At Clemson University, students know that after freshman year there are limited amounts of people who actually continue to live on campus. Clemson is home to many off-campus housing options. Whether it’s the Clemson Lofts, The Orchard or The Reserve, there is somewhere for everybody… or is there?

There is not a more stressful time than lease signing season. Clemson students start signing leases in September and October, which is very soon after the school year starts. If students do not have the right amount of roommates to fill up an apartment or house, then most landlords will not let them sign contracts and move in. It can be hard for students to fill up all this space and live where they want in such a short amount of time. Emily Scruggs, a resident of College Heights Boulevard, describes how stressful off-campus housing can really be, “it was the most stressful time of my life.” When asked why, she stated, “One of my roommates decided they did not want to come to Clemson anymore late in the year so me and my two other roommates were left with an empty room and a high lease. We had to scramble to find someone else.”

 Scruggs, a sophomore agricultural education major, is a prime example of what can happen during the search for off-campus housing and how a lot of unexpected obstacles can occur. Yet Scruggs is not the only one who has gone through this experience. Many Clemson students have created Facebook posts advertising extra rooms in their apartments to anyone unable to find off-campus housing. Since people start looking for off-campus housing in October of their freshman year, it is hard to gather friends up when they are brand new to a school. 

“It was hard gathering just three friends when I was a new student at this huge school,” Scruggs said. 

Living off campus plays a huge factor in being a Clemson student because most students choose to live off-campus after their freshman year. With so many housing options, students have a plethora to choose from. After the interview with Clemson student Emily Scruggs, it is clear that signing leases so early in the year can be very stressful. People need to start planning early and looking into the local living options that are most convenient for them.