University Housing set up a booth as well to discuss the advantages of living in residence halls and university apartments.

The fair gave students a chance to become more educated about the various housing opportunities in East Lansing and to learn from experts about the steps they should take when they begin searching for a residence, said Cathy Neuman, a coordinator for the event.

Many students took advantage of the opportunity, as coordinators handed out about 1,500 bags full of information, she added.

“This gives (students) a chance to compare housing opportunities,” said Neuman, who also works as assistant director for MSU’s Department of Student Life.

“They need to hear from more than one property to determine what’s best for them.”

Representatives from 10 stores and service providers — including CATA, the MSU Federal Credit Union and ASMSU Legal Services — also set up booths to discuss ways in which they can be of service to students.

The East Lansing Police Department was there to discuss safety issues, parking and how to party safely, while interns from the Community Relations Coalition were there to talk about neighbor etiquette.

English freshman Lauren Wilkie said she attended the fair to browse her housing options for next year.

“We’ve gotten some really good ideas and checked out our possibilities for next year,” Wikie said. “It gave us a lot of tips about what to expect for next year.”

Although a couple of the apartment complexes intrigued him, accounting freshman Josh Taulbee said he was disappointed there wasn’t more representation from rental housing realtors.

“We were here looking for a house to lease, but the only realty place was selling houses,” he said.

The turnout of the event was impressive, said Megan McAllister, a fair coordinator.

“I’m definitely satisfied with the turnout — it’s greater than expected,” the hospitality business senior said. “All of our great publicity really filtered out into the student population.”