Author Archives: katiemcgwin

Apartment Hunting, Housing Advice, Renting

Finding A Sublet For the Summer

If you are looking to sublet a place for the summer, there are some important things you need to consider.

1.    Know what you’re looking for.  When you start your search, you want to have an idea of what you would want in a sublet.  In a blog post we read by Kathleen Corlett at HerCampus.com, there are some important questions you want to ask yourself.  Is your ideal sublet furnished or unfurnished?  Is it in walking distance to your work or near a bus stop?  Do you have roommates?  Do you have your own bedroom?  Corlett even suggests putting together a checklist to compare them side-by-side.

2.    Be flexible.  In a blog post we read by Juliet O’Reilly on GradGuard.com, she suggests keeping an open mind when looking at sublets, as a place may not be exactly what you had envisioned, but it may offer you more opportunities than you had expected.

3.    Cover all ground.  O’Reilly advises that while you don’t want to get overwhelmed in your search, you want to be sure that you are looking at all of the opportunities and not limiting yourself.

4.    When you find an ad you like, make sure to get all the info.  Ask for more photos and more information on the rental first before you go to see it.  That way you won’t waste your time viewing a place that won’t fit your needs.

5.    Review crime statistics for the area.  If you don’t know the area very well, you want to be sure that you look at the crime rates for an area.  You want to be sure that the place you live is safe.

6.    Narrow it down.  Narrow your search down to a few places your like the most.  These will be the places that you want to tour.  You may also want to be sure to have a few backups just in case the places you see don’t work out or aren’t what you are looking for.

7.    Check out your top picks.  You don’t want to sign a lease before you’ve seen the place for yourself.

8.    Choosing a place.  Make sure you choose the place that fits your needs best and is somewhere you can see yourself living.

9.    Make sure you read the sublease carefully before signing.  You want to know what you are committing to, if there are any special rules, or if you need clarification on something.

10. When you move in, make sure to take time-stamped photos of the place.  This will prevent you from getting stuck with the bill if there are any damages.

11. Collect all the contact information for the person you are subletting from.  You want to be sure to get all this information before they leave so that you have some way of contacting them.


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Events, Student Life

10 Cool Things to do in Massachusetts this Summer

While there are a ton of things to do in Massachusetts (Boston alone has everything you could ever need), we’ve put together a list of cool things to do that are either major attractions you just HAVE to see or are things that may be slightly “off the beaten path.”

1.    Food Truck Festival of New England     

Where:  Boston, Charlestown, Worcester, Brighton, Falmouth, Lowell, East Boston, Hingham, Framingham

When:  Jun 10, 16, Jul 14, 28, Aug 25, Sept 8, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 20

This isn’t that dinky little ice cream truck that used to drive around your neighborhood.  This is eating in style, but just with wheels.  This year, the Food Truck Festival will travel throughout Massachusetts to various locations, and will feature over 50 different food trucks from across the northeast.

Website:  http://foodtruckfestivalsofne.com/

2.    Chowderfest                                                                                    

Where:  City Hall Plaza, Boston

When:  July 1

Also know by the locals as “Chowdahfest,” it is one of the main events of Boston Harborfest and features chowder from various restaurants across Boston.  Get a chance to sample each kind, and vote on your favorite.

Website:  http://www.bostonharborfest.com/chowderfest.html

3.    JawsFest:  The Tribute                                                                  

Where:  Martha’s Vineyard

When:  August 9-12

A little strange, we know, but actually sounds kind of awesome at the same time.  JawsFest in Martha’s Vineyard includes discussions about the making of JAWS, live scene re-enactments, a museum-quality display of JAWS memorabilia, JAWS trivia, and learn about the real predators behind the film.

Website:  http://www.jawstribute.com/

4.    Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular                                         

Where:  The Esplanade in Boston

When:  July 4

Watch the Boston Pops Play along with a huge fireworks display on the nation’s independence day.

