Take my advice Miss. Unless your mother absolutely wants you to leave...stay at home for a few years first. Why? Because apartment living is expesnvie. Getting your own place in Bethesda or Arlington will cost you about $1,500 a month for a very very basic apartment. Or, you can get roommates that will annoy you with their bad habits (dirty dishes, moldy bathroom, dusty furniture).Instead, stay home as long as possible and work hard and save your money. Take the $500 to $1,500 you would have spent on an apartment and put it into a savings account. Better yet, start and IRA and participate in the 401K retirement account where you work. Also build up a nice rainy day fund if you become unemployed. Even if you shared a place an paid $700 a month for your share of the rent and utilities, that adds-up to over $8,000 a year. In 3 years time, with interest in the bank, you will have yourself $25,000. That s a pretty nice nest egg for someone in their twenties. Keep that up and you can BUY YOUR OWN HOME someday instead of merely renting.And one last thing...that you already know. Be sure to help your mother around the house where you live. Do most of the cleaning and at least half of the cooking. That should make-up for living rent free for awhile.
It s a little early to make these decisions. Wait until you graduate and then start the research. Bethesda is a great town, but the cost of living is one of the highest in the Metro area. There are some good apartments at Parkside, within a short walk of Metro, and there is good shopping at White Flint.But, as I said, it is way too early to start planning. You still have a year and a half. Relax and enjoy the rest of your college career.
Before you settle on Bethesda, visit Arlington, particularly along the Orange line Metro corridor. It will likely offer you even more of what you re looking for than will Bethesda.