It is a sentiment shared by others who chose to find off-campus housing.

Roy Cohen ’10, a former Eliot House resident who moved into an apartment near Inman Square this year after spending the fall semester in Argentina, says that his experiences overseas changed his perspective on living spaces.

“Up until junior year, I loved the dorms,” he says. “It was really about needing my own space, my own room, and living with people who want that, too.”

MEALTIME TRADE-OFFS

Despite popular belief, living off campus is sometimes cheaper than living in a House.

Harvard’s Financial Aid Office awards financial aid by default with the College’s room and board fees included.

Students at the Co-op pay room fees to the College, while they pay their board fees to the Co-op. According to Co-op co-president Megan A. Shutzer ’10, a Crimson editorial writer, board fees to the Co-op are significantly less than what the College charges.

“Living in an apartment and buying and preparing my own food is also much cheaper than living on campus,” D’Amico says. “Also, the Co-op buys in bulk, so you’re getting a lot for your dollar there.”

Although apartment living may seem like a breath of fresh air for students annoyed with House rules, D’Amico mentions that apartment living is not always so easy. It involves many responsibilities that the Houses automatically fulfill, she says.

In exchange for a cheaper board fee, Co-op students lose swipe access to all Harvard dining halls.

“But my fiancé and I pick up each other’s slack when one of us is really busy or stressed out—such as now, when I’m finishing my senior thesis,” D’Amico says. “And I always like what’s on the menu!”

LIVING IN ISOLATION?

A common concern among students is the possibility that alternative housing isolates students from the Harvard undergraduate community.

In an e-mailed statement, McIntosh describes the Houses as “the epicenter of the undergraduate experience.”

“A House plays a much larger role than simply serving as a place to sleep and eat,” McIntosh writes. “It is difficult to separate the Harvard College experience from the residential experience.”