Grad school survival guide (a.k.a. How to not live in a box)

[Ollie123]

So at the suggestion of Therapist4Chge, I decided to create a new thread for this where current students can post advice for the non school-related survival skills you may need as a grad student.

These can include things like:

Inexpensive recipes/diet plans so we don't end up on McDiets until we have to biggie-size our doorways.

Advice for finding roommates/housing. What to look for in an apartment, what to be careful of, etc.

Those of you who did buy housing, how did you go about it, what kind of moeny did you have to lay down up front, etc. Do you think it was worth the hassle in general

Advice on necessities that people may not think of (for example, laptops, SPSS licenses for home computers, etc.)

Workout plans for those of us so inclined(i.e. how often/when during the day, do you work out at home or go to the gym, etc.)

And pretty much anything else you can think of regarding living a reasonable life off a grad-student budget.

I'm sure those of us who will be attending next year would appreciate any suggestions/advice from others who went through the experience of having their salary cut by 1/2 (or 1/4 or 1/8, etc.) and having to adjust.

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[paramour]

Love the title!

 

[Ollie123]

Glad you enjoyed!

I wanted to make it "How to not live in a box and scavenge for berries in the woods" but alas, it was too long.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I'm sure those of us who will be attending next year would appreciate any suggestions/advice from others who went through the experience of having their salary cut by 1/2 (or 1/4 or 1/8, etc.) and having to adjust.

Set a budget! Start cutting back as soon as possible, because you need to adjust to grad school living...the sooner you do it, the less painful it will be, not to mention the more $ you'll have. I never had a firm budget since I did well, though in retrospect...it *did* add up. Even saving a few of those $300-$400+ weekends, would pay rent now!

As for ways to save money...check out some of these sites. As a word of caution....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read the FAQs and stickied threads on all of the below forums before asking questions.I'm an original member (not this SN) at a couple of them, and we are generally a jovial bunch.....but some get ticked at questions that have been covered in the FAQ threads.

Deals Forums
FatWallet: The original deal site, and my fav. Also some GREAT forums/threads on finance, car buying, coupons, etc.
Anandtech: Mostly Tech related deals
SlickDeals: A FW clone. Typically they cross-post stuff.

I'll add more once I get home to my bookmarks. I only visit FW with any frequency, but each is good for something slightly different.

-t

 

[lazure]

I'll bite:

Financial survival:

Learn to cook. Cook enough for 3 days at a time and you can reheat the other two nights. Make your own lunches/healthy snacks. Unless you are making fillet mignon every week, you will save money and gain less excess weight.

Depending on your life circumstances, consider renting a room for the first year or a graduate residence.

Don't have cable TV. You will waste less time in the evenings. Or don't have a TV at all.

Emotional survival:

Treat grad school like a job. For the last couple years, I did no work in the evenings unless really pressed.

No matter what, take off Friday nights. Take off one entire weekend every month. Practice what you will preach to your stressed out clients.

Particularly if you are new to the area, find a group of friends outside of psychology. Psych grads are notorious for wanting to discuss the last stats assignment on Friday nights. Join some club, gym, or grad society.

Be nice to the undergrad RAs in your lab. It will make coming to the lab more pleasant. Also, they are the ones collecting data for you - they will do a better job if they like you

Physical exercise:

Live 20 minutes away from your campus. Walk both ways every day and gain 40 minutes of daily exercise with no gym fees

Gotta go and tend to stressed out two-month old. Grad school with an infant - now there's a challenge

 

[NeuroPsyStudent]

Make a pot a lentils and brown rice every week. Cheap and healthy. Also, oatmeal is a great staple!

And if you get really poor, eggs are a cheap source of protein. Just make sure you eat no more than one yolk a day!

And if that sounds bleak, Ketchup can spruce up any meal (and give you a nice shot of lypocene).

I remember one day in college when I had only 1$ and my car was running on fumes. I needed to drive to a research event. I searched my couch for pennies/coins that had fallen below the cushions and found 87 cents (fortunately there were some quarters). It was quite embarassing to buy $1.87 worth of gas, but it worked!

