If I were you, I would have found housing for next year by now. Unfortunately for me, I am not you and haven’t done that yet…

However, my hope is that there are still a handful of students left who are in the same non-planning boat as me. And because non-planning boats have not worked out in the past (holla at ya, Titanic), I want to turn this ship around and provide some helpful tips for those looking for a place to live next year.

1) Know your roommate situation. It’s not smart to sign up for a place and just expect your friends to follow you into it. Have a plan and know whether you are living with people you know or are going in blind. Nothing is worse than signing a lease and realizing that you may be the only person prepared to move into a unit at the end of the summer. While your friends are partying it up in their new crib, you’re crying like a baby in your lonely abode of poor planning.

Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with going in blind. It can be a refreshing change of scenery. It can also be a way of sticking it to your jerk of a current roommate who can’t seem to grasp the concept that 3 a.m. is not the ideal time to begin a rowdy round of Call of Duty with the volume at full-blast. But let’s not get into specifics.

2) Keep utilities in mind. Most complexes will tell you right off the bat what utilities you will be paying for. The rent payment on the contract won’t factor in the additional costs, which typically include electricity, gas, water, and luxury tax. Sometimes the complex with the slightly higher rent will be more financially rewarding when you consider heating in the winter. Or you can just never turn the heat on any stock up on Snuggies. The choice is yours.

3) Watch out for hidden fees. Some housing complexes will attempt to squeeze every last dollar out of college students, like the udder of some cash cow. Don’t get stuck with a fine for owning pets just because a spider decided to nest in the corner of your living room. Thinking about smoking hookah every night? You better have a wicked ventilation system in place because landlords can smell that charcoal-tasting smoke from a mile away.

I wish I had more advice to give you, but I’m busy finding a place for next year myself. There are so many options as to where I can directly dump my paychecks that it can be hard to keep track.

Maybe I’ll just live by myself next year—I’d hate to keep anyone up with my rambunctious binges of late-night hookah-induced Call of Duty games, wrapped up cozy in my Snuggie. How’s that for a plan?

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