Spartan Transfer Hub | Off-Campus Life 101

On this episode of the Spartan Transfer Hub, we sat down with Kristin McCool, the Assistant Director of MSU Off Campus Life to cover the basics of living off campus. It can be a huge transition to take that leap away from the dorms and dining halls, but we learned that the Office of Community and Student Relations is here to help students from start to finish. Whether you are exploring to see if off-campus life is right for you, looking for roommates, or finding ways to stay connected to campus, TSSC and Off-Campus Life are here to help you every step of the way!

For more information, visit
https://offcampushousing.msu.edu/

Follow their Instagram at @msu_offcampuslife
https://www.instagram.com/msu_offcampuslife/

Follow TSSC on Instagram at @msutransfersuccess
https://www.instagram.com/msutransfersuccess/

Creators and Guests

Host

Katie Goble

Katie Goble is a senior at Michigan State University studying Strategic Communication and Public Relations. She transferred to MSU from Lansing Community College in the Fall of 2025, and she is loving her time as a Spartan! She is here to prove that any transfer student can make the most of their experience by building their support system and finding community on and off campus.

What is Spartan Transfer Hub ?

Spartan Transfer Hub is a podcast for transfer students at Michigan State University, and beyond, brought to you by the Transfer Student Success Center (TSSC).

Each episode features conversations with MSU staff, faculty, and fellow students, highlighting key resources, programs, tips and individual stories to help you navigate your transfer journey. From academic support to campus involvement, Spartan Transfer Hub connects you to the tools and people that make a difference.

Find us on Impact89fm.org, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more!
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/msutransfersuccess
Website: https://spartantransferhub.transistor.fm

Katie Goble: 00:00

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the Spartan Transfer Hub podcast, a place where you can find all the tips, tricks, and tools to help you navigate your transfer journey here at MSU. Before we get started, just a reminder that this podcast is brought to you by the Transfer Student Success Center and Impact eighty nine FM. Let's dive in. Hi, everyone.

Katie Goble: 00:16

Welcome to our first episode of season four. My name is Katie Goble, I am your new host for this season. I'm a senior studying communication and public relations, and I transferred to MSU in the fall of twenty twenty five from Lansing Community College. Today, we're talking about a very important topic, housing. Most transfer students reside off campus.

Katie Goble: 00:34

So if that's you and you're looking for a place, you should probably stick around for this one. So today, we have a guest from the Office of Community and Student Relations. And I will let you introduce yourself.

Kristin McCool: 00:44

Awesome. Thanks, Katie. My name is Kristen McCool, and I'm the Assistant Director of Off Campus Life in the Office of Community and Student Relations, which is just a really long way of saying that everything I do is related to Off Campus Life, including connecting students with Off Campus Housing opportunities.

Katie Goble: 01:05

That's awesome. We're so happy to have you. So one thing I wanted to start off with is I personally am a little unfamiliar with this website because I have lived on campus. I lived on campus last year, and I will actually be in the same dorm next year for my senior year. Shout out to Owen Hall.

Katie Goble: 01:20

We love you. But you guys just got like a revamp to your website. And I know it might be a little confusing for some students. We were talking about this before we started recording. So if you could kind of give an overview of the website and, you know, what might be some of the confusions, that way we can make sure students have all the information they need.

Kristin McCool: 01:37

Yeah, so we just got a total makeover. In fact, as of last night, the site went live. And just to say for some of you that may have already accessed the website, it is the same domain name. So it is offcampushousing.msu.edu. And there's going to be a lot of really cool new features on that website, so we're super excited about it.

Katie Goble: 02:01

That's awesome. So what are some resources that students can find on this website when they're navigating their off campus life journey?

Kristin McCool: 02:07

Yeah, well, one of the biggest things for students, I think, is the map feature, and the interactive map feature. And here's why. Because what we know about students and in talking with students, sort of the three most important things for students when thinking about housing is, like, their location, their budget, parking, all those kinds of things. And especially when it comes to location, so the map, that's gonna give you proximity to campus. It's going to give you, you know, how long does it take to walk to campus?