 

[dragonstyle]

thats kind of a bleak outlook for my future

congrats for making it past that stage in your life. i hope the rest of us are able to make it out of this expensive schooling period!

 

[psy86]

Apply for fellowships that pay well!

Now is the time to stop working hard on coursework. If you are an overachiever, learn to do less than your best. Your objective is to merely pass your classes. Otherwise you are wasting time that would be better spent on research.

Set up weekly meetings with your advisor.

Make friends outside of school. You'll need the distraction, and it can also help to avoid messy situations. Think of school as your job. The fewer relationship entanglements, the better.

Nurture a passion outside of school. Devote time to it. Devote financial resources to it.

If you are struggling emotionally, get help BEFORE you are completely sunk.

 

[psychwanabe]

Now is the time to stop working hard on coursework. If you are an overachiever, learn to do less than your best. Your objective is to merely pass your classes.

This is not the first time I have heard this advice. At one of my interviews the grad students were saying that they had to get used to the idea of "good enough" when it comes to grades.

Is this going to be hard for anyone else besides me? I am a typical Type-A person when it comes to grades (e.g., I just got a B+ which lowered my GPA .007 and I'm still not over it). My husband says he's going to buy me a plaque that says "Good is the enemy of great."

How do you stop working for the A's after all these years?

 

[RayneeDeigh]

This is not the first time I have heard this advice. At one of my interviews the grad students were saying that they had to get used to the idea of "good enough" when it comes to grades.

Is this going to be hard for anyone else besides me? I am a typical Type-A person when it comes to grades (e.g., I just got a B+ which lowered my GPA .007 and I'm still not over it). My husband says he's going to buy me a plaque that says "Good is the enemy of great."

How do you stop working for the A's after all these years?

Ummm yeah! This seems so... against everything I believe in. lol.

I dunno, I'm of the mind that school is my job and my life until I get a real job and then that will be my life. I don't know why I'd spend so much time doing something half-assed. lol I couldn't live with myself if I graduated knowing I did it on B's when I could have had A's.

 

[amy203]

This is a great thread! I'm getting a little nervous about starting school next year and this is all really good to know. Please keep posting!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Is this going to be hard for anyone else besides me? I am a typical Type-A person when it comes to grades (e.g., I just got a B+ which lowered my GPA .007 and I'm still not over it). My husband says he's going to buy me a plaque that says "Good is the enemy of great."

How do you stop working for the A's after all these years?

Psych grads tend to be a rare breed, probably pretty retentive, over-achieving, perfectionist, etc. You'll shake a bit of that after enough 3am case write ups and term papers. There are some classes where you won't get A's....no really, there will be. I think most/all programs give you more work than you can do, especially in your first couple of years.

It won't be long until you start the mantra...."B still equals P....h...D".

-t

 

[Alicorn]

Cooking is a definite way to save money. Look for deals and cut coupons...remember coupons are your friends! Sites like couponmom have a variety and also ebates.com gives you savings and will send you a check once you’ve collected a certain amount.

Like previously mentioned, foods like oatmeal, eggs, canned tuna in water, beans, tofu, brown rice, spinach, broccoli, pasta, potatoes, etc. are great staples. Drink water and use tea bags rather than buying expensive drinks with unnecessary food additives. I even bought powdered milk during college so that I wouldn’t have to keep running out to buy regular milk for cooking since I’m a milk addict. (Note: avoid drinking the powdered milk…it tends to be quite nasty unless cooked into foods).

I would cook say grilled chicken one day on the weekend and then use it throughout the rest of the week (sandwich, salad, omelets, wraps). There are numerous books out there on cooking cheap foods or meals with simple ingredients so that you’re not wandering the state to find a special spice smuggled into the US that’s worth $500. I enjoy peeking around at kraftfoods.com or allrecipes.com to get ideas for meals. As you can probably guess, I’m a cook nut. If anyone is ever interested in some fun and easy recipes, just send me a PM.