Website:  http://www.july4th.org/

5.    SoWa Open Market                                    

Where:  500 Harrison Ave, Boston

When:   Every Sunday May 6-October 28

The SoWa Open Market is a trendy open market featuring original art, food trucks, indie designer clothing, ceramics, glass, photography, jewelry, handbags, house wares, baked goods, and local produce.

Website:  http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/

6.    Freedom Crawl Pub Crawl                                                                      

Where:  Fanueil Hall, Boston

When:  July 21

A huge pub crawl that loosely follows the Freedom Trail in Boston to 11 or 12 different renowned bars and pubs in the Fanueil Hall area.

Website:  http://freedomcrawl.com/

7.    Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party                                          

Where:  City Hall Plaza, Boston

When:  June 22

One of the premiere rib fests in the U.S., the Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party features barbecue teams from around the world.  The event also features beer gardens, sand, music, and even a Ferris wheel!

Website:  http://bbq.phantomgourmet.com/

8.    Samuel Adam Brewery

Where:  30 Germania Street, Boston

When:  Monday-Thursday 10 am -3 pm

Ever wondered how they do it?  Well wonder no more!  All you 21+s can take a tour of one of America’s most famous breweries and get a chance to taste some of what they make.

Website:  http://www.samueladams.com/share-passion/tours.aspx

9.    Skywalk Observatory

Where: 800 Boylston Street, Boston

When:  Every day 10 am – 10 pm

Get a bird’s eye of all of Boston from atop the Prudential Building.  This is probably one of the most expansive views in the entire city.

Website:  http://www.prudentialcenter.com/shop/shop_detail.php?id=64

10. Institute of Contemporary Art

Where:  100 Northern Ave, Boston

When:  Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am-5pm, Thursday and Friday 10 am – 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 5pm

Situated in one of probably the coolest buildings in Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art features some of the most significant national and international pieces.  The exhibits highlight all types of media, including visual art, music, film, video, and performance art.

Website:  http://www.icaboston.org/

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Events, Student Life

10 Cool Things to do in Rhode Island this Summer

Just moved to RI, or just have no clue what there is to do when you don’t have to go to class?  Here’s a list of 10 suggestions (in no particular order) of things that you might enjoy this summer:

1.    Providence Waterfire              

Where:    Downtown Providence

When:  Jun 9 & 23, Jul 21, Aug 18, Sept 15, and 29th

Waterfire is probably one of coolest events Providence has to offer. If you’ve haven’t seen it yet, it’s quite an unusual sight.  Ever year since 1994, bonfires (in the water) are lit all the way down the Providence River.  It’s quite an attraction, and pretty cool to see, especially when you get to the basin.   This is definitely something worth seeing.

Website:  http://www.waterfire.org/

2.    Newport Folk Festival 

Where:    Fort Adams State Park, Newport

When:  July 28 and 29

It was this festival that saw Bob Dylan go electric for the first time, the national debut of Joan Baez and Kris Krisofferson, and the first time the Pixies went acoustic.  Since 1959, the Newport Folk Festival has been marked in musical history as one of the most influential festivals in U.S. history.  This year’s event at Fort Adams State Park in Newport boasts acts like My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, Dawes, Deer Tick, Jackson Brown, and Tom Morello’s solo project, the Nightwatchman.

Website:  www.newportfolkfest.net

3.    Charlestown Seafood Festival                                                      

Where:  Ninigret Park, Charlestown

When:  August 3-5

If you like seafood, look no further.  The Charlestown Seafood Festival features Rhode Island’s best seafood including lobsters, steamers, chowder, fish and chips, clam cakes, corn on the cob, and a raw bar.  The event includes other attractions (other than the food) like arts and crafts, amusement rides, a rock-climbing wall, a car show, a kite exhibition, bungee jumping, a petting zoo, and more!

http://www.charlestownrichamber.com/seafoodfestival.html for more info.

4.    Rhode Island International Film Festival                                  

Where:  All Around RI

When:  August 7-12

Like indie films?  Then you’ll like the RI International Film Festival (RIIFF).  Filmmakers from around the world are given a chance to feature their independent films, from a wide array of genres to the public.  Last year’s event saw over 204 works!

