4 Ways to Use Your Apartment Community's Clubhouse

By Kaitlin Hurtado on September 10, 2017

If you have spent a year (or more) in your school’s dorms, you may have gotten used to the housing community amenities — including its housing center and the perks that they offered. It varied depending on the campus, but most could find a snack bar, a small gym exclusive to the housing residents, a game room, or free TV access.

When you move off campus, you may mourn the loss of the amenities that were offered in years past, thinking you are limited only to what your individual apartment offers. However, if you venture out of your apartment and to your apartment community’s clubhouse/housing center, you can find plenty of amenities that will have you missing your dorm life less and less.

Read on to find the different ways to utilize your apartment community’s clubhouse in your time there (do keep in mind that every apartment community is different when it comes to their clubhouse’s amenities).

Image via pexels.com

1. Rent out space to study or host other events 

Depending on the type of event you want to host and how much space you need, your apartment may not be the right space for the event (due to lack of space, strict roommates, etc.). Instead of dumping the hosting responsibilities onto someone else, try seeing if the clubhouse offers the space and setting you need for your event.

Clubhouses often have study rooms and/or conference rooms that residents can rent out for varying amounts of times. These rooms make study groups much easier to manage as you are limited to a set time and the rooms are often equipped with the internet, plenty of electrical outlets, and whiteboards that can be used for practicing problems and brainstorming.

If you are looking to host a get-together with friends, you may find the space you are looking for at the clubhouse. You can often rent out the community’s pool and barbecue area, which can either be found at the clubhouse or somewhere else on the apartment community property. You don’t really need to worry about cleaning and setting up your own apartment for a gathering when you use the community’s space, but you do still need to make sure you leave the shared space as you found it.

2. Take advantage of free air conditioning/heating 

You can find your bank account taking an extra hit during the summer and winter months due to you hiking up your air conditioning or heating when it comes to extreme weather conditions and the cost of your utilities increasing in response. Instead of continuing to suffer through the weather to keep the cost of your utilities down or just keeping your air conditioner on and paying whatever fees you are dealt with, venture to your apartment community’s clubhouse and take advantage of your clubhouse’s air conditioning or heating.

While you don’t want to seem like you’re loitering, it doesn’t hurt to take your laptop, study materials, or other items to keep yourself busy and act just as you would in your apartment. If you have an essay due, skip out on suffering in the heat of your apartment and head to your apartment community’s clubhouse to do your essay.

3. Socialize and go to events

Your housing community will often host events for residents of the community, typically more often if your community is close to campus and targeted toward college students. These events are promoted in emails from the housing staff and flyers posted around the apartment community and the clubhouse. The events can vary in purpose – de-stress events during exam season, wellness-kit-making during flu season, or random events to help residents socialize.

Instead of brushing off these events as a waste of time, consider what you can gain from these events. You can make friends with other residents. You can get a wide variety of free items from every event, depending on its theme. Personally, I have seen events offering free food, school supplies, cooking and cleaning supplies, and other free DIY workshops that let attendees take home the finished product.

4. Use other amenities that are just minutes away from your home

The amenities offered at every clubhouse will vary, but one trip to snoop around the clubhouse will let you know what the clubhouse offers. There are often snack bars or vending machines when those late night cravings hit and you don’t want to venture out to the nearest grocery store. Of course, it may not be the quantity or price you could find at a regular store, but you will get instant gratification just minutes away from your apartment.

Most clubhouses are also where residents will have access to the community’s gym and/or recreation room. The gym is perfect for when you don’t feel like going to the gym on campus or do not have the means to pay for a gym membership; however, be aware that community gyms are smaller and usually lack the equipment and amenities (showers, saunas, etc.) that full-scale gyms have.

Clubhouses also have game rooms or recreation rooms, where residents can play games like table tennis or billiards with friends and other residents. It is also where TVs can be found — you can often even watch live sports games that you would otherwise have to pay extra to watch in your own apartment.

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