Automobile: One thing that makes the heat more bearable is getting your car windows tinted. I just had ceramic tint put on my car and I feel dumb for not doing it earlier and I have lived here nearly 10 years. It makes a big difference. My car is never hot when I enter it. It really keeps you cool. Ceramic tint is more expensive but regular tint is pretty affordable and works well too. However, if you or another family member will be doing a lot of driving, I highly recommend the ceramic tint. If you and several friends get it, they will offer you a significant discount on the tint.
Also, I highly recommend getting front glass coverage on your automobile insurance. It's really dry and hot here which leads to more cracked windshields. I have lived here since 98' and I've had to replace 3 windshields. All 3 of those were due to a small pebble or stone hitting my windshield on the freeway which later led to a crack.
Utilities: When you are setting up your utilities, make sure to be placed on the energy saver plan with the electric company. Your AC bill in the summer will be expensive. However, these companies have rate plans that charge more during the day and less at night. I saved about $60 off my electric bill when I switched to that plan. Do your laundry at night and keep your thermostat at 80 during the day when you aren't there. APS doesn't advertise it so you have to request being placed on it. And even then, there is a waitlist so they usually can't get someone to come to your place and set you up on the plan for a month, so make sure you do so when you first arrive.
Apartments: Lastly, check out apartmentratings.com and talk to people before moving into any apartment here. A lot of apartments may look really nice and have really impressive leasing offices but that doesn't mean anything. For example, I have a close friend who lived at Sage Stone last year and he was having issues with scorpions. You would never get that impression about Sage Stone by walking into their leasing office or looking at the apartment from the outside.
Also, don't be afraid to negotiate prices that are significantly lower than what they have listed. These leasing agents are paid on commission so they can negotiate prices. They will make it seem like the prices are fixed or that there is so much demand that they don't have to offer you a deal but they are just playing the game. They will offer you a school discount, a free month and the waiving of "administration" fees and try to convince you that they are treating you special. However, they offer this to everyone so ask for another $100 off rent....in the nicest way possible.
Buying a Home/Condo- My wife and I just bought a home here and so I learned a lot of things I wished I had known about earlier. It might be a sellers market nationwide but Arizona's real estate market hasn't slowed down that much. There is still a lot of competition for homes that were built in the last 10 years. Expect multiple offers on any decent home around campus. You can improve your odds of successfully negotiating and winning a bid on a home. Before hiring a realtor, drive around the neighborhoods you might be interested in. There are a lot of for-sale-by-owner homes. You will be able to negotiate a better deal if you contact these owners directly versus going through a realtor. Also, you are likely to get a home if you contact the realtor listing the home you are interested in because that realtor doesn't have to split his or her commission because you aren't represented by anyone. The listing agent will be much more inclined to sell to you versus someone else who is represented by a realtor.
Anyone receive their scrubs yet??? I sent the form out about a month ago or even longer and I haven't received mine yet. I just want to wear mine to sleep so i can get use to sleeping in scrubs during long hours
Lots of weird comments about San Lagos apartments. I'm disturbed by the many reports of car theft around San Lagos.
) so our reasons were purely economical. Current housing indicators show that he existing housing sales have slipped to an all time low for the first quarter, (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18307494/), (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042400627.html) increased fear in the market and continuing to drag the GDP by a percentage point most likely into 2008. (But that is another rant, thank you Greenspan!). Also Mortgage prices have fallen for the 2nd month in a row. )
that comment cracks me up
I checked my Midwestern e-mail and found out my reward letter was posted, you guys should check yours out. Yay, I can pay for school! But oh, here come the cold sweats...
." I took her adice and here I am! I look forward to meeting you all in August. Since I'm living in the on-campus housing, I don't think I'm allowed to move in until the week before orientation...so that's when I'll be packing my bags to move from California to Arizona!!!!Hello everyone!
Today I remembered about SDN (I heard about it as an undergrad at UCD). So I spent my afternoon browsing this thread. Since I enjoyed the conversation/info among most of the "regulars" on the thread, I told my friend all about what I read while we were eating dinner at Olive Garden (woohoo for soup, salad, and bread sticks!!!!!). After I told her about the info I read, she said, "stop being a lurker and just register to be a member silly
P.S. Is anyone else super excited to enter the student world again, but at the same time, super nervous about what's to come?!?
Hello everyone!
Today I remembered about SDN (I heard about it as an undergrad at UCD). So I spent my afternoon browsing this thread. Since I enjoyed the conversation/info among most of the "regulars" on the thread, I told my friend all about what I read while we were eating dinner at Olive Garden (woohoo for soup, salad, and bread sticks!!!!!). After I told her about the info I read, she said, "stop being a lurker and just register to be a member silly
P.S. Is anyone else super excited to enter the student world again, but at the same time, super nervous about what's to come?!?
. The reason you haven't heard anything back is b/c he doesn't cash the deposits or send out any mail notifications until June I think. But if you want, you can call him and ask if you got an apartment (a.k.a be a pain in the butt like me ). Hope you get a place on campus...good luck! ... at least the weather won't be too much of a shock to us huh? ya ya, I know it will be about 20 degrees hotter than it usually gets in Cali, but I always think that once you get above about 100 - 105 it all just feels HOT!!!! Look at the plus side of it...at least it's a DRY heat...so we will start sweating after our 2 minute walk on campus, rather than sweating the second you step out of your apartment door b/c of high humidity
Okay I hope you don't think I'm one of those overly persistent to the point of annoying people, but after I sent in my application, I called the director and asked him when he will find out who gets housing. I literally called him back the week he told me he would probably know housing assignments
Don't worry Birdie,
I'm just as bad, hence my asking you about it.
And Hello all! I'm from SoCal! I'm super stoked about starting school, but dreading the studying and the heat. See you guys soon.
I am currently an MSI. Save yourself some money and don't buy any books ahead of time. I know a lot of people who bought books for every class. It's a total waste. Tests come directly from the notes for all classes. Texts are mostly for pictures and clarification. The only one you ABSOLUTELY cannot do without is a Netter Atlas, but clubs sell it at a discounted price once school starts. Once you get here, your big sisters/brothers (MSII mentors) may want to sell their old books to you...that is if you don't mind having an old version. Also, you can check out older editions of the texts from the library to keep for a couple weeks at a time. Current editions are also available for viewing, but cannot be taken out of the library. So. Just wait on books. The only things you might want to search the internet for are otoscope/opthalmoscope and stethoscope. The bookstore rips the students off on those.