For exercise, forget gym memberships unless they truly motivate you. Buying some free weights and some books with decent illustrations/demonstrations should suffice. My older brother had gotten several exercise books, which I may have kidnapped, and they’ve been fantastic. Remember to vary your workouts so as not to plateau over time. Walking is great exercise as well.

 

[clearcolor]

Ummm yeah! This seems so... against everything I believe in. lol.

I dunno, I'm of the mind that school is my job and my life until I get a real job and then that will be my life. I don't know why I'd spend so much time doing something half-assed. lol I couldn't live with myself if I graduated knowing I did it on B's when I could have had A's.

You may come to see that giving coursework your all (doing all the reading, editing papers over and over, etc.) means that you end up "half-assing" your research. You only have so much time in school. Also, it is easier to get caught up in courses that have deadlines all semester vs. your research with that has ambiguous deadlines. This may vary somewhat by program, but what is going to help you more after grad school....okay grades and great research OR great grades and okay research?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

The one above is the fancy one, but you can find one on clearance from amazon from time to time. Amazon also has $25 off $125 deals on housewares, and if you add some extra storage bags and containers....it will be the best money you'll spend. Combine this with a COSTCO membership, and buy meat and supplies in bulk and freeze them. I take a sunday every few months and prepare marinades and full meals and freeze them. You can individually seal them. In the end it will cost on par with a frozen dinner....but much healthier and higher in quality.

-t

 

[psychwanabe]

Psych grads tend to be a rare breed, probably pretty retentive, over-achieving, perfectionist, etc. You'll shake a bit of that after enough 3am case write ups and term papers. There are some classes where you won't get A's....no really, there will be. I think most/all programs give you more work than you can do, especially in your first couple of years.

It won't be long until you start the mantra...."B still equals P....h...D".

-t

Okay, I'll try it:

"B still equals PhD, B still equals PhD, B still.... is a bad grade!!!

 

[Ollie123]

Wow, great advice all, keep it coming.

I will also say that I'm VERY amused by the fact that of all the
"Cook a lot of food on one day and eat leftovers all week!"
"Couch cushions are a great source for gas money!"
"Don't be afraid to go dumpster diving for your meals!" (Okay, no one actually said that last one).

Of all that, the only one that struck me as "oh my god, I could never do that" was the idea of NOT freaking out if I didn't get an A in a class.

Ahhh! So much to adjust to....

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Everyone can do it. I went from expense accounting most of my meals (think steak, sushi, and fine dining) to whatever the heck is on sale or I can swing into a bunch of meals.

-t

 

[psychwanabe]

Cooking is a definite way to save money. Look for deals and cut coupons...remember coupons are your friends! Sites like couponmom have a variety and also ebates.com gives you savings and will send you a check once you've collected a certain amount.

I used to do this religiously. It is a good way to save money, but I had to look at it in terms of it taking me an hour to find/clip/use coupons and find/clip/use/mail-in rebates and compare that to the $4.25 I saved in the long run.

I would cook say grilled chicken one day on the weekend and then use it throughout the rest of the week (sandwich, salad, omelets, wraps). There are numerous books out there on cooking cheap foods or meals with simple ingredients so that you're not wandering the state to find a special spice smuggled into the US that's worth $500. I enjoy peeking around at kraftfoods.com or allrecipes.com to get ideas for meals. As you can probably guess, I'm a cook nut. If anyone is ever interested in some fun and easy recipes, just send me a PM.

The chicken especially is a great way to eat inexpensively and healthily while still saving time. I do a lot of grilled chicken salads in the summer especially. You can also grill up a whole bunch of breasts and then keep out what you'll use for the week and freeze the rest. Use Therapist4Chnge's food storage deal and you've got a system!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

That foodsaver has really helped out, though because of some bad planning I lost a bunch of frozen food the 1st or 2nd year down here (hurricane: 1 T4C: 0 ) I can probably go a 2+ months without hitting the store between my soup (GREAT for cheap meals....i bought like 30 cans of the good stuff on sale) and my frozen meat/dinners.

