NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, I found out about ten minutes ago that I didn't get into the housing program for next school year.

I've no one to share a room with and the general housing process doesn't allow you to apply for a single outside of your college house (and I'm living in a freshman dorm) or to just throw your name into the ether without giving names of your roommates.

I'm looking at apts off-campus, but I'm a little intimidated by the process.

Any thoughts?

you should show up to the shelters early, the line gets really long really quickly, there were times I would have to take off work early to get there in time to be admitted.......

I hear the refrigerator boxes from Sears appliances - the Kenmore stuff - are particularly good. Also, look for steam coming up out of the pavement, those spots tend to be warmer.

That reminds me, I've got to fill out my contract next week. Me and my roommate are getting a super double next year; it'll beat a quad by a million miles.

Sucks about that, though. My advice would be to go to your university's off-campus housing advisor and work through them. They should help you, especially when it comes to finding good apartments instead of the slums.

(I mean, we're talking wiring the electricity through the HVAC and gas bills of $500/month here...)

my first thought: don't be intimidated, there a plenty of people in your position. i was after my first year and i found a flat pretty quickly. there are always people looking for someone to take a room in their flat or to go flat-hunting with. just put yourself out there, there's bound to be some forum or message board or actual physical notice-board somewhere through which you can find people/apartments.

Your school's housing office may be able to supply you with a list of off-campus living options for students who either don't want to live on campus or didn't get into the housing program.

As you said you don't have anyone to share a room with, I'm assuming you also don't have anyone with whom to share an apartment/condo/house/what-have-you, either. So it sounds like you'll either be living alone, or with random roommates.

Where is your school?

I'm at UPenn in Philly, so if there's any Drexel/Penn students here looking for roommates....:p


And yes, there's a site for listings of off-campus apts available.

I'm just vehemently NOT a people person and social situations, I'll be honest, scare me.

There's also a listing of people looking for roommates, and I just got the nerve up to call one of them and leave a message.

There may be hope for me yet!

You could move in with Ruffy and his family.

And yeah, looking for a roommate's a bitch but hey, just take a deep breath, make the call and see what happens. Better than being homeless.

And if you do get a roommate, it always helps to have your boundaries/chores/etc. outlined right from the very start. And I also recommend knowing your rights as a tenant. ;)

I'm at UPenn in Philly, so if there's any Drexel/Penn students here looking for roommates....:p


And yes, there's a site for listings of off-campus apts available.

I'm just vehemently NOT a people person and social situations, I'll be honest, scare me.

There's also a listing of people looking for roommates, and I just got the nerve up to call one of them and leave a message.

There may be hope for me yet!

You could move in with Ruffy and his family.

And yeah, looking for a roommate's a bitch but hey, just take a deep breath, make the call and see what happens. Better than being homeless.

You could move in with Ruffy and his family.

And yeah, looking for a roommate's a bitch but hey, just take a deep breath, make the call and see what happens. Better than being homeless.

that's about it. it took me a while to get the nerve to contact people but when i did the first people i contacted were really great and i moved in with them, they're now my best friends. there is certainly hope for you, and lots of it :)

Well, I found out about ten minutes ago that I didn't get into the housing program for next school year.

I've no one to share a room with and the general housing process doesn't allow you to apply for a single outside of your college house (and I'm living in a freshman dorm) or to just throw your name into the ether without giving names of your roommates.

I'm looking at apts off-campus, but I'm a little intimidated by the process.

Any thoughts?

This happened to me last quarter. I scoured the ads in the housing department for a place to stay. It wasn't bad, either; for about $450 a month I had two rooms to myself, about a mile outside of campus. The couple who owned the house were pretty cool, too.

that's about it. it took me a while to get the nerve to contact people but when i did the first people i contacted were really great and i moved in with them, they're now my best friends. there is certainly hope for you, and lots of it :)

Exactly. Oh, and when you go to meet them, bathe, shave (if you're a guy), and put on something clean. First impressions, FTW, eh? Good luck!

I'm a girl, firstly.

And I think it's just my innate fear of rejection that doesn't help with my lack of social skills.

For example, I'm a rising junior and opted to stay in a freshman dorm so that I wouldn't have had to do this last year. But no more of that.

Deep breaths, smiles. I can be nice :)

I'm a girl, firstly.

And I think it's just my innate fear of rejection that doesn't help with my lack of social skills.

