60 replies to this topic

[Womanofthe21Century]

I'm heading to IUB for an MA in the NELC department. How come everyone here is looking at off-campus housing? No one looking to live on campus? They're sticking the grad students in Wilkie this year. I think the on-campus housing isn't too expensive considering you get someplace that is within walking distance from the department, has a telephone and internet access, utilities paid, air conditioning and a great lounge, store, and movie checkout place within the building. I think a single room with a shared bathroom is like 6,500 dollars for the year. Doesn't that come up to about the same as what a 12 month apartment lease would cost?

I didn't look on campus because I don't want a roommate and because I have a pet. The on-campus housing isn't really that much of a deal once you consider the quality and amount of space you have compared to an apartment. If you share a 2 bedroom at most off-campus places like you would in the dorms, the price tends to be the same or less (assuming you don't need a landline and/or the highest level cable). On my visit I didn't meet any grad student living on campus.

[AwkwardPants]

I didn't look on campus because I don't want a roommate and because I have a pet. The on-campus housing isn't really that much of a deal once you consider the quality and amount of space you have compared to an apartment. If you share a 2 bedroom at most off-campus places like you would in the dorms, the price tends to be the same or less (assuming you don't need a landline and/or the highest level cable). On my visit I didn't meet any grad student living on campus.

Yeah, these are some of the reasons I'm living off campus. I have a cat, and I also want more control over whether I have a roommate and who I choose, what sort of rules I follow, etc. I think on campus rates are a little higher than what you would pay off campus, but they're in the same ballpark. (There's quite a wide price range on apartments, but you can find something more interesting/unique for less money if you look.) Plus I don't know how parking is handled for on-campus students who have cars, but I'm willing to bet it's a pain. I knew a girl who lived on campus for her first couple of semesters and she seemed to think it was okay, but she ended up moving off campus eventually. It's really just a matter of personal preference. I do know that quite a few international students end up living on campus, and family housing seems fairly popular for single grad students with kids.

[Russophile]

I agree with what everyone else has been saying about living on campus. Financially, it would be fairly close, but then when you consider the need to pay for a meal plan, the cost stops being as comparable. I would rather be able to cook my own meals rather than have to rely on meal plans and restaurants. Additionally, a lot of dorm living arrangements close during winter break, and I wanted the convenience of never being kicked out of my home for the holidays; however, my undergrad adviser, who is an IU alum suggested living in dorms.

Edited by Russophile, 13 April 2010 - 07:16 PM.

[arka]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm about ready to commit to an apartment that I found, about a 20 minute walk from the political science department at Woodburn Hall. Even though it seems like the apartment is a good deal, two things are worrying me: its on the ground floor and I'm concerned about burglary; and also that I haven't actually seen it in person. I know that Bloomington is a relatively crime free town but I've never lived on my own before. And for obvious reasons, signing a 12 month lease for a place one hasn't seen in person isn't the best idea. But traveling to Bloomington just to see the place is not the best choice financially. To top everything off, I haven't been able to find any ratings or comments about this real estate company online. So I really feel like I'm in the dark...

Are there any native Hoosiers who can perhaps give a suggestion?

[staplerinjello]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm about ready to commit to an apartment that I found, about a 20 minute walk from the political science department at Woodburn Hall. Even though it seems like the apartment is a good deal, two things are worrying me: its on the ground floor and I'm concerned about burglary; and also that I haven't actually seen it in person. I know that Bloomington is a relatively crime free town but I've never lived on my own before. And for obvious reasons, signing a 12 month lease for a place one hasn't seen in person isn't the best idea. But traveling to Bloomington just to see the place is not the best choice financially. To top everything off, I haven't been able to find any ratings or comments about this real estate company online. So I really feel like I'm in the dark...

Are there any native Hoosiers who can perhaps give a suggestion?

What everyone is saying about the on-campus thing is reasonable enough. Actually all graduate students have the option of not getting the meal plan or at least residents of Wilkie have that option and all grad students will be at Wilkie (their was one other residence open to them but that's been filled up). All the rooms are single as well actually. You either get a suite with or two other people so the bathroom and the lounge is the only thing you share or you get a single standalone kind of room which shares a bathroom with another room of the same sort and then there's the shared laundry and kitchen for the entire floor. I'm international, have never lived alone by myself in another city, and completely averse to apartment hunting and the possibility of finding a roommate who I may not like in the end so I'm sticking with the on-campus thing for convenience. But off-campus for subsequent years makes a lot of sense.

