Numerous trips with boxes in crowded elevators, days without telephone service and long lines at the realtor's office might seem like a hassle, but many students find that all these parts of the moving-in process come with the off-campus territory.

Mike Neuman (senior-secondary education) and Pete Leonowitz (senior-broadcast cable) spent Monday afternoon moving into their first apartment in Beaver Terrace Apartments, 456 E. Beaver Ave. They chose apartment living because dorm rooms are too small, but both agreed the dorms make moving in easier.

"(The dorms) have good elevators and those nice carts . . . we hate the elevators here -- they're slow and they don't smell very good," said Leonowitz.

Neuman said although he was satisfied with the condition of the apartment when they arrived, he still has his worries.

"I was pleasantly surprised -- I was expecting to beat the rats with a stick," he said.

A dented balcony door, however, was cause for worry, he added. "I'm afraid the realtor is going to be real slow in fixing it and that we'll get charged," he said.

Such worries are common among students who are renting off campus, said Lynette Mason, president of the Organization for Town Independent Students. OTIS helps students with town-related issues and recommends that renters take a few protective measures.

"The first thing they should have is a copy of the lease. Another thing is they should go in with a move-in check sheet and note anything questionable for when they move out . . . Anytime there are damages or something not clean in your apartment, when you move out it gets taken out of your security deposit," she said.

Jason Yost (senior-exercise and sport science) took advantage of his Beaver Hill apartment move-in check sheet. Yost said he was tediously checking everything from stove burners to the fire extinguisher to avoid being blamed for the damages.

"One of our kitchen chairs has a slice in it, so I'm making sure to write that down so (the realtors) don't charge us for it," he said.

But Yost said the advantages of an apartment outweigh his complaints.

"You're on your own, you can eat whenever you want, make whatever you want, and you don't need an escort to walk you around," he said.

Tom Gershey's mother made the transition into his apartment a little easier. Gershey (senior-architectural engineering) didn't have to buy much for his first apartment because his mother gave him kitchen and cleaning items.

But Ginger Jenkin (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) and Lori McGraw (junior-speech pathology) said they had to buy some costly items to prepare for their apartment.

"We had to buy an entertainment center because we didn't get one of those, an answering machine and a sweeper," said Jenkin.

Jenkin added their moving in was hindered Monday by maintenance men fixing things in their kitchen and bathroom. "Everything is all over -- I love putting stuff away and we just have to wait," she said.

But McGraw said she doesn't mind. She said she is enjoying being away from her parents and watching the "Price Is Right" until the repairs are finished.