-t

 

[Ollie123]

Oh, I'm sure I can do it. I live a relatively cheap existence anyways (I'm QUITE comfortable off my 25k a year). I'm just concerned about the not getting straight A's part of it

 

[RayneeDeigh]

One day I hope to make a sticky-worthy thread. *hopes and prays*

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I was thinking about that.

We'll see how it goes; if it slips down and has info that would be useful to many, then it may make sense. We don't want too many stickied up there, since that could get cluttered.

-t

 

[psychwanabe]

Okay, well let me add to the ideas with one I used a while ago and have begun using again.

It takes some time investment initially, but go to your favorite grocery store and get a map from the customer service desk. Then go home and create a grocery list on your computer that lays everything out according to the store map. This saves a TON of time when you're shopping: no going back for something you already passed.

Step two is to create two weeks' worth of menus. Make a list of everything you need for these meals and save it on your computer. Print one copy, shop, and you are set for a couple of weeks without having to stop at the store.

But wait! There's more! Print another copy of this magical list (laid out in the pattern of the grocery store) and put it on your fridge. As you use up items you will need to buy again, circle them on the list. At the end of two weeks you've kept up with your culinary needs and you're ready to wash, rinse and, repeat! As long as you don't get tired of the same meals every two weeks, this system works really well and saves time in the long run.

 

[tkj]

...

 

[paramour]

holy crap, this is like mission impossible: grocery style. Fortunately, my trips to the grocery store only include 3 things: milk, cereal, and microwave dinners. the end.

Milk, cereal, and bread. Otherwise, SO is responsible for the grocery shopping.

Although lately I've added Mt. Dew as a necessary staple of my diet. So, milk, cereal, bread, and Mt. Dew.

As I typically stay away from caffeine, I suspect that I'm going to experience quite a crash when I withdraw it from the daily, umm, okay, the hourly schedule I'm currently on.

 

[lazure]

Sorry, the menu spreadsheet above sounds like overkill for me As you cook more, you will learn to improvise and create tasty meals without a specific algorithm. Unless your creation is missing something very key, it will still be edible. For instance, my hubbie's ex-roomate wanted to make shake'n'bake without any chicken. I would also enter into google the three items I had in my fridge in order to find recipies e.g. "chicken", "red pepper", "milk". Also, shop in bulk stores particularly for staples such as rice and expensive stuff like spices. Build up an initial spice collection (or get a family member to buy one for your birthday) and you're set. The other option for food is to haunt departamental events where food is offered.

Cheap entertainment:
- go walking downtown
- borrow DVD movies from your university library - if there is a film school, they will have a good selection
- go out for a cup of tea with friends

 

[SteelMariposa]

**

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Make sure to always have your 'staple' foods, and then just fill in the gaps.

Btw....I just remembered my favorite frozen meal, and thought I'd share a great dinner for ~$8 (spendy, I know!). COSTCO sometimes sells stuffed salmon filets (it has scallops, crap, shrimp, etc). You can buy then in packs of 2-4. They freeze great, and you can just thaw and bake. Throw in some veggies...and you have a great meal that will run you $20+ at a restaurant.

-t

 

[nononora]

I would also enter into google the three items I had in my fridge in order to find recipies e.g. "chicken", "red pepper", "milk".

I absolutely love that idea! I've been wondering what to do with the dead body in my fridge...

 

[psychwanabe]

okay, okay. I TOLD you I was anal. I just love the fact that this method takes all the decisions out of my head. I don't have to come home and say "what's for dinner" (since I am the cook in the house), I just look at the list and it tells me.

I envy those who can improvise: I would love to be one of those creative cooks who just throws stuff together and has it come out a 4-star meal, but I'm not!

 

[Ollie123]

I actually think its a great idea psychwanabe.

