FAU is still considered a commuter school, but many FAU freshmen are making the Boca campus their new home this fall.

There are many things to consider before you make the choice of being an on-campus student or a commuter, like the cost of living and school supplies.

Freshman and on-campus resident Patrick Dumon sees campus living not as a money saver, but as something that will help him to form much-needed friendships. “My favorite part of living on campus would have to be meeting new people and getting to interact with the people that you’re going to be around for the next few years of your life,” Dumon said.

Conversely, living off campus seemed to be the right choice for freshman Amanda Liston. “The biggest benefit of my staying off campus is being able to study alone in my house and not let anyone distract me. Plus, I don’t have to pay extra to live on campus and go through the hassle of moving things out of my room,” Liston said.

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BOOKS

Getting much-needed books can be convenient and easy if purchased at the FAU bookstore. “I bought my books from the FAU bookstore because it was the easiest place to locate the books I needed, ” Freshman and off-campus resident Elizabeth Le said.

That’s not the only option of obtaining books, however. “I chose online because it’s cheaper and also if you rent it online, the book has been used by others and has character, with underlined words and highlighted phrases that help me study,”   FAU freshman and Indian River Towers resident Katlyn Dady said.

 FAU Bookstore

ENC 1101- English Composition 1:

• Elements of ENC 1101 & 1102: College Writing I & II Hayden/McNeil USED: $24.00 NEW: $32.00

PSY 1012- General Psychology:

• Psychology, Tenth Edition, Myers USED: $109.30 NEW: $145.70

CHM 1025- Introductory Chemistry:

• Introductory Chemistry Essentials (4th Edition), Tro USED: $149.90 NEW: 199.85

Amazon.com

ENC 1101- English Composition 1

• Elements of ENC 1101 & 1102: College Writing I & II Hayden/McNeil 7 NEW FROM: $20.00 13 USED FROM: $0.01

PSY 1012- General Psychology:

• Psychology, Tenth Edition, Myers, HARDCOVER AMAZON PRICE: $147.52 NEW FROM: $114.99 USED FROM: $97.17 PAPERBACK AMAZON PRICE: $142.99 NEW FROM: $100.00 USED FROM: $79.88

CHM 1025- Introductory Chemistry:

• Introductory Chemistry Essentials (4th Edition), Tro BUY NEW: $93.49 RENT: $68.86

Chegg.com

ENC 1101- English Composition 1:

• Elements of ENC 1101 & 1102: College Writing I & II Hayden/McNeil RENT: $10.99

PSY 1012- General Psychology:

• Psychology, Tenth Edition, Myers RENT: $48.99 BUY: $130.99 eTextbook: $64.99

CHM 1025- Introductory Chemistry:

• Introductory Chemistry Essentials (4th Edition), Tro RENT: $122.49 BUY: $147.49

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Housing

Luxury can be found on or off campus, if you’re willing to pay for it. Innovation Village Apartments, or IVA for short, is an on-campus complex with amenities such as grills, a swimming pool, a volleyball court and more, according to FAU’s housing website. “I think it’s a good idea for upperclassmen to live there because you have all the conveniences of living on campus but it still feels like an apartment,” sophomore and IVA resident Ariella Ben-Nehemia said.

On-Campus

Off-Campus

Some FAU students feel more comfortable living off campus, though.

According to bocaapts.com and collegerentals.com, these are the prices for some off-campus apartments.

Windwood

RENT: $2,150

Bed: 3   Bath: 2.0   Gar: 2.000

Liv Area Sq Ft: 1470

Casa del Rio

One Bedroom – $850 per month

Two Bedrooms / 2 baths -$1100 -$1,200 per month

Three Bedrooms/2 Baths – $1250 -$1395 per month

 Bicycle Club

Two Bedrooms, one Bath  $1,150 – $1,350 per month

Three Bedrooms, two Baths $ 1,395 – $1,750 per month

Roommates: $650 per Bedroom, $695 for Master Bedroom

Oaks of Boca

One Bedroom – $800 per month

Two Bedrooms / 2 baths -$1100 -$1,200 per month

Three Bedrooms/2 Baths – $1250 -$1395 per month

Addison Park

$849

3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms

1685 sq. ft.

Individual lease

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Meals

Food is another major factor for on and off campus living.

“After class ends all I want to do is go home and take a nap so I wait until I get home to eat and save some money. 45 minutes is just too long of a drive to waste time eating in Boca when I could be eating at home,” Liston said.

“I eat on campus because I have to stay all day for all my classes so eating on campus is most convenient,” Le said.

On-Campus

Food Court

FAU has many places to eat on campus. Chains like Wendy’s, Quizno’s, Papa Johns, Einstein’s Bagels, Starbucks, Subways, and Dunkin’ Donuts are here, the first three being located in the food court.