Website:  http://www.film-festival.org/

5.    South County Hot Air Balloon Festival                                     

Where:  URI Athletic Fields, Kingston

When:  July 20-22

Well, you can obviously guess that there will be balloons at this event.  But along with a ton of balloons, this event hosts a wide array of other attractions including a BBQ Competition, a carnival, kite flying, fireworks, and a performance by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

Website:  http://www.southcountyballoonfest.com/festivalinfo

6.    Newport Jazz Festival                                                                    

Where:  Fort Adams State Park, Newport

When:  August 3-5

It was the first annual jazz festival in the United States and has hosted legendary performers like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis.  This year’s Festival will also host a wide array of historical acts like Dr. John & The Lower 911, The Jack DeJohnette All-Starts, and Kurt Elling.

Website:  http://newportjazzfest.net/

7.    Urban Dare Providence                                                                            

Where:  Ri Ra Irish Pub, Providence

When:  July 7

Ever want to be on Amazing Race?  Well, this is just the shortened version!  It’s a one-day event that includes a bit of running, a bit of answering questions, and a bit of just finding your way around Providence.

Website:  http://www.urbandare.com/

8.    Design the Night                  

Where:  RISD Museum, Providence

When:  every third Thursday in June, July and August

This is an event that includes just a little bit of everything.  RISD’s Design the Night features live music, films, hands-on art making, artist demonstrations, discussions, and all of the best RI food trucks.

Website:  http://risdmuseum.org/uploadedFiles/Museum_of_Art/About/Press_Releases/RISD_Museum-Design_the_Night_press_release.pdf

9.    Newport Blues and BBQ Festival                                             

Where:  Newport Yachting Center

When:  August 18

This year marks the first EVER Newport Blues and BBQ Festival features local and national blues acts like John Lee Hooker, Jr., and Marcia Ball.  The menu includes a variety of specialty BBQ and a full bar with cold brews and cocktails. Website:  http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/newport-waterfront-blues-bbq-festival/

10. Rhode Island Local Food Fest                                                     

Where:  Castle Hill Inn, Newport

When:  August 7

Like eating locally grown foods?  The RI Local Food Fest will feature 2 dozen local farmers and producers with restaurants from across the state.  The event will include local wines, beers, live music, and a silent auction.

Website:  http://www.farmfreshri.org/about/localfoodfest.php

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Housing Advice, Student Life

How to decide between on or off campus housing

We know it’s a big decision to make whether or not to live off campus, and we hope to be able to guide you through the decision process.  There are a few major questions to ask yourself when you are looking at the two options and seeing which is right for you.

First you have to look at the costs associated with both.  If cost is important to your decision (which for a lot of people it is) you have to make a list of all the costs that both options would entail.  For on campus housing you would need to look at the cost of the actual housing, meal plans if you would need one, and any other board fees associated with being on campus.  For off campus housing, you need to consider the actual rent (this is going to involve some research, rents vary greatly between areas), the utilities (if they are not included) and other costs such as furniture, internet, cable, parking, groceries, and transportation costs to get to campus, etc.  Once you are able to estimate the costs of both options, you will have a better feel for which option will be more viable for you.

Other things to consider when looking at the two options are what you are getting for your money.  If you are getting a tiny room in a dorm and you have to share with a roommate, compared to a larger room to yourself in an apartment that can influence your decision.  Or if you are able to get a really nice on campus townhouse style suite then it might not be that bad of a deal to stay on campus.  Also, you should consider factors associated with meal plans, like if you feel you do not eat in the dining hall enough for a meal plan to be worth it, then maybe grocery shopping for yourself in an apartment would be a cheaper option.  But on the other side, if you typically eat your parent’s out of house and home, then maybe an all-you-can-eat dining hall would end up being cheaper in the long run.