Kristin McCool: 02:40

Is it bikeable? You know, how long driving? All those good things. Is it on a main bus line? Cause that's super important depending on So where you're so, yeah, that's one of the big ones.

Kristin McCool: 02:52

Roommate matching, is also a big thing. Right? If you need roommates or want roommates, right, but you, right, are looking for someone to room with, that's a way that you can find someone to room with. Guides for students and parents, we have resources there for them to take a look at. You know, it's all the things that, you know, you want to be thinking about as you're looking for housing.

Kristin McCool: 03:18

Right? But then I would say everything through your entire journey, right, even including your when you're ready to move out, the checklist, things that you need to know so you are not stuck paying extra money because, well, you didn't paint that wall that you were supposed to, right? Because it was bright red. You wanted bright red. And so but you were supposed to paint it before you left.

Kristin McCool: 03:40

So all those kinds of things are there for you.

Katie Goble: 03:43

That's really great. I wanted to circle back to the roommate matching. I know all of us that are living on campus, those of us that have roommates, we're familiar with, like, the roommate matching through that avenue. How does that work through your website?

Kristin McCool: 03:54

Yeah, so basically, it's you post about yourself, you know, and it asks you questions like, you know, how much study time do you need during the day? How frequently are you there? All those kinds of things. Like, you looking to have a roommate that's okay with pets? That's really important.

Kristin McCool: 04:13

You might be, you know, someone might be allergic to cats. So, you know, you don't want to be rooming with someone where that could be a problem. So those are the kinds of questions to make sure that you're going to be compatible living together.

Katie Goble: 04:26

That's awesome. Yeah. I mean, I think I'm spoiled in Owen. I have a single room, so I actually have never had a roommate experience. Yeah.

Kristin McCool: 04:32

But I

Katie Goble: 04:33

have some friends who have some nightmare stories of roommates. So that is one of the most important things, is trying to avoid those nightmare scenarios.

Kristin McCool: 04:40

I was going to say one thing I wanted to quick mention that's really cool about this website, a new feature, is going to be the Marketplace. So for those of you that love Facebook Marketplace, this is going to be

Katie Goble: 04:51

a

Kristin McCool: 04:51

Marketplace just for students. Right? Because you have to have your NetID to access the website. Right? So this is a big deal.

Kristin McCool: 05:00

Right? The website is for you, and it makes it safe for you to, right, be buying things off from, yeah, the website and from other students.

Katie Goble: 05:10

You guys cannot see it, but my jaw on the floor.

Kristin McCool: 05:12

Oh my god.

Katie Goble: 05:12

Excited. That's awesome. Can all students access that or is it just like students looking to move off campus?

Kristin McCool: 05:18

No, it's all students. All MSU students technically. So I mean

Katie Goble: 05:22

Well, know what? Your girl loves to be bougie on a budget, I may have to check that one out. That's awesome. I'm glad you mentioned that. So another question I have for you.

Katie Goble: 05:32

So what are some things that students should be thinking about when weighing that decision to live off campus? And when should they get the ball rolling? Like, what's the timeline you'd recommend?

Kristin McCool: 05:40

Oh my gosh. Okay. That's a really big question, Katie. Thanks for asking that. Well, so just to go back to the rate that location budget and parking, I would also throw amenities in there.

Kristin McCool: 05:51

We know that's like a close fourth. So again, the location, proximity to campus, the bus line, right, how to get to campus, to and from campus. So be thinking about that. Use the interactive map for that. Budget, right?

Kristin McCool: 06:04

That's a huge one. So on the website, you can filter using, right, you know, the most amount that you're willing to pay, right? And it will filter your results based on that, right? And along with that, do you want to have roommates? Right?

