9:40 A.M. That was the earliest time among the four of us in our Lakeside roommate group.
“Well, I mean it is not the best time, but any time before 10 A.M. and you should be all good to get housing,” said Matt Pudliner, a fellow resident on my floor with a 9:05 A.M. time slot.
That was nothing but lies.
No amount of refreshes or back buttons could change the fact that all the rooms were filled.
At the time, I felt hopeless. No housing for next year. At the University of Miami, Lakeside Village has a reputation for being the best sophomore living situation. The “next step” after freshman year, where you are “supposed to be” as a sophomore.
Looking at that blank screen made me believe that I had fallen behind. Like I had lost something I needed to be successful at the university.
It’s been nearly a month since not getting Lakeside, I can say something I never expected to feel: Not getting Lakeside might have been one of the best things that could have happened to me.
Part of the reason Lakeside feels so important is because it is convenient on campus — and because everyone and their mother wants it. But when you actually look at the break down of the pricing, the idea that it is the “best” option becomes a lot more complicated.
Lakeside Village isn’t just expensive — its consistently priced at the top of what most student’s will pay for housing.
Suite-style rooms range from about $15,300 a year for a shared double to $22,180 year for an Efficiency style suite. Single rooms fall between $20,140 and $21,040 annually.
These prices don’t even include the price of a meal plan, which is required for all students residing in Lakeside Village.
That’s not just “on-campus pricing” — that’s comparable to full apartment prices in the extended Miami area.
Compare that to off-campus housing near the university and the picture shifts.
Listings from the university’s own off-campus housing database show that students living in shared houses or apartments can pay around $1,000 per month per bedroom, while larger shared units — like a three bedroom house near campus listed for about $4,500 per month total — bringing per-person costs down to roughly $1,500 or less depending on price distribution of the roommates.
Student apartment complexes show a similar range. At VOX Miami, rent is typically around $1,800-$2,900 per bedroom, while The Standard of Coral Gables ranges from $1,900 to $4,800 depending on layout and unit type.
Even more traditional apartment communities like The Cloisters Miami offer multi-bedroom townhouses that, when split, can fall within a similar per-person range as Lakeside Village— all while being within walking distance of campus.
Unlike Lakeside, these off-campus living options offer amenities like resort-style pools, fitness centers, study lounges and furnished units.
In other words, off-campus living isn’t necessarily more expensive. In many cases, it’s more flexible, and you are getting more space, more control and comparable amenities for the same price.
“In December, before we even had to put in our application for Lakeside, I tried to weigh out the pros and cons of living on versus off-campus,” said Megan Belk, a current freshman in the Herbert Business School. “You really are getting so much more for living off-campus, like I am living in a whole house just minutes from campus for essentially the same price as Lakeside.”
But the difference isn’t solely just about money, it’s about the independence you gain from the experience of moving off-campus.
“I feel like living off-campus will make me feel more like an adult,” said Chelsea Yessner who is set to live Red Roads Commons next year. “It pushes you, in a good way, to take responsibility.”
Living off-campus forces you to figure things out in a way that on-campus housing doesn’t. You learn how to budget, manage bills, coordinate with your roommates, and how to deal with responsibilities that don’t come with a university system attached.
While some may appreciate the structure of Lakeside and having residential assistants near by, it is still limited. You don’t fully get to choose your space, and your lifestyle is still shaped by the university systems.
Off-campus is where everything changes. You are no longer living at school — you are living in Miami, or rather Coral Gables for most.
Instead of staying inside the campus bubble, you are bound to explore the area more, like local coffee shops, more grocery stores, new running spots and make new friends.
“I often feel like I am in a simulation,” said Tallulah Steager, a current freshman studying Psychology at UM. “I feel like I run into the same people and have the same routine. I am excited for a change by living off-campus next year at Cloisters.”
At the time, “losing the Lakeside housing battle” seemed like a huge deal. But now, the more distant I get from it, the more I realize it wasn’t about losing anything, rather it was about the importance that others place on one specific version of the “college experience.”
At the University of Miami, it is easy to buy into the idea that there is “one ideal version of college.” Living in Lakeside could have provided that, where everything is convenient and everything falling into place the way it is “supposed to.”
However, that idea is built on reputation, not reality.
Not getting Lakeside doesn’t mean you missed out on something “better.” It means you ended up with something different — something with more flexibility, more independence, and for most, a better bang for your buck.
While I may not know how the living off-campus lifestyle is, as I am signing my lease for my house just minutes from the university, I can already feel the difference. What once felt out of my control and disappointing at the time, might have actually worked out in my favor.
So, to the freshman next February, when Lakeside is all anyone can seem to talk about, just remember: If you don’t get it, you didn’t lose — you just took a different, and in my opinion, better route.