Also in the food court is Salsarita’s, a Mexican restaurant and FAU’s on-campus answer to Chipotle. Jow Jing, a restaurant featuring Asian food such as teriyaki chicken and fried rice, can also be found there. The Burrow Bar & Grill, an eatery with American food, is brand new. Finally, Outtakes, an on-campus convenience store, has everything from sandwiches and salads to bags of chips and pre-packaged bowls from Jow Jing.

• Price range: $2-9

Outtakes

Pretty cheap, but varies depending on what you get. Bowls are usually around $5.00, chips $2-3. They also have pre-made sandwiches, salads and a variety of sodas and fruit drinks, from $2-4 per beverage.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria offers a rotating selection of food choices, and it is available through the meal plan system, though any student can pay cash to eat there without prepaid meals.

Off Campus Restaurants

Irishmen, with its wood ceilings, posters featuring a multitude of beers, and brick walls, boasts that very pub-like feel, altogether amplified by the fact that the man “running the place” was, in fact, Irish. It was bartender Rossa Flood’s first day on the job, but he’s worked at other Boca Irish pubs/restaurants in past years. FAU students enter Irishmen daily, and the eatery has been here seven years total. “My favorite part of being in an area near a University is the youth and being able to constantly meet new people here,” Flood said. They also have $3 drinks on tap. Price range per entree: $7-$19.

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Tom Sawyer is one of the more popular breakfast places in town, with a log cabin-esque atmosphere, the entire restaurant covered from floor to ceiling in wood. Monica Sansevere, who has been working there for a couple of years, says FAU students frequent the place nearly every day. It’s been in business since 1985, and its most popular items are the breakfast in a pot (where biscuits, gravy, sausage, eggs and more are piled into a crock pot and served directly to the hungry customers) and the cinnamon bun french toast. Price range per entree: $9-12.

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The Boca Farmers Market & Grill is Boca Raton’s best-kept-secret. With produce at around 1/3 the cost of Publix’s own, FAU students come in daily for their dose of grub. Along with produce they have gyros, cheesesteaks, burgers, falafel, a salad bar with homemade hummus. The market has been around for a year and a half, and market owner Freddy Avid, who’s been working there since the beginning, says his favorite part of being in an area near a university like FAU is that they get a lot of students in eating healthy and “juicing.” Price range per entree: $9-12.

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House of Cheung is big on delivery here in Boca, especially to our very own FAU campus. Deliveries there can equal upwards of 7 to 8 a week, and they have a 4-6 mile delivery radius, which is pretty impressive. The small, mainly take-out restaurant features adorable wok-shaped lamps and has very flavorful chinese food. According to FAU student in the second year of her postgraduate masters, Yuan Cheu, General Tso’s Chicken is the most popular thing on the menu. Price range per entree: $5-12.

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Cannoli Kitchen is a delicious pizza place known for their fresh mozzarella pizza, a fan favorite. Stephen Tyler McCauley, a self-proclaimed “certified pizza technician,” has been working at Cannoli Kitchen for about five months, and sees FAU students order here fairly often. The moment you walk in, a display case shrouds the array of pizzas, from fresh mozzarella to white to lasagna to eggplant comes into view. Cannoli Kitchen has been in Boca for 17 years. Julie Dibella, who’s been working at Cannoli Kitchen for seven years, says her favorite part of being near FAU is “the diversity. There’s lots of people always coming in and out.” Price range per entree: $5-22.

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Sonny’s Gelato Cafe, with a walkway arch made out of well-manicured bushes, entices guests before they even walk in. Inside, the aura of excitement continues, with trays of gelato to the right that are as colorful as they are fresh. Made without preservatives, these sweet treats have a very low fat content. According to employee Romana Sturdikova, the most popular gelato flavors include the amaretto (sweet almond) and coconut flavors. Sturdikova has been working at Sonny’s six years out of its eleven years of being in business. Price range per entree: $5-9.

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Italio: the Chipotle of Italian food. Thomas Rooney has been working there since its inception on August 27th of last year. “I’m a kid, I like being around people my age,” Rooney said of being located right near FAU. The most popular item on Italio’s menu would be their chicken fritte, crispy chicken that can go in either a pasta bowl, a piadina––like a burrito, only Italian––or a salad bowl. Price range per entree: $7-15.

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D’Best Sandwich Shop sets a high bar for itself with the name, but FAU students and other locals aren’t complaining. They are perhaps best known for their pilgrim sandwich, consisting of mayonnaise, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. “FAU and other university students tend to tip better, so thats what we like about having you guys coming in here,” Dean Sanderson, D’Best employee, said. Price range per entree: $7-12.

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