Is there any need to bring anything with me to the interview like a notepad and pen or somethin?
YES - bring a pencil with eraser. Trust me.
😎
Is there anything to do in the area since I'll pretty much have all day tomorrow of doing nothing? If not I supposed I could review the interview feedback again 😴
What do you like to do? If you have a car, there's pretty much anything you'd want to do in a metropolitan area within a half hour or so. If you get out early (before it gets warm) & you want to be outdoors, there's a park at ~55th Ave & Pinnacle Peak Rd with a little trail. It's only a few miles from the school. I like it, anyway.
Otherwise, just do what you can to relax. Video games, hotel pool, whatever floats your boat.
6615IV said:
... so, AZ locals, any advice on housing? "Bad" parts of town that one should avoid? Or any "good" parts that would be best to live?
That area is relatively new, so housing prices might be a little higher. I don't think there is a "bad part" up that way, it's actually a rather nice area. The most expensive houses in the metro area are actually within about 7 miles of the school (believe it or not, they're not in Scottsdale). I'd try to live a couple miles from the freeway as a general rule. I would hope you could find a studio for ~$550 (not having researched the area), but it wouldn't be all-inclusive. A lot of the area grew up around the 101 freeway, which was completed relatively recently (within the last 10 years I believe). The newer stuff butts up against some older parts which grew out of Glendale, but they're the nicer parts of Glendale anyway.
It may just be my personal preference, but I would think very hard before renting an "all-inclusive" apartment, just based on my experience of the types of families it tends to attract. Although not all are the same, for sure! Honestly, I'd pick based on proximity to the school without breaking the bank. If you're looking seriously at a specific location, PM me the address & I can do my best to tell you my impression of the specific neighborhood (I don't promise to drive by, but I will poll at least one other educated opinion
😉).
If you have a car you'll be bringing, that opens up a ton more options, although I'm pretty sure there are a couple bus lines that get close to the school you could live along. If you're interested,
www.valleymetro.org will get you information on the bus routes. 59th / 51st Aves have routes that I think go that far north.
It gets a little rough as you get close to Grand Ave (which cuts diagonal across the city), but that's not close to the school. I lived in some apartments at Olive Ave & 59th Ave - they were OK, but for a while I drove the nicest car in the lot (a 6 year old Neon). I'd probably suggest north of Peoria Ave on that side of town as a general rule, but there are nice houses & places that are just fine south of there too - even as you approach Grand. It really depends on the block.
OH Warning! Don't speed in Peoria. Just don't do it. The cops there will ticket for 1 over. Glendale cops are not quite as bad, but not as apathetic as Phoenix cops. There are red light cameras. (Some of the stuff over the red lights, especially in Glendale, are sensors that trigger to change the signal for emergency vehicles though.) Also, the 101 freeway is known for excessive speeders - be careful & don't fall into it yourself.
PS, congratulations 6615IV!
wanttobepharm said:
I kinda want to know what's fun to do around school, in case of the rare chance we get to relax a little.
There is a mall & associated entertainment / shopping venues at about 75th Ave & Bell Rd (Arrowhead Mall). There's another shopping / entertainment area at I-17 & the 101. Downtown Glendale is at about 59th Ave & Glendale Rd, and they sometimes have stuff to do down there. There's a Glendale library at 59th Ave & Brown (north of Olive Ave) where they have a lot of programs, if you're into that kind of thing. ASU West is at ~51st Ave & Thunderbird Rd, but from what I hear the real parties happen at the main campus in Tempe (or I just didn't know the right people
). If you venture into Tempe (although it is a bit of a drive), you've got a strip that caters to the college folks.
During the cooler parts of the year, they stock some of the city catch & release ponds as well as Tempe Town Lake. You can also fish / boat / swim (I guess) at Lake Pleasant. I know of some desert camp areas close to town, but be warned, desert camping is a bit of a different beast.
Downtown (about 40 min), they have events relatively frequently, including First Fridays - an art walk with participating galleries all along a route. More information about downtown Phoenix at, well, downtownphoenix.com.
I might be able to suggest something more specific if you have a specific thing you like to do or hobby you want to pursue. I also tried to keep it close to the school - if you're looking for day trips, there are a bunch of other things to do, especially during the cooler part of the year.
Anyone else want to weigh in with tips about the area?
I've been too busy to keep up on this forum as much as I'd like to but I'm glad to see people talking about housing! It's been on my mind too.. the on campus housing sounds like a great deal but didn't they say there's only enough room for 10% of students?? That's not high enough probability for me to rely on... so, AZ locals, any advice on housing? "Bad" parts of town that one should avoid? Or any "good" parts that would be best to live?
