The Housing Search for Agriculture Students
Studying as an Agriculture student at UW-Madison poses unique housing considerations .
By: Sean Duffy
When Haylie Habeck started looking for housing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she didn’t expect it to be so difficult. With dozens of apartment options, unclear pricing and limited guidance, what should have been a straightforward process quickly became incredibly difficult.
“For me cost was a big thing. And I never really found [a place to live] that was really good that would help me.”
A major in Animal and Veterinary Biosciences, Habeck has two jobs working for her animal science labs; one in the Animal Sciences building and another at the Livestock Laboratory. Most of her classes and jobs are located towards the Lakeshore dorms on the west side of campus, making location a top priority.
“It was really important to me because I have to be [at work] sometimes really early. And I don’t have to walk halfway across campus.”
Eventually, she found a solution through a student organization she was already involved in: the Association of Women in Agriculture (AWA). The organization has its own house with a few open spots for the upcoming year at a reasonable cost as well as in her ideal location.
“It was one of my cheapest options in terms of trying to save money. And then they also have meals and whatever throughout the week so that I don’t have to buy my own.”
Cost was especially important to Habeck. With veterinary school looming after graduation, costing around $40,000 per year, Habeck is trying to save every dollar she can during her undergraduate years.
“I have four more years after undergraduate where it’s like 40K a year just to go to vet school and get that degree. So that’s something that I’m really trying to save in undergrad is money.”
Beyond savings and convenience, the AWA house provides something that most campus housing lacks– community and academic support. Many of the other women in the house are pursuing similar majors and career paths, which makes the living environment even more valuable.
The connections Haylie is making in the AWA house also factor into the reason she is choosing to live there.
“The reason I chose AWA was because I really enjoy the people there. So I think that I’ll get along really well.”
Habeck does admit that without AWA, she might have struggled to find housing at all. The housing process at this university is very stressful, and, without knowing where to look, can be overwhelming at times. Luckily, Hailey was able to make connections.
“Typically, the people that graduate hand their apartments down to younger girls. So that’s another connection that would help me in paying for stuff later.”
OpenHouse would have been beneficial to Haylie’s search for affordable and local housing. Had she not been in AWA, she might not have found her perfect place.
For Habeck, the AWA house turned out to be the right fit: affordable, filled with peers who understand her academic journey, and most importantly, very close to what she needed. Without her prior connection to AWA, Haylie is not sure how she would have fared at UW-Madison.
“I think if I were to be living in a different area, I wouldn’t want to be on the campus as much.”
Sources:
Haylie Habeck, UW-Madison Animal and Veterinary Biosciences major, habeck2@wisc.edu
Chang, I. (2024, March 7). In the middle of Madison’s housing crisis, why are units struggling to find tenants? In The Middle of Madison’s Housing Crisis, Why Are Units Struggling to Find Tenants? – the Daily Cardinal. https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2024/03/in-the-middle-of-madisons-housing-crisis-why-are-units-struggling-to-find-tenants#:~:text=There%E2%80%99s%20a%20new%20wave%20of%20%E2%80%9Cluxury%20living%E2%80%9D%20emerging,officials%20continue%20to%20wrestle%20with%20a%20housing%20crisis.
Maass, P. (2025, April 30). Madison unveils affordable homes for first-time buyers amid rising market prices. WKOW. https://www.wkow.com/news/top-stories/madison-unveils-affordable-homes-for-first-time-buyers-amid-rising-market-prices/article_1df0c866-d816-403c-aa85-11003f0a14a8.html