Kristin McCool: 06:21

That's a big question. And I would also say that that's one of the most important decisions you are going to make in this process, is your roommate or roommates. Like, you want to know that you're living with good people. Okay? And then parking is being one of them.

Kristin McCool: 06:37

That's a big one, because as we know, East Lansing isn't the most parking friendly, and campus, too. I actually recommend students to not drive to and from campus if you can help it.

Katie Goble: 06:49

Yeah, I'd also recommend that. I personally, last year I was using the CATA buses and it's not perfect, but it gets you where you need to go most But of the I've been driving to campus and even in the summer course, right now we have terrible construction. But yeah, driving to campus is horrible. So yes, I also would recommend try to be near a bus because it can be so crazy. I mean, now that the RAs and the off campus like apartment sorry, on campus apartment residents are here.

Katie Goble: 07:17

Even the pedestrian traffic is already starting to pick up. I'm like, guys, it's not even the start of the semester yet. So that's a good recommendation for sure.

Kristin McCool: 07:24

Yeah. And just to say too, with the parking, do know that a lot of places you do have to pay for parking. That's really important. So also know that that's probably going to be an added fee to your monthly rent. So that's something else you're going to want to think about.

Kristin McCool: 07:40

And then those amenities, right? If you don't have time to run across campus to I'm East or whatever, and a gym's important to you, then you should probably be looking for a place that you have access to a gym, for example. A lot of places have study rooms nowadays, right, pools. The other thing is, is like your, you know, do you want to have an in unit washer and dryer? That's important because if you have to run to the laundromat, or if you have to run across the complex to be doing laundry, right, that's something else you're going to want to be thinking about too.

Kristin McCool: 08:10

Yeah.

Katie Goble: 08:11

And I swear, I have a friend who lives at the Hub, and I got to go to his rooftop pool. So great. Oh my gosh, I felt like a millionaire. So I mean, I'm sure the rent is probably more expensive if you have a pool, but oh my gosh, I was living it up for sure. So yeah, we love some off campus amenities.

Katie Goble: 08:29

So my next question for you is, this is very important when it comes to building community, even if you're living off campus. How can students ensure that they're still connected to campus even if they reside in an off campus place?

Kristin McCool: 08:41

So I would say follow us on Instagram, our office. So it's msufcampuslife. And, you know, we have a student who manages that, and, you know, they are posting stuff about how to stay connected right to campus, right, events that are happening around campus. I would say, you know, don't forget about UAB, right, our university activities board, right? Our friends over there, they've always got events going on.

Kristin McCool: 09:08

I would also say our RSOs, you know? Get on Spartan Experience's website and check out what RSOs are there for you, right? And right there, there's community everywhere on campus. I would actually say one of the bigger things for students, I don't wanna say challenges, but students have a tendency to not go off campus or to go very far beyond wherever they're living. Right?

Kristin McCool: 09:33

But there's, like, it's such a big world out there. Right? Greater Lansing region. We've got so much going on, like, off campus. Like, don't be afraid to go and explore.

Kristin McCool: 09:43

So don't forget about REO Town, Old Town. There's lots of cool stuff down there going on all the time. Festivals, right? Music events. I mean, there's a lot happening.

Kristin McCool: 09:54

And we try to definitely put that out on our platform. So be sure to check that out.

Katie Goble: 09:59

Yeah. That's awesome. I know I know we have the Choose Lansing website. I'm not sure if East Lansing has an equivalent, but they have, like, all the different restaurants and festivals and events. And I know it's really easy and affordable for students to use the CATA buses to, like, go off campus.

Katie Goble: 10:14

I think it's, like, a dollar or something

Kristin McCool: 10:16

for It's a super cheap. And, yeah, it's all reduced. I mean, which has not always been that way, which is cool. The one will take you both east and west. Don't forget.

Kristin McCool: 10:27

And don't forget to our friends to the east in Meridian Township if you wanna want to go up to High Caliber.