For example, I'm a rising junior and opted to stay in a freshman dorm so that I wouldn't have had to do this last year. But no more of that.

Deep breaths, smiles. I can be nice :)

That's all it takes.

Well, the goal is to start now so that my (potential) roommates are at campus, so I can meet them before this semester is over, so that I know them before next year starts.

My parents, see, think I'm normal, with normal people-skills and the like. So I can't go to them for help :p

And if you do get a roommate, it always helps to have your boundaries/chores/etc. outlined right from the very start. And I also recommend knowing your rights as a tenant. ;)
QFT. It's always good to know what to expect when you're housing with other people, especially when it comes to financial stuff.

Have you tried Craigslist? If the site for Philly is anything like the one out here, you'll get some wackos for sure but you also might be able to find some viable options for your situation. Best of luck. :)

Yep. I hate calling people that I don't know.

It's why I sit on the internet. Feels much easier to me.

I got all sweaty just holding my cell phone and saying to myself just do it.

Who needs people-skills anyway? :p

Well, the goal is to start now so that my (potential) roommates are at campus, so I can meet them before this semester is over, so that I know them before next year starts.

My parents, see, think I'm normal, with normal people-skills and the like. So I can't go to them for help :p

Ah ... mine thought so, too, they'd be "Well, just pick up the phone and call ..." not noticing the flop sweat drenching me. They were right, of course, but when I was your age there was no talking to me.

Also scary...

bills.

As I live here in the dorm, it's all covered in my housing bill.

I've got lots of things I'm afraid of :p

Drive/bike around campus, try within one mile all around, write down all the names of the apartment complexes you find, go in, make appointments, look for studios or single rooms, they are good options. If you want a roommate, some apartments offer roommate matching services.

Things to look for
stove/oven
storage
dishwasher
washer/dryer on site or in unit
car parking (covered vs uncovered)
the type of heating the place has
carpet vs tile (do not linoleum)
shower head height
water pressure
if cable is included
other utilities - water, heating, electric
apartment amenities: pool/spa/work out room/game room
general appearance of the apartment



so, thats a basic list. i have a much more extensive one for my house search.


Just stick with it, you can find an apartment within a month.

Well if you wanna transfer here to my Uni, you can get an apt with me. :p

It turns out my "friends" all went out and got apts together, behind my back.:gundge: Gar...

*snip* Just stick with it, you can find an apartment within a month.

Yep. And then, years from now, when someone comes on NSG all bothered about not being able to find an apartment and such, you can say, "Just suck it up, you homeless loser. When I was your age ... blah blah blah" That's what living long and prospering is all about. :p

Man, I've been homeless enough times now, I'm startin' to feel like a pro.

First thing is, there is no time. The opportunity to move in happens when it happens and when you wait it might happen later than you need it to. So you really can't drag your feet.

I just recently dodged the homeless bullet again this last December when I had to move from my beloved Santa Cruz to San Francisco. There are the humiliating runs of meeting and interviewing with people who have rooms for rent until you find those cats who just go, "Yeah, okay. You can move in here." I tend to get desperate and have only once made the decision not to move in with someone rather than the other way around (the guy just kinda creeped me out a bit) but it is good to make sure that the people you're going to stay with don't bug the living crap out of you. If you're a reserved cat then you're going to want to find people that are the same way or they'll bug the hell out of you trying to get you to do shit you're not into and that will cause tension.

But cast a wide as net as possible. Keep applying. It gets easier, but then turns another corner and becomes a drag. But you can't give up until you're in.
I'm a girl, firstly.

And I think it's just my innate fear of rejection that doesn't help with my lack of social skills.

For example, I'm a rising junior and opted to stay in a freshman dorm so that I wouldn't have had to do this last year. But no more of that.

Deep breaths, smiles. I can be nice :)
First, you're a chick. Chicks always get the best deals. Everytime I saw some sweet low rent it was females only. (I'll grant that while I didn't investigate any of these, some of them might have been, lets say, sketchy...)

The rejection isn't all that bad, just frustrating. And remember, they're just trying to find someone who fits the same way you are.

When you're finding out what the rent is, ask what the average bills come out to as well, so you know what to set aside ahead of time.

