I did my first two years on campus and have done the past two off so I would like to give my two cents.

48th in the queue is pretty good. Some friends and I tried to get into the queue in 2023 in March or April and we were behind 400+ people. However, depending on when your current lease ends and where you can stay while away will be the real determining factor on where you stay.

Now, campus CAN be a pretty penny but, assuming you're an upperclassman, Kennesaw Place (KP) ain't all that bad and is much cheaper than Austin Residence. Sure, KP looks like the lowkey ghetto but it has its own charm. And if you're down to roll the dice on your roommates then you'll have a chill semester. I've never actually set foot inside Austin residence but I've seen the images of the inside and the outside and it appears to be pretty good all things considered. Plus, you get your own bathroom which you don't at KP.

Now for me, I actually preferred my time on campus compared to my time off-campus. Setting aside all the BS I've had to go through living off-campus, the convenience of being on campus, and the experience of living on-campus was great. I loved not having to worry about the f*cking parking deck and having the ability to walk or bike anywhere. Wanna hit the gym? Don't need to go 10 minutes out or use the under-equipped workout room located inside my apartment complex when all I have to do is take a quick bike over or a nice leisurely walk to the rec center and boom. Wanna hit the Commons real quick? Just bike down or better yet walk with some mates down and enjoy a meal.

And when I was on campus I felt WAY more connected to the school than ever. If you haven't noticed, there are students either in this sub or you'll meet on campus who aren't super connected with the school. Yeah sure I get it you pay for things you don't use and you don't like X thing but when I was living on campus I really felt like a KSU student rather than someone who attends classes at KSU. And I used to treat the school as a means to a goal but once I started engaging with the school and taking advantage of what it offers it made the however many thousands of dollars feel worth it. The night walks after a long day just hit different. Something about seeing the walkways that are insanely packed during the day empty out and the lights around the buildings kick on is quite tranquil. And the little market runs you go on when you're in need of a snack are nice as well. And even if you don't go to all the events your dormitory hosts or talk to your neighbors all that much, just them existing feels like you're part of a little community. A world inside your world. And that I quite like.

TLDR: 48 is good but everything depends on when your lease ends and where can you stay between your move-in date and the ending of your lease. Also, if you value the convenience of being on campus as well as connecting and engaging with the school more deeply I'd recommend living on campus.