Campus Lodge in Tampa - a Good Alternative to the University of South Florida Dorm Life?

If you are thinking about attending the University of South Florida, you are going to have to think about housing options. Some people have the luxury of living at home because they are very close to campus, but many others are faced with the task of deciding between a few different options where they can live. Some students look forward to dorm life and immediately choose that option, but that option isn't very appealing to some other students. Some decide to live in off-campus apartments for a higher level of privacy and freedom. Finally, some students choose off-campus apartment living for another reason, establishing residency. For out-of-state students attending the University of South Florida, tuition is very high compared to Florida residents. There are many off-campus apartment complexes for students, and I will give an overview of the one I chose, Campus Lodge.

In northeast Tampa, you will find a student apartment complex by the name of Campus Lodge. You have housemates instead of roommates, so it is an upgrade when compared to a dorm. Two, three and four bedroom units are available, and all members share certain parts of the apartment. Each person has their own room that includes a bathroom with a shower. The kitchen, laundry room, and living room are shared amongst all the members. The kitchen includes such appliances as a stove, microwave, dishwasher, and refrigerator. The living room is furnished with a couch, a couple chairs, and a big-screen television with cable. Ethernet connections are available in each room as well as cable connections for your personal television if you choose to have one.

Campus lodge has a lot of great features, and it is a pretty nice place to live. However, like nearly all student complexes, they are a bit disorganized and don't always fulfill service requests. For little issues that don't make a whole lot of difference, they generally don't bother repairing them in my experience. For example, I only have one closet door instead of the two that are supposed to be there, but they never installed a new one after I made the request. I don't really mind, so I didn't take further action to try and get them to do it. Problems with air conditioners, washers and dryers, and other major appliances are dealt with quickly, so that is an upside about this complex. Most other similar student apartment complexes I have heard about operate in a similar manner, so don't expect great service if you choose one.

Overall, I recommend living at Campus Lodge in Tampa. They do a pretty good job of keeping the place looking good, and they offer some nice features such as a pool, computer lab, and fitness center. Campus Lodge is far from perfect, but they are worth considering as a place of residence while attending the University of South Florida.