[Womanofthe21Century]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm about ready to commit to an apartment that I found, about a 20 minute walk from the political science department at Woodburn Hall. Even though it seems like the apartment is a good deal, two things are worrying me: its on the ground floor and I'm concerned about burglary; and also that I haven't actually seen it in person. I know that Bloomington is a relatively crime free town but I've never lived on my own before. And for obvious reasons, signing a 12 month lease for a place one hasn't seen in person isn't the best idea. But traveling to Bloomington just to see the place is not the best choice financially. To top everything off, I haven't been able to find any ratings or comments about this real estate company online. So I really feel like I'm in the dark...

Are there any native Hoosiers who can perhaps give a suggestion?

Hey, if you need to find out about a company, here's two things I'd recommend:
1. HAND is the Housing and Neighborhood Development office in Bloomington and they keep records of all rental units (complaints, violations, etc.). You can request up to 50 pages of records on a specific address for free. Unfortunately, they are not on the ball (it took me a month to get my results, by then I had just rented, BUT I was able to see the place). If you explain your situation maybe they will expedite things for you. Just have all the information (rental agency, address, your contact info) ready to go and see what they can do for you.
2. The student legal aid at IU does look over leases for students. You could contact them and send the lease. They may have experience with the person you're renting from and can tell you both if there have been any issues and if your lease is kosher. That isn't to say you won't have problems, but at least with a legally sound lease you would have recourse if something went wrong.

Finally, on the whole ground floor thing. As a single woman, I tried avoid ground floor places, but sometimes you can't. From what I've heard about Bloomington the non-violent crimes (aka theft, burglary, etc.) tend to occur in places that were not locked. A lot of undergrads living alone for the first time (especially those living with multiple people) will leave windows and doors unlocked at night or when they're gone during the day for "convenience"...which just means it's convenient to walk in and take stuff. I think, overall, if you play it smart, you'll be OK.

[arka]

Hey, if you need to find out about a company, here's two things I'd recommend:
1. HAND is the Housing and Neighborhood Development office in Bloomington and they keep records of all rental units (complaints, violations, etc.). You can request up to 50 pages of records on a specific address for free. Unfortunately, they are not on the ball (it took me a month to get my results, by then I had just rented, BUT I was able to see the place). If you explain your situation maybe they will expedite things for you. Just have all the information (rental agency, address, your contact info) ready to go and see what they can do for you.
2. The student legal aid at IU does look over leases for students. You could contact them and send the lease. They may have experience with the person you're renting from and can tell you both if there have been any issues and if your lease is kosher. That isn't to say you won't have problems, but at least with a legally sound lease you would have recourse if something went wrong.

Finally, on the whole ground floor thing. As a single woman, I tried avoid ground floor places, but sometimes you can't. From what I've heard about Bloomington the non-violent crimes (aka theft, burglary, etc.) tend to occur in places that were not locked. A lot of undergrads living alone for the first time (especially those living with multiple people) will leave windows and doors unlocked at night or when they're gone during the day for "convenience"...which just means it's convenient to walk in and take stuff. I think, overall, if you play it smart, you'll be OK.

Thanks. I have already been in touch with HAND about the place, to see if they can give me some kind of record about the complaints and violations. They haven't gotten back to me yet, though, and in general, it seemed like they were unsure of what to do with my request since I wasn't asking in person but by phone.

I was also in touch with university housing about getting an apartment in either the Evermann or Redbud Hill apartments. The very friendly lady on the phone told me flat out that the apartments aren't very good, not near any place for shopping and thus difficult to get around if you don't have a car, and that I shouldn't even bother with them if I have this other place in mind, which she said is a bargain.

I still have a lot of reservations about signing the lease without seeing it, though. I'm considering just going to Bloomington this week and doing the apartment hunting in person.

[tourist]

Thanks. I have already been in touch with HAND about the place, to see if they can give me some kind of record about the complaints and violations. They haven't gotten back to me yet, though, and in general, it seemed like they were unsure of what to do with my request since I wasn't asking in person but by phone.

I was also in touch with university housing about getting an apartment in either the Evermann or Redbud Hill apartments. The very friendly lady on the phone told me flat out that the apartments aren't very good, not near any place for shopping and thus difficult to get around if you don't have a car, and that I shouldn't even bother with them if I have this other place in mind, which she said is a bargain.

I still have a lot of reservations about signing the lease without seeing it, though. I'm considering just going to Bloomington this week and doing the apartment hunting in person.

