No, you can't . . .
Like many other hobbies, amateur radio offers wide possibilities. There's DX, satellites, television, voice, code, building equipment, contests, packet, technical expertise, collecting, repairs and modifications, public service, history, and probably several more aspects. And as is the case with other hobbies, there are a few people who have their favorite area and insist that it's the only way to participate in the hobby. Unfortunately, these people are often the most visible. If you are looking into radio as a hobby, don't let that sort get to you. We have several interests, and as time goes on, there will be pages about them. We will probably develop new areas of interest, too. That's one of the great things about a diverse hobby.
But, like many people, we also live with reality: other hobbies looking for time, lots of people who'd like to get their hands on our money, and the demands of work and home, to name a few.
One of those realities is living in an apartment, and on the first floor in a low spot, no less. When you live in an apartment, you face a number of restrictions to begin with. They all stem from the obvious: it's not your space, and you can't modify as you want. You also have to share space with others.
The first thing you live with is construction. We noticed right away that reception was poor. The office staff said that the building was wood-frame, and suggested we sign up for cable TV. With the help of a member of the local club, we learned that beneath that nice stucco on the outside of the building was a screen mesh that held it in place--and also acted to trap most of the radio energy that came to the doorstep, or any that tried to leave.
We thought about purchasing an antenna designed for apartments. A review of the lease terms made it clear that someone was reacting to an horribly botched installation job somewhere in the past, probably from a television satellite dish, as well as a CB'er who didn't know what "4 watts maximum" meant. We didn't expect to put up a big antenna, but thought we could at least stick a 2 meter ground plane somewhere--well, not while we live at this one.
Mobile operation suddenly became a greater interest, and we continue to pursue ways to work around these restrictions. One trick that helped was to put an ordinary magnet-mount antenna on a pizza pan and stick it near a window. That changed from total static output to being able to get our call understood after reapeating it a few times.
We're hoping that we won't be here long (although the place is pretty nice otherwise). And there's no requirement to transmit once you get a license, so one of the interest rearrangements for now will be adding to the skills for an upgrade. When we move, we'll be ready.