With the deadline to apply to live on-campus next year passed, living arrangements for the 2012-13 school year are a prevalent topic in the minds of many MU students.

Only a small number of upperclassmen were able to get their hands on a contract through the online application this time around because of the unprecedentedly large freshman class.

One thousand contracts were available for returning students, according to Residential Life.

This was a headache for some and has launched discussion from students about where they are choosing to live for their college experiences.

Freshman Kendra Schmidt said she has decided to live on campus next year because she is applying for the nursing school and it’s necessary to be involved with things around campus such as nursing clubs and volunteering.

“Also, I really like to go to the basement of the student center at night to get my homework done, and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I lived off campus,” Schmidt said.

Although Schmidt chose to live on campus, she said she wasn’t satisfied with the way the online application went.

“As far as the process for applying to the residents halls for next year, it was not so good,” Schmidt said. “The site kept telling me there was an error and to try again later but I knew that if I came back later, there would be no spots left. So I just had to keep refreshing my screen and it finally let me log in after about 15 minutes.”

Senior Brenden Smith also chose to live on campus for his four years at MU, and has found that in his opinion the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

“The reasoning behind why I chose to be in the dorms is that I don’t have a car, and never needed to pay for one,” Smith said.

He said dining halls eliminate the hassle of buying groceries and cooking your own food, and he also enjoys not having to worry about parking or bus schedules. Smith also said he enjoys the close proximity to his classes and downtown as well as the new people he gets to meet each year.

“I get to meet lots of people and make new friends every year, (which) always provides for new entertainment,” Smith said.

Other students, like sophomore Breezy McGuire, think the off-campus lifestyle is the way to go.

“I moved off-campus because I really wanted my own bathroom and more of a ‘homy’ feeling to the place,” McGuire said. “I moved to The Cottages which is an awesome place to live.”

McGuire said she enjoys having her own bathroom, her own space and being able to finally get a dog.

“The disadvantage is just living off-campus because it is a lot less convenient and away from everything like the rec, my classes and the library,” McGuire said.