But when you do make the transition to living off campus, it’s like walking into a whole new world.

East Lansing is a complex city, filled with many different types of people, not just students. Suddenly, you are responsible for taking out the trash, paying bills and keeping the noise down, or you face a noise violation.

I began reporting on East Lansing before officially living in it. I learned about the city and thought I was prepared to handle living in a rental home (I was 18 when I moved into my first house and was ecstatic).

The freedom of living off campus was great during the summer of 2005. I had friends over, cooked and threw a ton of parties. I assumed it would be the same during the school year, and I was wrong. Little did I know that going to class would become “nearly impossible” for my 19-year-old self. I hated trekking through the snow (I lived on Virginia Avenue, far away from campus). I hated shoveling snow from the sidewalk and driveway.

To top it off, I began to not like living with my roommates. They fought and were up at all hours of the night.

That spring, I decided to take an internship and move home, fleeing from the hellish living situation I had so begrudgingly begun to call home.

Putting that living situation behind me, I began to focus on where I wanted to live when I returned to my beloved “EL” for a summer of fun. That summer, I discovered I love living in a big house with a bunch of guys. Boys, at least in my experience, are low-maintenance roommates. They don’t leave long hair or tampons in the bathroom (something that grosses me out to this day).

After my summer on Evergreen Avenue, I decided to move back to the dorms so I wouldn’t have to worry about food (the best diet plan is living off campus) and getting to class. Being my junior year, I discovered I could no longer share a room with someone. I need my space, and working at The State News for 50 hours a week is something that drains me and I need to come home to an empty room.

Despite the convenience of the dorm, it wasn’t for me anymore.

That summer, I moved in with a friend who I also worked with. That situation was good, but I missed living with many people. I longed for the summer before, when I had a house full of party-hungry roommates.

I did another internship in the fall and moved to Washington, D.C. That was an experience in itself. I didn’t like the fabric of that city — it felt small and not as fun as New York. It also lacked the sense of community East Lansing has. There’s something about being a Spartan that unites the community.

When it came time to look for a place to live this semester, I knew what I wanted. A big house, close to campus with male roommates. After scouring allmsu.com, I finally found an advertisement that described what I was looking for. My big house and roommates are amazing.

I’ve lived in a lot of places, loved a few and hated some. Living in East Lansing is all about finding the right place for you. I’ve found mine, and hopefully you’re on your way to finding yours.