Adulting is hard, and Boston College juniors are learning this lesson quickly as they move off-campus equipped with kitchen sets and dreams of living in full beds. With no meal plan, a 20-plus minute trek to Stokes Hall, and laundry machines that demand quarters, college living just got a whole lot more complicated.
The senior year campus resurgence seems like it can’t come fast enough, but don’t wish off-campus freedom away. Instead, hack the system by implementing a few of these helpful day-to-day tips to create that dream off-campus experience.
Trader Joe’s Sundays and Meal Prep
One of the biggest challenges of living off-campus is food. Unfortunately, meandering over to Lower for chicken and two sides at 7 p.m. is no longer a viable option. Instead, you face an empty fridge and an empty stomach if you haven’t planned ahead.
Luckily, Trader Joe’s is only a few T stops away and is a perfect place to stock up on easy frozen dinners and fun, fall-themed snacks. Plan out some dinner ideas, make a list of groceries, coordinate with your roommates, and head out on Sunday afternoons to get ready for the week ahead.
With dinner on the docket, lunches are as easy as last night’s leftovers and a few to-go containers. You can even take the meal prep up a notch by cooking enough chicken for the week or cutting up some vegetables for easy additions to salads, sandwiches, or pasta. Make it fun and enjoy! Anything is better than oily zucchini and eggs from a plastic bag, right?
Quarters: CVS, Cumberland Farms, and Bank of America
Though not every off-campus living situation presents the challenge of the quarter laundry system, some do, and for those with this setup, the quarter crisis is dire. Personally, I found out quickly that quarters are hard to come by, and when the machine demands $2.50 a load, a large collection is needed. A few nearby places that are helpful are CVS and Cumberland Farms, but try not to get your hopes up, as sometimes cashiers are less than eager to dish out 100 quarters on a whim just to give you clean clothes.
One way to get a lot of change fast is to head to a Bank of America. Make it easy and get as many as you can carry in one trip, as putting in a load of laundry and finding yourself with a bundle of wet clothes and no quarters left is less than ideal.
The All-Day Bag
A quick 10-minute walk back to Walsh for a snack and the books for your next class is no longer available. Instead, you may find yourself staking out on campus all day between spaced out classes and club meetings. Avoid a rush back down Comm. Avenue by stocking yourself up for the day in advance. Be sure to carry a snack, sweater, and other essentials like deodorant and a hairbrush. Though your bag may get heavy quickly, it’s better than realizing you’ve forgotten something 20-plus minutes away from your room.
Take the Reservoir Route Home
Walking down Comm. Ave. is less than exciting, especially after you’ve done it multiple times a day. For some new scenery and a shady walk home, try out the road alongside the Reservoir. Here, you can check out the Chestnut Hill Reservoir Community Garden, spot a few ducks floating around the Res, and avoid running into five people you know when you are in a rush. Especially if you live in 2000 Commonwealth Ave. or near South Street, this back route is a convenient cut-through that might even drop a few minutes off your commute time.
Find a friend with a car
This might not be a tip per say, but it sure does come in handy to buddy up to a neighbor with a car. The walk to class is long, and it’s only going to get a whole lot worse as the sunny days of early September turn into snow and ice in late February. Avoid sporting your snow boots to class and make friends with car keys now. Even better, try coordinating grocery store and Target trips with them to avoid lugging bags onto the T or expensive Ubers.
Remember to thank these well-deserving friends for giving you a lift while you find your step count much lower and off-campus living experience drastically improved.
