Parent to parent: A place on their own

Aside from their choices of a college and an academic major, one of the most important decisions students make is where to live during their studies. It can also be one of the biggest sources of anxiety for parents, especially when our sons and daughters are making the transition from supervised life in residence halls to the wilds of off-campus housing.

Our experience tells us that it's best to let the kids figure out their housing arrangements for themselves. But if they seek out your advice, or a problem arises, here are a few suggestions that might be helpful when it comes time to move off campus.

Planning

Encourage your student to plan ahead. Being a true college town, Davis has plenty of housing options for students. But the vacancy rate is about 3 percent, so the best places can get snapped up quickly. If you have a freshman looking to move out of the residence halls at the end of the academic year, now is the time to be scouting options for next year.

Roommates

Choose roommates wisely. In the real estate world, it's long been said that "location, location, location" are the three most important factors in buying a property. But when it comes to getting a place during the college years, I'd say the three most important things are "who, who, who." A feature-laden apartment or a sweet deal on the rent can't make up for roommates who aren't compatible.

Location

Roommates may be the biggest thing, but location is still an important consideration. If you're old enough to be the parent of a college student, you've probably been around long enough to know what it's like to make a mistake in choosing a place to live. Your student probably doesn't have this experience, so you can help him or her by suggesting the kinds of questions to ask. For starters, how important is it to be within walking or biking distance to campus? Is the rental near a bus route? What about proximity to shopping and other needs?

House or apartment

At some point, your student and his or her prospective roommates will have to decide whether to rent a house or apartment. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Apartments generally make it easier to put a deal together — as few as one or two people can rent one — and most complexes have amenities such as laundry rooms, gate security and perhaps even a pool. But big complexes can also be noisy.

A house usually requires a larger group to make the rent affordable, but it may offer the advantages of being located in a relatively quiet neighborhood and providing a bit more elbow room.

In his sophomore year, our son ended up renting a house in Davis with four other guys and, as they head into the home stretch as seniors, it's been a good arrangement. As he tells it, most students move to apartments as sophomores, but they gradually migrate to the quieter life of single-family homes by junior or senior year. I can't vouch for that personally, but by choosing a house at the outset, they avoided having to make a move.

What ifs?

Have a Plan B. Sometimes things don't work out. One of your student's roommates may drop out or decide to study abroad for a semester. Or there could be roommate trouble, and your student decides that he or she needs to move out. Be sure your student considers options for an escape plan. Then too, sometimes living situations are just plain unsafe. If your student is moving out on his or her own for the first time, it's smart to stay in touch — and, if you sense something is wrong, be quick to offer help in making other arrangements.

There will be ups and downs in your collegian's housing situation, just like in everything else. Whether your involvement in this area is a little or a lot, you can be sure that your son or daughter will be glad to know you're available for help and counsel.