This move of mine came after living on campus myself and then in an RV next to someones house, so I didn't have any furniture. I am lucky enough to have a cargo van so I've been combing the Craigslist free stuff offerings. I've done pretty well, so far I've gotten: a futon, two end tables, one of those cool pole lamps from way back that is a post that goes from the floor to the ceiling with lanterns on it, a cabinet, a wardrobe, one of those cool old console stereos that's a giant piece of furniture that I've totally always wanted, a 6'X6' canopy (thats for work), a 5 disc DVD/CD changer, and a 50" TV.

Now it helps that I have that van and too much time on my hands, but it's not a bad haul for $0. Something to think about once you're in place.

Well, I found out about ten minutes ago that I didn't get into the housing program for next school year.

I've no one to share a room with and the general housing process doesn't allow you to apply for a single outside of your college house (and I'm living in a freshman dorm) or to just throw your name into the ether without giving names of your roommates.

I'm looking at apts off-campus, but I'm a little intimidated by the process.

Any thoughts?

getting your own apartment is scary, but if you're careful and think things through you'll find the power of having your own place intoxicating. :D

Well, I found out about ten minutes ago that I didn't get into the housing program for next school year.

I've no one to share a room with and the general housing process doesn't allow you to apply for a single outside of your college house (and I'm living in a freshman dorm) or to just throw your name into the ether without giving names of your roommates.

I'm looking at apts off-campus, but I'm a little intimidated by the process.

Any thoughts?Have you gone and personally talked to the housing staff? That usually helps if you're civil enough.

I didn't have housing when I came over for my semester abroad and I managed to get something off the bat by calling and talking to the staff on a personal level. Then again, being an international student probably helped too.

Ha ha. You're homeless and poor. I'm not. And I intend to design and build my house. No decorations, exposed pipes and conduits and wires, real spartan. It'll cut down on the cost and make adjustments and maintainance easier.

Well if you wanna transfer here to my Uni, you can get an apt with me. :p

It turns out my "friends" all went out and got apts together, behind my back.:gundge: Gar...

shit, that sucks :(. same thing happened to me. all i can say is get working on finding some people to share with as soon as possible, and find some new friends. :fluffle:

Well, I found out about ten minutes ago that I didn't get into the housing program for next school year.

I've no one to share a room with and the general housing process doesn't allow you to apply for a single outside of your college house (and I'm living in a freshman dorm) or to just throw your name into the ether without giving names of your roommates.

I'm looking at apts off-campus, but I'm a little intimidated by the process.

Any thoughts?

A lot of times, around college campuses, people rent out houses to 3-4 college students. It generally means you get your own bedroom, but share common areas like a kitchen, living room, and 1-2 bathrooms. I think that could be easier if you haven't lived in an apartment before, since you won't have a great deal of furniture. Plus, you'd still have roomies.

It also tends to be cheaper than living in an apartment. I've found places like that in downtown Atlanta for ~$400/month + 1/4 of the bills.

i notice people talking about furniture in this thread as if it is a concern. do apartments not come furnished in the US? it's pretty unusual to find a place unfurnished here unless it's a new-build and even then the letting agency will often offer to furnish it for no extra (or minimal) charge. (privately let places might be different)

i notice people talking about furniture in this thread as if it is a concern. do apartments not come furnished in the US? it's pretty unusual to find a place unfurnished here unless it's a new-build and even then the letting agency will often offer to furnish it for no extra (or minimal) charge. (privately let places might be different)

Unfurnished is the norm here. Was someone other than me talking about furniture?

i notice people talking about furniture in this thread as if it is a concern. do apartments not come furnished in the US? it's pretty unusual to find a place unfurnished here unless it's a new-build and even then the letting agency will often offer to furnish it for no extra (or minimal) charge. (privately let places might be different)
My experience with furnished apartments is that they are either very high end or very low end. In the case of the former, the apartment usually seems to be owned by someone rather well-to-do, who for whatever reason is no longer living in the apartment but still wants to keep it, so they rent it out. Rent on these apartments is very high, and they (and the furniture) tend to be really nice. In the case of the latter, the apartment is usually in a low income section of town, often with higher crime rates. Rent on these apartments is quite low, and they (and the furniture) tend to be run down and kind of grungy.

That's just my experience where I live though, and I have no statistics or sources to back it up. For all I know, it could be completely different in other parts of the country, or even other parts of the state.

Unfurnished is the norm here. Was someone other than me talking about furniture?

ah, that sucks.

yeh, dempublicents1, just above my post.