Efficiency - An efficiency is an arrangement where you, as the tenant, rent one room. Within this room, usually, is a living area, a sink, mirror and closet space. However, in this arrangement you will have to share common bath and toilet facilities. This is the basis of the residence halls of most colleges and universities. In this situation, use of a kitchen is sometimes provided.
Most landlords allow cooking in the rooms using a hot-pot or microwave oven.
However, not all do. Be sure to understand this area of concern before you start living in this kind of arrangement. As in a residence hall room, you might have one or more roommates. One advantage to living in an efficiency is that usually you will be living in a building with other students. This social environment helps you adjust to life at college and at the same time helps to keep the cost of rent down.