Utilities, Internet service and parking costs are a few things Ball State University students should consider when moving off campus, according to the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards.
Two graduate assistants who worked for the office recently finished producing a video about what students need to know before moving.
Ashley Swanson-Hoye said she and fellow GA Andrew Parker worked on the project together in Spring 2007.
The video explains the advantages and disadvantages of living off campus, she said.
David Fried, director of student rights and community standards, said the office gathered information from student focus groups on what they wish they would have known before they moved off campus.
Students don't always know what off-campus life is like, he said.
"They sometimes think they will have all this freedom," he said. "But they forget they have to pay for their Internet, take out the trash and mow the lawn."
Some specific topics discussed in the video include utility bills, Internet service, phone service, how far the residence is from campus and parking, Swanson-Hoye said.
"Internet is not included in my utilities package," one student featured in the video said. "So, I have to come bum Internet on campus."
"Being able to stay up and do what I want in my room at all hours of the night is one of my favorite things about living on my own," another student in the video said. "I also have my own kitchen and bathroom."
The six-minute video took more than a month to complete because Swanson-Hoye did the editing and production work herself, she said. There were no production costs, however, since Swanson-Hoye rented the video equipment from a campus lab and undergraduate students acted out the scenes, she said.
"Play-acting and short clips make this video fun," she said. "It's not a serious film, but it's still educational."
Fried said the video was part of the student rights office's plan to "bridge the gap between students living on and off campus."
"Students in our focus groups said they sometimes feel isolated when they move off campus," he said. "We feel it's our responsibility to make all students feel included in what the university does."
The student rights office also provides newsletters, a university events calendar and other online resources for students living off campus, he said.
"When you live in the residence halls, you always know what's going on," he said. "When you're off campus, you don't always have that."
The video is now posted on the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards' Web site, Fried said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