Once you have weighed the costs of both options and how they compare with each other, there are other things to consider with both options.  Convenience is another big thing to look at.  For example, an article discussing Boston University’s off campus housing discusses how off campus housing is often way more convenient for students.  (Read the full article here). The article talked about how for some students it is easier to live off campus because of scheduling, study abroad, and other reasons.  For some, because of classes or other activities, it is more practical to live on campus. Like if you have all of your classes spread out throughout the day, and would have to drive back and forth to campus a couple of times a day it might not be worth it to live off.  For others, it is more convenient to live off campus, like if you would otherwise always miss dining hall hours because of a late activity that runs through dinner then maybe it is easier to live off campus and cook for yourself when you need to.

Either way you decide to go, as long as you make sure you plan ahead and do your research, you’re going to have a great school year with your friends and hopefully JumpOffCampus made the process a little bit easier for you all.

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Housing Advice, Renting

How to protect yourself when you rent

Renting an off-campus property can be an overwhelming task, to say the least.  We try to help, but how do you know you’re making the right choice when you rent?

In a recent article by Jessica Hickok (http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/05/15/how-to-protect-yourself-as-renter/), she identified some very specific things renters can do to protect themselves when renting a property.  Here is the breakdown of that list:

  • Checking the state’s landlord/tenant laws
  • Watching for red flags on a lease, including changes to monthly charges within the time of the agreement, can you make repairs yourself if the landlord does not respond to repair requests, will you get reimbursed for making those repairs, how will your security deposit be settled once you leave, and are there any eviction procedures that could take place
  • Make sure the owner isn’t in the foreclosure process with the property
  • Be sure to have an exit plan just in case

A lot of the time students may often forget they too have rights as renters.  This is why it is so important to point out some things you can do to protect yourself when signing an agreement because you just never know.

To find your state’s Tenant Rights Handbook, go to http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/rental_assistance/tenantrights.

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Student Life

Why do students move off-campus?

At JumpOffCampus we know that every campus is different went it comes to housing. Some schools have housing for their students, some do not, and there are others in between.  But why do students want to move off-campus when their school offers housing on-campus?

In an article by RedandBlack.com (http://redandblack.com/2012/04/24/rising-sophomores-choose-between-on-and-off-campus-housing/), we got an idea on how to answer this question.  According to the article, 67% of freshmen students at the University of Georgia live on campus, while only 18% of sophomores and even fewer juniors and seniors actually live in the dorms.  However, one of the University’s biggest issues with keeping students on campus is space.  According to Carla Dennis, the Assistant to the Executive Director of University Housing, “The majority of our residence halls on-campus are filled with first year students because we have a commitment to first year students as part of the first year live on requirement . . . Unfortunately we don’t have the space to house all of the students who want to live on-campus after their first year.”

While space may be a consideration for some students, it is not the only thing drawing students to off-campus housing.  Other students interviewed at the University of Georgia suggested that the promise of independence, greater privacy, and more affordable living were especially appealing to students looking at off-campus housing options.  In another article in the Princeton Review (http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2012/05/16/30980/), they added that students also are enticed by greater accommodations, more recreational opportunities, and more “bang for your buck” when they make the decision to move off-campus.  While there are some disadvantages to living off-campus, such as inconvenience in the commute to campus and parking, it appears that students seem to identify more of a benefit to this style of living.  So while it may be tough finding a parking spot or taking public transportation to campus every day, for many it seems to be well worth it.

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Apartment Hunting, Housing Advice, Renting

When should I start looking for an apartment?!

With the summer finally here, at JumpOffCampus we have been trying to get a feel for the housing search process and see when students really begin their search.  While the sublet market for summer housing is a rather quick process where you can find an apartment one day and basically move in the next, the search for year round housing is usually a more involved process.

We saw an article (http://www.miamistudent.net/news/students-rush-to-find-off-campus-housing-1.2855045#.T6lQpehSSxg) about students at Miami University and how their housing search is getting a bit crazy.  Students at Miami have had a difficult time finding enough off campus housing for the population.  Because of the shortage of on campus housing, they feel rushed to sign leases up to 18 months in advance in order to beat the crowd!  Students at Miami University are required to live on campus their first two years, and they often sign leases for apartments as freshman.  One group of students when they were signing their lease even had students knocking on their door yelling that they would pay double.  There also were students calling and claiming the 2014-2015 school year already for their house!