Katie Goble: 10:32

You get to

Kristin McCool: 10:33

know and go to the Rage Room. You might need to. Honestly,

Katie Goble: 10:36

yeah. College can be stressful.

Kristin McCool: 10:37

Need to go

Katie Goble: 10:38

to a Rage Room every once in a while. So yeah, now I want to give a shameless plug to our very own TSSC, or the Transfer Student Success Center. We also have some programming that can help you be more connected to campus. We have monthly community dinners. This is where all of us get together, and it's open to all transfer students, and even faculty attend this as well.

Katie Goble: 10:57

We kind of get together, we do some community building activities, and we also usually have a faculty member share a certain department or resource to help you get connected to campus or find the support you need. We also have tempo weekly gatherings. These are just more fun events where we usually will have Dave's Hot Chicken, or we'll have a cool food item. We'll have Spartan shelf donations available. And also, we just do some community building activities.

Katie Goble: 11:23

I went a couple times last year, I had a blast. I made some new friends that were transfer students. I know sometimes it's hard to find us around campus because it's not like we're always wearing a button like, I am a transfer student. But like when we find each other, it's really cool. And so those are definitely some ways to get involved.

Katie Goble: 11:36

And then if you are living off campus, I just want to shout these resources out as well. We of course, you are more than welcome to use the CAPS counseling services if you're struggling with mental health and need some help. You know, it's always important to get the support you need. And then Spartan Shelf, TSSC is a partner of that. And so right now in McDonald Hall, we have a Spartan Shelf station where you can get anything from hygiene products, like toothbrushes and deodorant, but you can also get food items.

Katie Goble: 12:02

So if you are in need of anything, I mean, this campus is known for that. Like, we support our students. Like, so if you need help, do not be afraid to ask and utilize those resources. I always say, like, you're paying the money to go here. Why not utilize them?

Katie Goble: 12:15

All right. Do you have anything else you'd like to add for today's episode?

Kristin McCool: 12:19

So yes, one shameless plug. Actually, that is connected to the housing guide. Right? Right? All the shameless plugs here.

Kristin McCool: 12:25

So we will be having the fall housing, the Off Campus Housing Fair, and that is gonna happen the week of family weekend. So the housing fair is gonna be on Wednesday, October 14 at the MSU Union, which is awesome. It will start at 11AM. It is the best event of the year. I am biased.

Kristin McCool: 12:46

I know. But I'm telling you, the properties, they pull out all the stops. Like last year, we had essential oils. You could make your own. You could make your own bouquet of flowers.

Kristin McCool: 12:58

It was awesome. So that is gonna be happening. And then that same weekend, on Sunday, October 18, the properties, some of the properties, local properties, are going to be, opening their doors for students and families to come and tour and ask questions. They're gonna have brunch and mocktails. So some mocktail mimosas.

Kristin McCool: 13:23

It's gonna be an off campus housing crawl, is what we're calling it. Super exciting. First time it's ever happened. Yeah. So that's also happening.

Katie Goble: 13:31

Wow. We're getting fancy up in here. I love that. Yeah. And I can attest, I did go to that Off-Campus Housing Fair.

Katie Goble: 13:39

Oh my goodness. I got so many, like, Ailanis and energy drinks and T I made my own bouquet. I did the essential oils. Like, I lived it up. I felt like I was at a party.

Katie Goble: 13:48

Yes. Like, I mean, I was getting so many so much good information from those housing partners, but I was like, you guys, I'm getting some free stuff. So yes, to any transfer students, if you are looking to live off campus, go to that housing fair because at the very least you will get a bunch of free stuff, but you will also be able to get more information on renting costs and different amenities that are offered and just, you know, locations and everything. So absolutely. Oh my gosh, go to that.

Katie Goble: 14:13

All right. So that is a wrap on today's episode. A huge thank you to our guest Kristen for joining us in the studio today. And to our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in, be sure to catch us in the next one.