Wesley Ziegler has lived on campus for two years but is weighing his options for next year.

The sophomore history major knows one of the biggest benefits of living off campus will be the legality of having alcohol in his apartment.

“I’ll be 21 next year, so having alcohol in my room legally, definitely is a plus,” he said.

That issue, as well as hours of operation, parking for weekend visitors, number of roommates and expenses are some of the common complaints that Housing and Residence Life hear daily.

As some students progress through their college education, Housing and Residence Life has found that the likelihood of an on campus student staying on campus for all four years decreases.

In fall 2013, USI enrolled 1652 first semester degree seeking students, 1052 of which moved on campus. After one year, the amount dwindled to 777 with a retention rate of 73.9 percent. The off campus rate from fall 2013 to fall 2014 was 69.7 percent – a decrease to 418 students.

With such a loss Res Life has begun renovating.

The issue of campus resident retention was addressed at the Spring Faculty Meeting, during which a representative from Noel-Levitz – a higher education consulting firm that partnered with the university to increase student retenton rates – said the university retains more commuters than on-campus students, which is a “problem.”

In addition to being able to store and drink alcohol in his apartment, Ziegler likes the advantage of living with the opposite sex off campus.

“I could room with friends who are girls and my girlfriend if I lived off campus,” Ziegler said. “Whereas on campus, I would have to room with all guys.”

He said students not feeling like they have freedom is a reason why they leave on campus housing after their first year.

“I think they just want more freedom from the school rules,” Ziegler said. “For example, in the dorms last year, there was a rule that you weren’t allowed to have people of the opposite gender in your room after 2 a.m. No one is ever going to listen to that.”

Although USI housing may not be perfect, Ziegler said there are benefits to living on campus.

“I think freshman should definitely live on campus. It helps you meet people, everything is close to you. It really helps with that transition from home to being off on your own,” Ziegler said. “I’m glad I lived on campus my freshman year because I met some of my best friends in O’Bannon.”

A lot of people argue living off campus is significantly cheaper. However, Ziegler said he thinks USI housing is financially comparable to living off campus because housing on the East Side is often cheaper, he said,  but the cost of gas should be taken into consideration.

Director of Housing and Residence Life Laurie Berry said the university is in the middle of two renovations within the on campus apartments.

Some apartments are receiving renovations for new floors, appliances and furniture, while others may see renovations down to the drywall.

Housing and Residence Life recently distributed a residential satisfaction survey that over a 1,000 campus residents responded to.

“What we are finding (when looking at the results of the survey) is students, by in large, are happy with the facilities and I am sure that has a lot to do with the renovations,” Berry said.

She said one of the biggest things Res Life is considering changing is the exterior aspect of USI.

“We know that community space in the outside area is important, so we are looking at updating picnic tables or maybe even grills in addition to already having the sand volleyball pits, basketball hoops and the shelter,” Berry said.

Berry said Res Life also added an interior community space to McDonald East apartments in addition to the community space in the C-store.

One thing USI doesn’t have is family housing, she said, which Housing may look into for the future to ensure student needs are met.

There are three main reasons why Berry advocates for living on campus as opposed to off campus living.

Students are living in a place where everyone around them is trying to do the same thing – earn a college degree. The close proximity to on campus support services and classes and students gain relationships with people in the community, their professors and roommates, she said.

Berry realizes as many students progress through their college education, living on campus isn’t necessarily the best personal fit for them, she said.

“I think at some point, even though we have apartments on campus, as people progress through their junior and senior year they are getting ready to get out to the ‘real world,’ where they may not be living with four people. It is a natural break that you’re ready to get ready for,” Berry said.

Outweighing these benefits and disadvantages can be a costly and a hard decision for many students.

Sophomore elementary education major Kendyl Lange said she prefers living on campus because the benefits outweigh living off campus.

“Getting to class is much simpler when living on campus because you can walk or take the bus, and it will cost a lot less than commuting to campus every day,” Lange said.

Lange said the convenience of having food options close is another big consideration students need to think about. But making the decision to live on or off campus is up to the person and what will fit their needs most.

“If you would like to be closer to things outside of USI then you should live off campus,” Lange said. “But I still find the convenience of living on campus outweighs the benefits of living off campus.”