For those of you moving into one of the surrounding neighborhoods for the first time, this can certainly be an exciting experience: You have your own apartments, new roommates and a whole new world surrounding you. You will soon realize that moving into an apartment brings a lot of changes from that familiar residence hall room that you grew to love, and those changes are probably the reason you chose to move in the first place. There are the obvious differences: Your own room, more living space, no resident assistants (RAs) and no more traveling downstairs to sign in guests. Then there are the more subtle changes: your neighbors below, above and next door are no longer fellow students, but rather families and young professionals. When your music is too loud, it won’t be your RA letting you know, but rather your neighbor or the Boston Police Department. Walking home no longer means crossing campus, but a 10-to-15 minute walk and passing by dozens of homes. Rent, heating, electricity and cable are no longer rolled into your tuition bill, and being late in your payment will hurt your credit and your relationship with your landlord. Then there are some things that don’t change: You will still be held to the standards of the University’s Student Code of Conduct, which means that being off campus doesn’t make it OK to break the rules; and you still have access to all of the resources on campus, so take advantages of offices like Off-Campus Student Services and Student Activities and Leadership. How do you cope with some of those less obvious changes? Be proactive. Make sure you know your rights and responsibilities as a student, resident and neighbor. Make an effort to meet your neighbors and let them know you are new to the neighborhood. Build relationships with those not only in your apartment building, but those down the street, too. Make sure you know whether or not they need to be up at 6 a.m., and likewise, let them know if you do. Laughing on the porch with your roommates may be harmless enough, but sound carries. Have those conversations now, and make sure your neighbors know how they can reach you if they have any problems. Think twice about having a large gathering if you are not prepared to keep it under control. Being out on your own is definitely exciting. Just make sure you really know what to expect, and if not, don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t know where to start, SGA is always here to help: www.sga.neu.edu.

– Rob Ranley is the president of the Student Government Association.