After having two three-classes-a-day, loads of homework and still trying to have a social life, one of the last things on your mind might be trying to save some money.

Most college students just waste their money on food and other things that are not that important. I’m one of those people, but the past two weeks have made me think differently about money.

During my first week here, I realized that I could be saving so much of it.

Since everyone knows that most of the rooms and apartments are at full occupancy, I thought I’d explore the internet to try and find a better and cheaper place to live. It’s not that I didn’t like my room assignment, I just thought I’d be able to live more on my own and only be in charge of myself and not have to worry about who’s doing the dishes next or when it’s my turn to vacuum.

I was living in Regents for a few weeks and in my opinion, it’s a pretty nice place to stay.

It wasn’t bad for temporary housing. I liked being able to have a living area, a small kitchen and having my own room since I lived in a single.

There are also some things that weren’t to my taste. During the heat wave, we didn’t have any air conditioning and I’m not sure if I’m speaking for everyone else, but I felt like I was dying in my own sweat. It was so uncomfortable just sitting in my room.

Also, every step someone made in the room above me, in my apartment or in the hallway was very obvious and I didn’t like how the walls were so thin. I felt like I didn’t have any privacy.

A few weeks ago, I ended up finding a cute, small apartment about five minutes away from campus.

After applying, filling out an application and figuring everything out financially, I found out I get to call that apartment my home in a few weeks for the next three years.

I did a lot of math to see what I would be saving if I moved off campus.

I know that I would have to pay for gas, pay the $75 fee as a commuter and not be on campus with most of my friends.

It was an extremely hard decision and I know that living off campus will give me the opportunity to live like an adult, learn some responsibility for living on my own and give me a quiet, safe environment to study.

Once I tell you how much I will be saving, some people might consider living off campus.

After breaking it down, I would save around $5,000 a year for my meal plan, around $400 for my parking pass on campus, $10,000 for living on campus and little things here and there.

Even though I will have to pay for groceries, electricity, cable and rent at my new apartment, those expenses don’t even compare to what I would have to pay on campus.

For the year, I would save around $3,000. It’s hard to believe, but it’s going to save my family a lot of money in the long run.

I don’t have a far drive from home and I don’t have to move in and out of the apartment after every year of school so I also kept that in mind when I was considering moving off campus.

Sitting down and looking at what I paid last year versus what I will be paying in the next few weeks definitely helped me see what I can save throughout my years of college on top of paying for classes, books and supplies.

Commuting will be a pain in the beginning because I have to get used to leaving my apartment on time, trying to dodge all of the traffic, finding a parking spot and getting to class on time, but I’m ready to take on a change in my life that will affect me in a positive way.