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Where do I live as a grad student?
Main Post:
Hey! I am hoping to come out to western for another degree after my undergrad, and I was wondering what the best option for grad student accommodations.
(I’m from Alberta and have never been to London before, so any advice would be greatly appreciated)
How’s res life? Is renting around campus better?
thank y’all in advance ☺️
Top Comment:
Welcome! I’d start by checking out offcampus.uwo.ca You can kind of get a feel for what’s around.
Not sure where you are in AB, but prices in London have been skyrocketing in recent years, so you’ll probably wanna live with a roommate. You can email your grad program to see if they can connect you with anyone, or it’s also possible to find housing near campus that’s rented by the room.
IMO there’s no better or worse answer, it just depends on your preferences. There’s designated grad student housing that’s university-run - it’s fine, if not a bit pricey, but that’s true for most places within walking distance. If you’d rather bus in, a lot of lines run through campus, so plenty of options there. The LTC is...not the most reliable though. It’ll get you there, eventually, just not always on time.
Good luck!
Where do you live off campus? (Potential grad student)
Main Post:
Hey guys, I am a potential grad student looking at UMiami. Where do you guys live off campus? I'm trying to find something affordable and close (who isn't) and I was just curious if there is a general place(s) where people end up living with those things in mind. Thanks
Top Comment:
Affordable... Ha!
On a serious note, what's your budget?
Need advice on where to live in grad school at SDSU
Main Post:
So I'm moving to San Diego in August to go to grad school at SDSU, and I'll moving from Breckenridge, CO (about an hour west of Denver), and would love some advice on what neighborhood/area I should live in. I'm planning on making a trip out in May to get a lay for the land, but would love to have some areas pegged down beforehand to check out with potential intent of living there. Here are a few things about me that may help when it comes to making a suggestion;
-I'm a big cyclist, and I want that to be my main form of transportation while I'm in school. Doesn't mean the neighborhood needs to be right next to SDSU, but hopefully somewhere within a 30-45 minute ride
-Pretty easy-going person, so it doesn't necessarily need to be the quietest part of SD...but I will be in grad school so preferably a happy medium could be striked there
-Would love to be within walking distance of bars/cafes/restaurants
Other than those factors above, I'm pretty easy-going and willing to listen to any suggestions. I would like to live alone, at least at first, until I've adjusted to grad school/California life. Super stoked to be a part of yall's community!
Top Comment:
La Mesa is near and strikes a decent balance.
Best U.S. city to live in as new grad SWE with fully remote job and good salary?
Main Post:
I'm (21 year old guy) a senior in college. I received a fully remote job offer. It includes $130,000 USD base salary. Rent I think is the biggest financial concern. I can live anywhere in the U.S so where is the best city to live as a remote worker with the following criteria? X/10 is importance where 10/10 is essential and 1/10 is disgustingly unimportant
- 10/10 spending 3K max on rent
- 9/10 living somewhere walkable where I can shop, go to gyms, meet up with other people easily
- 8/10 living somewhere vibrant/bustling with lots of people
- 8/10 other young people or new grads should be around
- 8/10 city should have lots of things to do
- 7/10 good food
- 7/10 good nightlife but does not have to be strictly bars/clubs. I want to be able to walk outside during the evening or night and see other people around doing whatever
- 7/10 good nature or parks or views to walk/see and enjoy
- 7/10 good transit
- 6/10 decent dating scene for a straight guy
- 6/10 safety (I'm a guy and I know how to act and stay alert, so not too worried)
- 5/10 prefer studio over room mating/renting a room
Some options that I am evaluating rn are San Francisco, NYC, Seattle, and Chicago. Any other cities? Also, any specific neighborhoods?
What do you all think?
EDIT: If I need to, I'm willing to spend like <2K on rent on shared/single rooms, so I actually don't think the COL matters too much if rent works out. I'm good with budgeting and can take care of other expenses. I have a bonus and equity on top of the base salary which I will be saving, so I'm not worried about COL too much as long as rent is reasonable. Living life to the "reasonably fullest' is most important :)
Top Comment:
How much do you care about looking for new job opportunities? Obviously not right now since the job market for junior engineers sucks, but are you looking to jump around/switch companies to increase your comp after a few years of experience?
If that is a relatively big deal, that gives a big boost towards the SF/NYC areas, which already rank very high in most of your categories outside of cost of living. Even then, 3k is more than plenty to get a room in a nice apartment to yourself even in the most expensive areas
Best U.S. city to live in as new grad SWE working fully remotely and with good salary?
