-campus, citing reasons from cheaper rent, to more amenities, or more freedom.
So what living option really is best for students of the college?
The college offers three different residence experiences: there is the newer, apartment-style Kodiak House, the four-bedroom townhomes on 30th Avenue, and both two and four-bedroom town homes on the west side of campus, called the Cullen Residence.
Though the living experience is different on each of these properties, the college furnishes all of them with beds, desks, chairs and all the other major furnishings, so students don’t have to worry about finding, buying and moving these into the residences.
“When I found out I was accepted into [Lethbridge College], the first option for living that I explored was in residence. I really liked that I could pick and choose between a couple of different setups,” explains Devin Shewchuk, who is in his first year of Criminal Justice at the college.
“I do have friends in the city who live off-campus, but since I had never been to Lethbridge before, I thought that living in a residence building would be the best option for my first year.”
Outside of the college, there are many rental properties available for students who choose not to live in residence. Those students have the opportunity to shop around for the best price, lifestyle fit, and amenities for them.
“We lived on-campus in a 30thAvenue residence last year, and it was pretty nice,” says Nolan McElroy, who is in his second year of the Criminal Justice program.
“One of my roommates and I just felt like we could get more for our money, since we still had to walk across the street to do laundry, and little things like that.”
McElroy and two of his friends ended up renting a three-bedroom apartment as part of the Fairmont Views property just six blocks away from the college. Construction on the property started last fall, and they were among the first to move in.
“Now that we are here, I think all three of us like it more,” McElroy stated.
“We just feel like this is a little more home-like, compared to last year where it felt like we couldn’t really make our space into our own.”
After spending a year in the city and getting to know where things are, McElroy said that he didn’t have any qualms about not going back to residence, even if it meant more responsibility.
“Furnishing our place was a challenge but looking back we really enjoyed shopping for things like a dining room table, couches and things like that. It gave us a chance to express ourselves through our home a little bit more, and now when we graduate this spring we can take these things with us, wherever life takes us after that,” he said.
Shewchuk says it’s still too early to tell what he will do next year for accommodation, but he will be evaluating his experience throughout the year.
“Walking four or five minutes to class is hard to beat,” he said, “But it would also be nice to have a full kitchen, or some space to entertain friends and family. It will come down to what I want more, and what I will be willing to live without.”
Students at Lethbridge College can find more information about residence living on the college’s website. There, prospective students may also find a list of off-campus housing that has been posted to provide even more choice.
