It may only be January, but if you are an Elon student, there is a housing email sitting in your inbox. Students can decide after freshman year to live on or off campus, but finding the perfect fit is not always an easy process.

Sophomore Clare Maher is no stranger to housing drama. She wants to live in the Station at Mill Point or the Oaks Apartments next year, but thinks as a rising junior that is not very likely.

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"Our main concern is that as juniors we won't get a spot, or we'll just get our hopes up and it won't work out," Maher said. "And maybe our second plan won't work out either. It's just very difficult to share housing plans."

Maher said most students feel pressured to search for housing as soon as the year begins, making the six-month wait to apply for on campus apartments stressful. She said that's why she decided to wait it out.

"I thought it was a little bit ridiculous that I had been living in my new house for just a month and people were already talking about where they were going to live and who they were going to live with for junior and senior year," she said. "It was just a little bit rushed."

For many students, deciding where to live comes down to the numbers. Based on the information provided on local real estate companies' websites, these are the monthly rates of apartments and townhouses within the town of Elon. Blank information is available by request of the landlord.

It's not just the price that can make up a student's mind. Location, layout, number of roommates and extra amenities can make or break an apartment.

"I would feel a little bit secluded living far off campus," Maher said. "I think it's a very important factor, and I would pay a little bit of a higher price for that."

For Maher, it's not as simple as picking the cheapest apartment.

"I feel like Elon housing is very...it can get messy sometimes," she said.

Maher says she hopes she can secure housing for the next two years so she does not have to go through the process again.

Those who are looking for other options off-campus should keep in mind that there are off-campus houses available, whose prices vary by landlord. For those who are planning on living on campus, Phase I of the selection process begins Feb. 26.