Depending on how far from Bloomington you live, then it would be a good idea to visit. I live 4 hours away so I could reasonably drive there with no problems. I did the same thing, I signed a lease on a townhome before ever seeing it, but visited it last weekend. I saw the landlord, talked to him, saw the house, the town, etc. It's a good thing to do, if you can. I'd be wary of signing on a place before seeing it in person, especially if the company advertises for it (like many in Bloomington do). It seems like they take advantage of the fact that many people who can't go there before August will just blindly sign and then be in for a surprise.

[tourist]

So I heard that this weekend the Little 500 went on in Bloomington. Anyone have thoughts on it, personal experiences, etc.? I looked it up on Wikipedia, but I wanted to read the opinion of someone who has witnessed it. What's it like? Thanks.

[smokeypup]

So I heard that this weekend the Little 500 went on in Bloomington. Anyone have thoughts on it, personal experiences, etc.? I looked it up on Wikipedia, but I wanted to read the opinion of someone who has witnessed it. What's it like? Thanks.

I am a current grad at IU. I didn't go to the actual race, but I can tell you the undergrads drink all week. Classes are empty beginning on wednesday and the bars are full the entire week. It is weird. Lots of bikinis and slippin 'n' slides on frat house lawns--and it was raining almost the entire weekend.

[AwkwardPants]

I am a current grad at IU. I didn't go to the actual race, but I can tell you the undergrads drink all week. Classes are empty beginning on wednesday and the bars are full the entire week. It is weird. Lots of bikinis and slippin 'n' slides on frat house lawns--and it was raining almost the entire weekend.

I was in town this weekend too, and this pretty much sums up the vibe. I did my best to stay the hell away from the north side of campus, but I still saw tons of drunk undergrads walking around downtown. It's pretty much girls in insanely high heels and not much else, parties spilling out onto front porches, staggering drunk kids on the sidewalks, an abundance of pizza carts, a noticeable increase in police patrols, and all the undergrad bars packed to the gills. Little Five weekend is somewhere between irritating and amusing, but you can avoid most of the ruckus if you live in the right part of town and avoid downtown/campus for that weekend. And fortunately the undergrads really only party like this once a year. It's definitely not representative of a normal weekend in Bloomington.

Edited by AwkwardPants, 27 April 2010 - 09:46 PM.

[Psych316]

So I've accepted an offer from IUB, going to be entering the ed psych phd program. I wanted to defer for a year, but they offered me a fellowship that I couldnt turn down, so I slimed my time off to a semester. This means I'll be moving to Bloomington in early January, most likely (when to classes start, btw?). Does anyone know if it's easy to find quality housing at this point in the year?

Edited by Psych316, 20 May 2010 - 02:57 AM.

[GradHopeful31]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm about ready to commit to an apartment that I found, about a 20 minute walk from the political science department at Woodburn Hall. Even though it seems like the apartment is a good deal, two things are worrying me: its on the ground floor and I'm concerned about burglary; and also that I haven't actually seen it in person. I know that Bloomington is a relatively crime free town but I've never lived on my own before. And for obvious reasons, signing a 12 month lease for a place one hasn't seen in person isn't the best idea. But traveling to Bloomington just to see the place is not the best choice financially. To top everything off, I haven't been able to find any ratings or comments about this real estate company online. So I really feel like I'm in the dark...

Are there any native Hoosiers who can perhaps give a suggestion?

rkha, where are you looking to live? I just graduated from IU and might be able to give some advice on the area and even the real estate company...

[arka]

rkha, where are you looking to live? I just graduated from IU and might be able to give some advice on the area and even the real estate company...

After much searching, I leased an apartment downtown, about a 10-15 minute walk from campus. For my first year I wanted to stay near the university so I can get a better idea of the town. How did you find life in Bloomington to be?

[GradHopeful31]

After much searching, I leased an apartment downtown, about a 10-15 minute walk from campus. For my first year I wanted to stay near the university so I can get a better idea of the town. How did you find life in Bloomington to be?

Life in Bloomington is great. If you have specific questions, I can answer those but in terms of the overall feel of the town, it is very focused on the university and students, which I loved. There are certain areas of town that you want to avoid living in because IU is a huge party school. I considered myself social but found that living in certain areas of town (specifically near the stadium) really hindered my ability to study at home. So, I am glad that you are living downtown because while that is a social area, it isn't focused on house parties. Instead, everyone is going to dinner, shopping, etc. and has a destination instead of just drinking outside of your house. Bloomington (or btown as students like to call it) has some GREAT restaurants with a lot of variety...specifically on 4th street. The shopping isn't great, which is a big complaint of students but with online shopping these days it's not too big of a deal. Like I said, if you have any other questions let me know! I love talking about Bloomington, as sad as it makes me that I am no longer there.