So what does this situation at Miami University say about the off campus housing process?  The search for off campus housing is definitely not always enjoyable.  It is stressful, time consuming, and often times you feel like you are just spinning your tires without getting anywhere.  In the case of Miami University, the students there have felt so much pressure to get housing early, that they rush to sign leases school years in advance and once they sign they often regret it, because they have no idea what they are going to be doing two years from now or who their friends will be and whether they just made a good decision or not.

What can we learn from this case about how to go about the upcoming fall semester housing search?  Well, the first thing is to definitely start early (although Miami students may be forced to start a little too early).  It is important to plan ahead of time and try to secure something, but there is no reason to feel pressure to sign something without fully thinking about it.  You should try and stay ahead of the game, but keep in mind, there is never just one ideal option out there.  If you know where to look, you will find that perfect apartment.  You don’t need to take the first one that comes your way just to get the process over with.

It also is important to know where to look.  That’s where we come in!  We have now made it easy to sign up for JumpOffCampus without having an affiliated school.  That means that even if your school does not use our service or endorse it on the school website, you can still sign up and see what apartments might be around your area!  Also, if you are looking for a sublet, anyone from any school can see them too!

Lastly, it is important to work with the landlords and make sure the lease is exactly how you want it.   Make sure it is very detailed and that it covers everything you need in order to protect yourself (we will talk more about this in an upcoming post) and that any verbal changes that are made to the lease are written down and amended.  If the lease doesn’t address things you feel it should, then speak up!

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JumpOffCampus, Uncategorized

Sublets are blowin’ up!

We have some big news in the sublets department, and just in time for summer!  We know how stressful it can be to find summer housing, it’s always super competitive, and places that are willing to rent to students for just a couple of months are hard to come by.  Hopefully JumpOffCampus can help you with this and make your summer housing search faster, easier, and less stressful.  We have seen a lot of growth with our sublets and we have decided to make it even easier for students to find them.

For example, Brown University in Providence, RI has seen a huge amount of student response to sublets.  Over 160 sublet listings have been posted, and over 1000 messages have been sent through the site inquiring about them!  With this kind of growth, we wanted to make sure that any student could take advantage of our site, regardless of whether or not their school is affiliated with us.

We have now opened JumpOffCampus to allow any student to sign up to see sublets that are posted at any school.  This way you can look at any housing in an area you need.  What if you get a summer internship in Boston, but you are from Connecticut?  It can be really stressful to find housing in those types of situations, so we decided to make it better!  Now that you can see all sublets, you can simply find the perfect apartment in the area you are looking for!

Also, if you have an apartment that you are looking to sublet, we make it super easy to post and find the perfect students to fill your place!  What’s nice about JumpOffCampus is that the site is student centered, so if you have a place, you can easily find other students to fill it!  It’s easy, avoids wasting your time with the wrong types of people, and keeps your focus on things that are really important, oh yeah like finals!

If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or feedback, let us know!  We are always looking to improve!  Good luck everyone on the end of the semester and let’s get those sublets rented!!

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JumpOffCampus, Uncategorized

We Are Making Changes!

So a lot of new things have been happening here at JumpOffCampus to update everyone about!  First off, we received some awesome news last week that we won the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition!  We are really grateful to have been a part of the competition and were impressed by all the awesome business ideas, but we are excited about moving forward with all the new resources now available to us!  Check out this link to read more: http://www.golocalprov.com/business/new-winners-named-in-2012-ri-business-plan-competition/.

We also have been spending some time reworking our current marketing campaign.  We have a bunch of new plans to help spread the word about JumpOffCampus, and so make sure you stay tuned starting next week.  We have new contests, prizes and other campaigns to keep your eye out for so make sure you check up with us on Monday for the first contest!  Let us know what you think about the upcoming campaigns, we want your opinions!  Hope everyone enjoys their weekend and if you have finals this week, good luck and study hard!  (P.S. if you know people in need of summer sublets, be sure to point them in our direction!)

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