Food, shelter, and fiber: Internet for college students moving off campus

For college students living on campus, internet speed is an afterthought. Universities invest in lightning-fast internet for students to keep up with thousands of young people studying, streaming, and gaming.

But internet speed can become an issue when it’s time to say goodbye to dorm life and move off campus. You can’t necessarily count on the same reliable access if you’re sharing an off-campus apartment with several other students who may game late into the night while you’re using the same connection for homework.

If you’ve taken Psych 101, you’ve probably heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s a pyramid graphic that shows the different levels of human needs, beginning with basics like food and shelter and ending with self-actualization.

Heady stuff from a fiber internet company, right? Hey, we’re fast learners. And for a college student, a fast internet connection may fall somewhere between food and shelter in the order of importance.

Stage One: Physiological needs and the basics of WiFi for student houses

Once you’ve signed a lease to secure four walls and a roof, you’ve covered a big chunk of Maslow’s first stage. Now you need to make it livable with a bed, a few pots and pans, and a generous supply of toilet paper. This early level of adulting may also include your first bills: electricity, water, and internet service. Most of these things magically appeared when you lived on campus. Now you’re the magic that makes them happen. Start by:

• Contacting the utility companies to set up accounts in your name
• Collecting the supplies you need for your first week
• Setting up an installation appointment for fiber internet service

The options for internet service for students vary, so think carefully about how your household will use the web. Before signing up with the local cable or telephone company, be sure you’re not committing to a streaming nightmare of slow downloads, endless buffering, inconsistent service, and lots of downtime. You want to avoid service that forces apologies when friends are over and sparks fights over bandwidth with roommates. You should never have to worry about getting online for a class or a project. Your internet should always work. And it should be blazing fast.

If Maslow were still around, he’d probably put fiber internet for college students right at the base of the pyramid. Even ordering dinner is easier when your connection is solid.

Stage Two: Safety and security when you’re buying internet for the first time

Maslow’s second stage is all about safety and security—locks on your doors, a smoke detector, and a reliable connection to the outside world. It’s also the confidence to protect your stuff and your personal information.

Don’t overlook electronic security, especially in apartment buildings where WiFi networks are tantalizingly accessible. Lock down your network with strong passwords, and watch for unknown users who might try to steal your data.

You can learn how to set up WiFi in a new apartment and manage all your security and access settings in the Quantum Fiber iOS or Android app. The app makes configuring your network and monitoring activity easy, especially if you’re buying internet for the first time.

Stage Three: Real connections supported by fiber optic in student housing

Now things start getting fun—forging connections and community. The question is, what kind of space do you want to live in? Is it a hangout for you, your roommates, or friends? Is it your solo space to study and relax? Maybe a gaming oasis? Or is it a party and entertainment hub? Whatever you envision, your internet service needs to hold up. You need bandwidth with no restrictions and no limits.

Quantum Fiber is blazing fast—like gigabit fast, reaching up to 940 Mbps upstream and down. It keeps working with no degradation of service, even when everyone’s online streaming or gaming. We built our fiber-optic network from the ground up to deliver a pristine, reliable connection so you can do more without ever worrying about being able to get online.

At this stage in Maslow’s hierarchy, remember that there’s a reason everybody calls it an internet “connection.” Reliable access to the web connects you with the information, entertainment, and people important to you. Your internet connection should enable you to do all the things you want. With Quantum Fiber, you have unlimited potential:

• Stream 4k video on multiple devices all at once. If you have roommates, each of you can watch what you want, when you want, and for as long as you want—no arguments when you have an online class, and no blaming your friend on a Call of Duty marathon for slowing down your connection.
• Play games, get on Zoom, and stream music. Fiber-fast speeds let you do this all at the same time.
• Access apps, games, streaming platforms, and websites faster than you ever thought possible. Our streaming service recommendation tool can help you compare options and costs, and we’ll even help you find the best streaming devices, WiFi and network equipment, and other electronics to help you live your life at full speed.
• Securely share your bounty of bandwidth. The Quantum Fiber app makes setting passwords, configuring guest access, and managing devices easy.

Stage Four: Confidently skip the contract

Maslow associates the fourth stage with confidence, individuality, and personal achievement. We see it as using the tools to embrace tomorrow. Young people explore new opportunities during college and make decisions that shape their lives. It’s a time to adopt the attitude of someone who isn’t waiting for the future to arrive but is making it happen.

You’ve decided where to live. Now you’re in control of how you live. It’s time to free yourself and embrace tomorrow without new obligations or long-term commitments.

We share that spirit. Annual contracts or long-term commitments are a way for companies that lack confidence in their service to protect their businesses. Instead of investing in making their product so good that you’d never consider switching, they may press you to sign a contract to ensure you can’t.

Stage Five: College student WiFi on the path to self-actualization

This is it—self-actualization. It’s the stage we strive for by graduation, when you become your true self, in control of your life and able to handle everything that comes your way. You understand your potential and can see where you fit into the world.

Will fiber internet from Quantum Fiber get you to self-actualization? Well, not exactly. But it can eliminate barriers, restrictions, and annoyances accompanying a sluggish internet connection. Plus, you can binge all sorts of things that try to show you the true path to enlightenment.

For now, remember how Quantum Fiber can play a role in your journey with:

• Ultra-fast gigabit speeds for seamless streaming, gaming, and more enjoyment from every other part of your digital lifestyle
• Unlimited with no data caps
• 99.9% reliability*
  *Based on network uptime or availability
• Secure, stable WiFi network
• No annual contracts or long-term commitments
• Pre-paid monthly subscription you can cancel at any time

Go beyond with fiber internet plans for college students

Maslow recognizes that we all have unlimited potential. We like to apply his thinking to how fiber internet can benefit college students. Sign up today for game-changing fiber internet service and WiFi for college students.