I'm very motivated for some things (mainly, academics) but when it comes to routine stuff like eating, exercising or cleaning, I'm insanely lazy. I need structure, otherwise I just end up laying around til about 8 then being like "why am I dizzy? oh yeah, dinner" and boiling some pasta.

So even if no one else does, I will probably be taking your advice

 

[LosingMyMind]

I absolutely love that idea! I've been wondering what to do with the dead body in my fridge...

you made me laugh out loud. thank you!

 

[lazure]

Apply for fellowships that pay well!

I second this. Keep a stack of your undergrad transcripts so you can quickly apply for anything that comes up with a short deadline. Search scholarship databases on a regular basis and apply for small scholarships as well - the money will add up. The more scholarships you get, the more they will want to give you....

Now is the time to stop working hard on coursework. If you are an overachiever, learn to do less than your best. Your objective is to merely pass your classes. Otherwise you are wasting time that would be better spent on research.

Unless the grades matter for scholarship applications...and seriously, grad school courses are not that hard...if you got here you should have the study skills....

 

[Lunabin]

My first semester syllabii had me reading 500+ pages a week - and that didn't include assignments, paper, presentations, etc. I openly admit this to anyone (including the professors): I got through less than half of it.

My #1 lesson of grad school - do what you need to get through it (no, bare minimum isn't good either)! I saw many friends/fellow students overextend themselves - and really suffered for it in the end (and didn't get ahead).

A major part of school was just time management, self-care, creating for yourself a life that you would model for your clients...

One big thing (for me) was major communication and adjusting with my bf (now husband). He learned very quickly that my needs changed: i.e. - he could not bother me during major work/study time; I needed him to share some major portion of chores (shopping, cooking, cleaning, pet care, etc); and that despite all efforts - I would be chronically stressed (at least for the first 4 years).

Food is good. I always had a stock of portable foods - apples, bananas, muffins, pretzels, crackers, dry cereal, leftovers. Most professors don't mind eating in class as long as it's not a distraction (crunchy, loud, messy). I discovered the George Foreman way too late - easy, fast - my fav's: quesadilla, grilled veggies, perogies, chicken. And, save $$$ on bottled H2O and invest in a Nalgene and Brita.

And remember to sleep. It is worth it.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I would also enter into google the three items I had in my fridge in order to find recipies e.g. "chicken", "red pepper", "milk".

The American Heart Association hosts a site called Delicious Decisions which lets you pick out the ingredients that you have, and then it spits out recipes. I have that link and some other nutrition resources on my website. So if ya'll get bored, check it out.

HERE

*edit*

It looks like Delicious Decisions is down for the moment. Hopefully they bring it back up, it was a great place for healthy recipes.

-t

 

[Jdizy]

I love coupons!! I learned from the best saver in my life, go to the store papers first during the week and see whats on sale. Then on Sunday clip the coupons from the paper that go with the sales, especially Ralphs who always has double coupons and you can get say a box of cereal for 50 cents and make that into a great trail mix or snack. I saved last month $160 and ended up paying ~$60 on groceries....it really works! Cleaning products are another great bargain.

 

[phd2006]

Lot's of excellent advice here!

Time management is one of the best skills a grad student can have. It's easy to let the your research 'slide' as the paper that's due in prof x's class has a hard deadline whereas your own research is due 'when you get the next draft in.' Don't sell yourself short.

The switch to student 'wages' was the hardest for me -- I had never previously had to worry about $$ as I had always had very good paying jobs. I learned some creative ways to save $ -- I learned where all the best thrift shops were, which restaurants had food specials on which nights, took advantage of student discounts, etc.

 

[Logic Prevails]

For those who work out:

I will tell you now that sticking to a workout schedule will be near impossible. It is too easy to say: "but I need to work on my presentation - that is more important."

Because much of what we do is sitting in front of a computer or in a lab or reading endless articles, it is easy to get out of shape. The only routine that worked for me was to do my workouts first thing in the morning. Since some of my courses began at 9am, this meant getting up at 7am - to some people this is too early, but for me, it was worth it. Remember that cardio improves brain function... make sure you do some. I typically do 30min of weights (alternating body parts each day; 2 parts per day (i.e. legs & abs or chest & back) without breaking to keep the intensity going) followed by 25min of cardio (usually treadmill or bike).

 

[Ollie123]

That's what I'm afraid of Logic. I have SUCH a terrible time dragging my ass out of bed in the morning just to go for a run or to lift. Hopefully I'll manage to get over that when I'm in a warmer climate.

 

[paramour]

For those who work out:

I will tell you now that sticking to a workout schedule will be near impossible. It is too easy to say: "but I need to work on my presentation - that is more important."

Because much of what we do is sitting in front of a computer or in a lab or reading endless articles, it is easy to get out of shape. The only routine that worked for me was to do my workouts first thing in the morning. Since some of my courses began at 9am, this meant getting up at 7am - to some people this is too early, but for me, it was worth it. Remember that cardio improves brain function... make sure you do some. I typically do 30min of weights (alternating body parts each day; 2 parts per day (i.e. legs & abs or chest & back) without breaking to keep the intensity going) followed by 25min of cardio (usually treadmill or bike).

I found this to be entirely true--For the last year of my master's program even, I keep ignoring my taekwondo class because "I've got a paper, presentation, [fill in the blank], and don't have the time for it." I was hoping to get back into the swing of things now that things are winding down but unfortunately the place I use isn't in the area I will be moving, so I will likely have to (a) find another place, which seems sucky, or (b) simply increase my personal workouts to compensate.

 

[psychgeek]

Great thread. I'm sorry I am just running across it now.

I no longer have need for money saving tips since I am making the big internship/post-doc bucks , but here are some things that worked for some of my friends and me.

1) Some ethnic grocery stores have food that is so cheap it is silly. The butcher may not speak English and you may not speak Thai, but pointing and smiling can get you a long way.

2) Work in a nice restaurant one or two nights a week. Not only will it give you some extra cash and something to do that is completely different from psychology, but a lot of restaurants let their employees drink and eat for free even if it is not their night to work.

3) Look into the athletic facilities available through your school. Most grad students can use the same gyms as the undergrads. Also keep your ears open for gyms associated with your practicum sites. I did most of my clinical training at hospitals or schools and a couple of them had reduced cost gym membership or free facilities available.

4) Share all costs you can with other students. If you need to have a copy of SPSS, try to see if there is a way you can share one copy with a couple of students (like put it on a laptop that can be borrowed). If you need Lezak's Neuropsych Assessment book, buy one and make copies. You may have to eventually buy many of the things you share, but the money will mean less to you then than it does now.

5) #4 works especially well if you live with another grad student.

6) Decide what is important for you to learn and concentrate your energies upon that. You can't be great at everything so don't even try. At one point I started planning to get "B"s in classes I did not think were relevant to my future goals. Sometimes I got a B, other times I still got an A, but making the decision that I was going only going to do a satisfactory job in a class rather than a great job allowed me the time to focus on parts of my training that were more important to me.

7) Always wear sunscreen

 

[psych00]

1) Some ethnic grocery stores have food that is so cheap it is silly. The butcher may not speak English and you may not speak Thai, but pointing and smiling can get you a long way.

3) Look into the athletic facilities available through your school. Most grad students can use the same gyms as the undergrads. Also keep your ears open for gyms associated with your practicum sites. I did most of my clinical training at hospitals or schools and a couple of them had reduced cost gym membership or free facilities available.

These are so true! Where I went for undergrad, there were a few large ethnic grocery stores, mostly Asian stores. The food there was soo cheap, unique (don't forget to check out the candy aisle!), and really good quality (especially the variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc). If you don't understand what something is, you can just ask someone who works there and they can find someone who speaks English, or you can ask other shoppers.

Also for the gym thing, unless you are a hardcore bodybuilder who wants to devote all your time to being in a gym (which, in that case you probably wouldn't feel like spending the time going back to school), school gyms will suffice. Maybe find out what times are less busy, to help you make the most out of the....20 minutes there. They usually have the basics, and it doesn't seem worth spending $60 a month to have membership at a 24-hour gym...chances are, if we are up past regular gym hours, we are doing work, right?

 

[phd2006]

4) Share all costs you can with other students. If you need to have a copy of SPSS, try to see if there is a way you can share one copy with a couple of students (like put it on a laptop that can be borrowed). If you need Lezak's Neuropsych Assessment book, buy one and make copies. You may have to eventually buy many of the things you share, but the money will mean less to you then than it does now.

Chances are you will not need the FULL version of SPSS (>$900 last time I looked), but you will NEED the Grad Student version (about $150). Has most of the features you need -- well, it would be nice to have the MVA & a few other analyses. But, if your uni has a copy of the FULL SPSS version, chances are you can get the license number at no cost (either through the IT department or book store). If you decide to purchase your personal version (i.e., not licensed thru the uni) do not confuse the Grad Student version and the Student version (only allows for 100 subjects and a limited # of variables).

I'm a book nut -- spend the $$ on books (lots of great deals on line for used books). Come time for comps, CPE's, quals, etc., you'll be happy to have those reference materials handy.

 

[psychgeek]

But, if your uni has a copy of the FULL SPSS version, chances are you can get the license number at no cost (either through the IT department or book store).

WHAT! Some universities give SPSS licenses away for free

To think I had to download some back alley virus-infected illegal Chinese version to do my dissertation. Wait ... I meant pay over a thousand dollars for the privilidge of one-year's worth of statistical analysis in accordance with the intellectual property laws of this great nation.

 

[RayneeDeigh]

So the city I'm moving to, although it's pretty cheap rent, it has a reaaaaally low vacancy rate. Also, since it's Canada, the apartment webpages are nonexistent (or really crappy). So it's looking like I'll have to actually drive 9 hours to see stuff on my own.

My question is... if I just go there, book a hotel for a couple nights, get a newspaper, and start calling apartments, will they let me see places? Do apartment people expect you to book appointments weeks in advance?

This being an adult stuff is hard.

 

[psy86]

if I just go there, book a hotel for a couple nights, get a newspaper, and start calling apartments, will they let me see places?

Yep, that'll work.

I moved to a new city and tried making appointments to see places in advance. Once I got out there though, I discovered that I had arranged to see apartments in neighborhoods I did not want to live in. I'd recommend that you go to the city, drive around, find neighborhoods you like, and then drive down the streets looking for vacancy signs. If you call you can usually see the apartment within a day. Worked for me, anyway!

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Yep, that'll work.

I moved to a new city and tried making appointments to see places in advance. Once I got out there though, I discovered that I had arranged to see apartments in neighborhoods I did not want to live in. I'd recommend that you go to the city, drive around, find neighborhoods you like, and then drive down the streets looking for vacancy signs. If you call you can usually see the apartment within a day. Worked for me, anyway!

Perfect, thanks!

Looks like it's road trip time after my finals.

 

[psychwanabe]

So the city I'm moving to, although it's pretty cheap rent, it has a reaaaaally low vacancy rate. Also, since it's Canada, the apartment webpages are nonexistent (or really crappy). So it's looking like I'll have to actually drive 9 hours to see stuff on my own.

My question is... if I just go there, book a hotel for a couple nights, get a newspaper, and start calling apartments, will they let me see places? Do apartment people expect you to book appointments weeks in advance?

This being an adult stuff is hard.

Sure, don't sweat it. A lot of people get the Sunday paper and go out that day to see places. It goes with the territory of being a landlord. I also think it's a good idea for you to scope out the neighbourhoods (I spelled it all Canadian-like!) before you book appointments, so you don't waste your time.

Good luck! What an adventure!

 

[lazure]

Contact grad students in your dept and ask about students that are moving out. Often there are appartments that are handed down thru generations of students