While you tour these properties, ask the manager lots of questions - about deposits, maintenance, neighborhood safety, the location of grocery stores and post offices, etc. Then, take a look around the neighborhood. This could mean stores, a laundry, parks, restaurants, coffeeshops, a library, public transit, or whatever you like. Of course, you can ask the manager about these things, too, but there's nothing like walking or driving through a neighborhood to make the distances between things clear, and to let you know if you would enjoy living there.
Most people look for apartments during the daytime.
But, before you decide to move in, try to visit the complex during the evening, at night, and during the weekend. Many apartments look very different when their tenants are back, or when the kids are making all kinds of noise in the swimming pool. Or, for example, there might not be enough lighting at night. They may turn you down if your credit is bad or if you have no credit history. If so, you can either give them the financial information that you gave your university, get someone to act as a co-signer, or perhaps agree to leave a higher security deposit.