[colorisnt]

Thanks. I have already been in touch with HAND about the place, to see if they can give me some kind of record about the complaints and violations. They haven't gotten back to me yet, though, and in general, it seemed like they were unsure of what to do with my request since I wasn't asking in person but by phone.

I was also in touch with university housing about getting an apartment in either the Evermann or Redbud Hill apartments. The very friendly lady on the phone told me flat out that the apartments aren't very good, not near any place for shopping and thus difficult to get around if you don't have a car, and that I shouldn't even bother with them if I have this other place in mind, which she said is a bargain.

I still have a lot of reservations about signing the lease without seeing it, though. I'm considering just going to Bloomington this week and doing the apartment hunting in person.

Redbud and Evermann are actually kinda scary. The only way to get to campus is via a bus that rarely comes (tops I believe 2 times an hour). You can walk, but it is a good 2 miles to 3rd street or so. And coming back it is worse - all uphill. The places are old and scary and they look like the balconies are made of barbed wire. Mostly the people who live there are international students (particularly those from Asian countries) who could not find housing elsewhere due to visas, etc. I had a friend who lived in Evermann and it was not a nice place to live. The only decent housing is for families and I wouldn't recommend that.

Wilkie is the "grown up" dorm for the undergrads. It is very antisocial and set up like a hotel. The rooms have twin beds and typical dorm furniture. It is a very nice dorm, but not my idea of a good time as a grad. There is another dorm now that is apartment style right next to my old dorm (where I lived last year). It is brand new (will just be opening in the fall), but VERY expensive. For the price, you can find something nicer without undergrads. If you don't have a car, good luck. Bloomington is not very transit-friendly. Your best bet is to get on the 9 route if you need to grocery shop. Somewhere near there is best. Most of the shops are on the East or West side and a GOOD ways from campus. Bloomington is pretty cycle friendly, so that is a good middle-road option, just make sure you get a damn good lock.

[Jillian Collett]

I have been accepted at Indiana University Bloomington for the MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs!!! I am SO THRILLED!

Has anyone else heard about that program? Or any others, for that matter?

[jph5125]

I have been accepted at Indiana University Bloomington for the MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs!!! I am SO THRILLED!

Has anyone else heard about that program? Or any others, for that matter?

It's nice to see someone posting about Indiana this year. Is this your top choice or are you waiting for more schools?
I just got accepted to the MA in Information Science program at IUB. I'm trying to do their joint program between Information Science and Public Admin so I have one more app to fill out http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

In any case though I will be attending Indiana Fall 2011, hope to see you there http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

[Jillian Collett]

It's nice to see someone posting about Indiana this year. Is this your top choice or are you waiting for more schools?
I just got accepted to the MA in Information Science program at IUB. I'm trying to do their joint program between Information Science and Public Admin so I have one more app to fill out http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

In any case though I will be attending Indiana Fall 2011, hope to see you there http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

It isn't my top choice, but it is in my top 3 for sure, along with University of South Carolina and University of Arkansas. They are all tied for first place. I have heard from USC (accepted as well) and I am just waiting on Ark. I did apply to several more schools than just those 3, and where I end up will primarily fall on which one provides me with the better assistantship. I really want to work in residence life. If I get that at one of the schools that isn't in my top 3, it will become the best choice. It isn't about money, it is about the job experience

So are you for sure heading to IUB or are going to wait and hear back from any other places?

[jph5125]

It isn't my top choice, but it is in my top 3 for sure, along with University of South Carolina and University of Arkansas. They are all tied for first place. I have heard from USC (accepted as well) and I am just waiting on Ark. I did apply to several more schools than just those 3, and where I end up will primarily fall on which one provides me with the better assistantship. I really want to work in residence life. If I get that at one of the schools that isn't in my top 3, it will become the best choice. It isn't about money, it is about the job experience

So are you for sure heading to IUB or are going to wait and hear back from any other places?

IUB had rolling for both my programs and was my top choice as well as highest ranked so I applied there first to save some money. No use in spending hundreds more dollars applying to other schools when I already got what I wanted http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif