living close to campus

[guy104]

i was wondering what people in school thought about living arrangements while in school. my school is not in a huge city, but it is the state capital and so is of decent size. it is hard to find housing in my price range that i like, but if i moved about ten miles out i could afford a good deal more. what would a 20-25 minute commute be like as opposed to a 10 minute one. will it make that big of a difference? honestly, if the answer is yes, that is fine, i just want honest opinions.

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[Cobragirl]

Hey Guy,
You might want to mention "which" state capital you're talking about. It's easy to get a variety of opinions on a hypothetical situation....but what you need is some solid advice from people that may live in the area. This way you'll be able to determine if fighting the morning commute/parking situation is worth the extra rent you will have to pay to live close!

 

[GeoLeoX]

As a general rule of thumb, I think that it is better to live close (but not too close). Right now I live about 7 miles out from school. That means a 40 minute bus ride with a transfer. The bus is always crowded and frequently I have to stand. Also when 3rd-4th year rotations come around I don't want to have to take the bus (or even drive) home in the middle of the night when I could just walk. Time is a precious commodity and commuting takes it away.

Geo

 

[GreatPumpkin]

I am going to MCV with is in Richmond, Va the state capital. I did not like the idea of living downtown. Crime, expense, etc. so I live about 30 min. away. But, with easy access to the interstate so my drive is not that bad. It certainly has been a hassle once in a while, but I believe it was well worth it. I live in a low crime, yuppie infested area and even bought a house instead of renting. Something else you may want to consider. My mortgage is less than my rent was before.

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Rob
4th year med student at MCV/VCU in Virginia. Matched to Pathology at MCV.

 

[layne20]

I begin med school in the fall, but I have already paid the deposit on my apartment. I will be going to WVU in Morgantown, WV. There is a lot of snow and ice in the winter at WVU; therefore, it was a priority for me to be close to the school (I don't own a 4WD). I chose a place just 2 blocks away. That's just my opinion on why I chose my apartment location.

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I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

 

[Toran]

Living close to school is a must, however you don't want to live so close that you can't get away from your peers some of the time.
Find the balance, and apply it to the location of your school.

Toran

 

[kimberlicox]

I frankly don't think that 10 minutes vs 20 minutes for a commute is THAT big of a difference. Then again, I'm not a good sleeper so it wouldn't make that much difference to me if I were in bed 10 minutse sooner.

I say if the commute time difference really is only 10-15 minutes longer, and you can have a better lifestyle, a nicer place, etc. then go for it.

Reminds me of the discussion I had with friends when doing Surgery Core. Some thought we HAD to have clogs because it would take a whole minute extra to tie your shoelaces in case you were paged while sleeping in the call room. Some even advocated sleeping in their shoes. Like it made a difference if the medical student wasn't there first. Puhleez!

[This message has been edited by kimberlicox (edited March 25, 2001).]

 

[psi1467]

Layne,
Let's hope for a milder winter for the next year. I've lived in colder areas, but we've had a pretty rough one this go round. At least you're ahead of the game already. I live here in Morgantown, and I still haven't decided where I'm gonna be calling home. Oh well, maybe it will come to me tonight in my sleep.