There are many things to consider when picking out an apartment, but the busy fall semester can make it hard to find time to take everything into account when signing a lease. If you have your eye on a future apartment, take this quiz to see how it measures up. 

1. How many blocks away from Green Street is the apartment?

 a. I’d basically be living in Chipotle.

b. About two blocks away from the Green Street necessities.

c. I could almost walk to Green Street without getting frostbitten in the winter.

d. I would not be within walking distance.

2. Does the apartment have a porch?

a. It has its own porch, perfectly lofted off of the ground.

b. It shares a porch with neighbors.

c. It doesn’t have one.

d. The complex barely has windows.

3. How did you choose your roommates?

a. I will be living with my best friends.

b. I met my roommates through mutual interests. (e.g., class, Greek affiliation, etc.)

c. I found them with Craigslist.

d. My roommates are completely random.

4. How close is the apartment to your classes?

a. Waking up 10 minutes before class will be adequate.

b. I would only catch the bus on my laziest of days.

c. If I don’t catch the bus, then I probably won’t make it to class.

d. I might need to purchase a car.

5. How is the bedroom-to-bathroom ratio looking?

a. There’s an equal number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

b. I’ll be sharing my bathroom with my cleanest roommate.

c. There will be three people sharing the mirror.

d. It will be comparable to communal bathrooms.

6. Does the apartment come with any physical perks? 

a. There will be stereos and wine coolers galore.

b. A mounted HD TV is just about all I need.

c. Its got a place to plug in my Xbox.

d. I’ll be watching TV on my Smartphone.

7. When checking out your realtor’s history at the Tenant Union, you find …

a. Nothing but gold stars.

b. The realtor has a good reputation.

c. A moderate amount of complaints.

d. There’s an entire shelf for the realtor’s complaints.

Answers: If you answered mostly A’s: This apartment option is looking pretty swanky. Your realtor is basically Bill Gates and you are looking forward to rolling out of bed a few minutes before the bell tower chimes. Some of your friends might attempt to live on your couch.

If you answered mostly B’s: It has some of the optimum perks and will probably cause you little stress in the upcoming year. You will probably be a primary party spot for your group of friends and can easily snag a bus to the Undergrad Library.

If you answered mostly C’s: You might find yourself with more than a few issues with your choice of apartment, but it’s college, right? Don’t let a bad apartment ruin your year, especially if it means saving money. Put posters over the holes in the wall and decorate until you can’t decorate anymore.

If you answered mostly D’s: Consider avoiding this option, even if it’s the cheapest. Hopefully you won’t need to add to the stack of complaints for your realtor. Good luck and stay strong. 

Becky can be reached at [email protected].