Main Post:
I'm (21 year old guy) a senior in college. I received a fully remote job offer. It includes $130,000 USD base salary. I can live anywhere in the U.S so where is the best city to live as a remote worker with the following criteria? X/10 is importance where 10/10 is essential and 1/10 is disgustingly unimportant
- 10/10 spending 3K max on rent
- 9/10 living somewhere walkable where I can shop, go to gyms, meet up with other people easily
- 8/10 living somewhere vibrant/bustling with lots of people
- 8/10 other young people or new grads should be around
- 8/10 city should have lots of things to do
- 7/10 good food
- 7/10 good nightlife but does not have to be strictly bars/clubs. I want to be able to walk outside during the evening or night and see other people around doing whatever
- 7/10 good nature or parks or views to walk/see and enjoy
- 7/10 good transit
- 6/10 decent dating scene for a straight guy
- 6/10 safety (I'm a guy and I know how to act and stay alert, so not too worried)
- 5/10 prefer studio over room mating/renting a room
Some options that I am evaluating rn are San Francisco, NYC, Seattle, and Chicago. Any other cities? Also, any specific neighborhoods?
What do you all think?
EDIT: If I need to, I'm willing to spend like <2K on rent on shared/single rooms, so I actually don't think the COL matters too much if rent works out. I'm good with budgeting and can take care of other expenses. I have a bonus and equity on top of the base salary which I will be saving, so I'm not worried about COL too much as long as rent is reasonable. Living life to the "reasonably fullest' is most important :)
Top Comment: What company? What degree? What internship experience in college? I’m switching my career today lol.
Do most grad students live off campus or in USC grad dorms? Which ones are the best? Which off-campus areas are most convenient to go to USC?
Main Post:
If anyone could provide any kind of insight on graduate housing, it would be appreciated! From my research it sounds like most USC students after their first undergrad year and most USC grad students live off campus, but I don't drive and would not be biking. Thus, I have concluded it might be the most convenient to live on campus for proximity? I'm not sure which grad dorms are the best or if they're hard to get into.
Do other USC grad students live off campus in certain areas? How do you find getting to campus or meeting up with people? Which areas do people tend to live in?
Thanks!
Top Comment:
There’s a lot of off campus housing within walking distance
New Grad student, where to live to do UCI best?
Main Post:
Where's the best place to live while attending UCI?
Options are grad housing or nearby neighborhoods (is Laguna too far? Too pricy?)? I enjoy surfing, vball, ocean stuff, etc.
Looking for UCI insider tricks
Top Comment:
Newport Beach is an option, I surfed all the time but never went to class while living there. I would recommend grad housing as it will be the most affordable and you still are only 10-15min from the beach.
Housing info for grad students?
Main Post:
Hello all!
I'm a newcomer, who is going to be attending one of the graduate programs here (SEAS). No previous residential history on East Coast, so this is a big leap for me, and due to no physical admit welcome programs because of COVID, so some of the knowledge that organically gets transferred seems to be missing for me.
- HUHS options seem pretty bad. The facilities look a sad and underinvested, seems priced as much as off-campus housing, lack in-unit laundry, and charge a whole lot extra for parking. Coming in from pretty suburban lifestyle. Do graduate people (late 20's - early 30's ) at Harvard choose HUHS? What's the draw I am missing here?
- Off-campus housing: Any neighborhoods I should avoid within? I can't actually physically visit right now due to COVID (in west coast). Any input on neighborhoods would be appreciated. Places in review: Allston, North Brookline, West Cambridge, Cambridgeport, Riverside, The Port, Inman Square, Ward Two.
- What's the general consensus on rent? How much do people expect to pay for housing (not the 'official' numbers, but realistic expectations from people who currently reside)
Thanks for any input!
Top Comment: HUHS is the university healthcare provider. Plenty of students live in the dorms the first year. Great way to meet people and make friends outside your program. There's also the university apartments which are market rate, but come with utilities, internet, etc. (and they'll actually fix shit unlike a slumlord). Otherwise, have fun apartment hunting. You'll usually need first, last, security, and a realtors fee in the private market (that's four months of rent up front). Don't bring a car unless you absolutely have to. You will probably be towed at least once for street sweeping or snow plowing, insurance is expensive, your car will rust from the salt, the potholes will kill your suspension/tires, and the traffic is awful anyway. You can bicycle across the city faster than a car at rush hour. Grad students tend to live toward inman square and in Somerville. It's getting expensive though, so some are ending up farther and farther out in Watertown, Medford, Everett, Arlington etc. Crime isn't a big deal around here, as in don't be an idiot and you'll be fine. You should expect to spend between $900 - $1300 per month for a roommate situation. I highly recommend slumming it for a year in the dorms. Perkins is the best one and it's right next to SEAS
Moving to Baltimore to go to grad school at Johns Hopkins, which neighborhoods close to campus would you recommend living in?
Main Post:
Edit: I’ll be at the homewood campus
Top Comment: Try asking in r/baltimore
Best apartment/housing options for BU grad student?
Main Post:
Thinking of moving to Boston for grad school at BU, but have no idea what rent is typically like. Can anyone tell me about how much I could be paying and/or what apartments or areas near campus are nice to live in?
Top Comment:
Most BU grad students I know live in Allston near the green B line, or in Fenway and Brookline area within walking distance of the school.
To live by yourself pre-covid I feel like 1500ish is pretty standard for a studio, but during covid times apartments are usually cheaper than that. Living with roommates makes things a little cheaper, and it seems pretty common in some of the grad schools but I know a lot of people that live alone as well.