Which is better - on campus or off?

I might be attending columbia college chicago next year, and i'm trying to save as much $$$ as possible. on campus housing is really expensive, so i looked into apartments in the surrounding area and found some i could afford for around $700/month. Is it more realistic to just live on campus? will i have a tough time commuting to my classes? i live in PA right now and i've never used public transportation once in my life, so i dont know how that works lol. also, does anyone know if its unsafe to live downtown in south loop? i've never been to a big city so....im really clueless.





thanks|||I don't know about the area, so I can't speak to safety. But keep in mind that most apartment rent prices do not include all utilities. Water will usually be included, gas sometimes is (if it has gas), but electricity, cable, phone, and internet will usually not be. Renters insurance is often required too. These could potentially increase the cost by $100 per month or more depending on what services you want. Make sure you can get to school easily by public transit. According to College Prowler, Columbia College has no student parking on campus and off-campus garages are expensive.|||You can find something close to college that is not student housing and save money. Try to contact other students and see where they live. Public transportation can be awkward at first but you will get the hang of it in no time. Good luck and enjoy your time at Columbia.