Make your home at The Cottages and live a few minutes by car from Michigan State University. After class, head downtown and discover trendy alternative art exhibitions at (SCENE) Metrospace, or Broadway musicals at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Enjoy a Japanese bento box from Sansu Sushi and Cocktails once you’ve worked up an appetite, or try a warming stew from Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine. At the weekend, head out to Lake Lansing for a picnic with friends on the sandy beach.

You’ll find it easy to get to class from The Cottages, with MSU just 10 minutes’ drive away. Alternatively, use your free CATA pass to hop on a bus to campus, and pick up your weekly shop from the local Kroger supermarket.

Back home, you’ll find lots of ways to let off steam after a busy day. Challenge your friends to a game of racquetball or basketball, hit the fitness studios, or go for a leisurely skate on the ice rink. Then, dive into one of the outdoor pools to cool off, or catch up with your neighbors in the hot tub.

When hunger strikes, head back to your furnished cottage-style home. Rustle up some dinner with your friends on the granite countertops of your kitchen, and head out onto the balcony to eat together as the sun goes down. Then, kick back in front of the cable TV or connect to the free high-speed Wi-Fi to work on your assignments. If you prefer not to study alone, pick up a latte from the coffee bar and set up in the computer center.

At the end of the day, brush your teeth in your private bathroom and pick an outfit for the morning from your walk-in closet, before curling up in bed. You’ll sleep easy knowing you won’t get any surprise bills, with utilities like internet and cable included in your rent.