alaskagirl

Thanks everyone! I'm glad that it's not too strange they haven't given me any information. I'll just wait it out.

You're quite welcome! Moving to a new place is scary, so I wanted to help as much information as possible. Sweaters are wonderful here. I'm a scarf girl - every color, every size and shape, I have it. Plus, it helps because I have short hair and my neck gets cold when I'm walking around in the winter. Hmm, most of the city is lovely - anywhere around Elmore Street is beautiful; South Anchorage is pretty, but if you want to go anywhere it's a little far away; I have a ton of friends who live on Muldoon and say it's a nice place to be, but it all depends on where you're going to work because ideally you'd want to be close to that. Downtown gets very busy, very fast during the work day so be prepared for a little bit if traffic. Try to stay away from the Mountain View area, they've built it up over the past few years, but it's the sketchiest place in town. And also try to stay away from 5th Ave, it's perfectly fine during the day and is a hub for a lot of businesses, but at night it gets a little shifty.

Thanks! I'm pretty happy about getting in.

Anchorage is a lovely city, you'll really like it. There's plenty of stuff to do - movies, theater, hiking, skiing, bars, clubs, activities for families, couples, and singles - something every night actually. Be prepared for the winter - it does get cold. Bring layers and such. And it does get dark earlier, you go to work/school in the dark and you come back in the dark so it can take some getting used to. But our winters are gorgeous, especially if you like the outdoors. Even if you don't like the outdoors, our winters are great! (Think: hot chocolate by the fire and theater at the PAC.) Our summers are hit and miss alternatively, this summer has been a bit cloudy/rainy with only a few warm days. (Also - Your idea of 'warm' will be greatly altered, here 'warm' is 40s-50s, 60s is tee-shirt and shorts weather, and 80s is just downright TOO HOT.) Anyway, since this summer is kind-of a 'miss', next summer should be lovely - cloudless sky, warm weather, perfect for hiking and bike riding. There are bears and moose. Just be aware of them when camping/hiking/running/biking. They do come into town, but are accustomed to humans so if you don't bother them, they generally won't bother you. Moose become a problem when they try to 'dart' across the highway and roadways, especially at night so be alert for them. Our schools are great, and the people here are very friendly and very laid back. It can get expensive, living in Anchorage, so be sure you have a job lined up before heading up here. Anything else you wanted to know?

Grad School starts in two months for me and, as I've been reading through other people's posts about preparing for the start of school, I found an aspect kind of disheartening to me. Some people already have the syllabus for the upcoming year, and the books they need, as well as some 'homework'. I'm not disheartened because I want homework right now (I'm working two jobs to save up), but I am wondering why I haven't been given the same information from my program. And I, oddly, feel unprepared because of it. And I don't want to feel unprepared about this! Has everyone gotten their syllabus for their classes?

Thank you for all the thoughtful responses! I really appreciate them! I hope I don't have to take out a loan, honestly, but I may have to down the line.

Wow, that is a change, then. Be prepared, it's very different up here in Alaska, then in the Lower 48. Where are you moving to? Anchorage, Fairbanks, Eagle River?

Yeah? How exciting!! Have you ever been to Alaska before?

You'll do great! Try to relax these last few days, take some time for yourself and breathe for a bit. It's going to be a change for me, too, I'm moving to Portland. I live in Alaska, so the move will be huge and take a bunch of time to complete. I'm nervous, but I think once I get down there and actually start school, see how the classes are and what's expected of me, I'll be better.

Hello! So I recently checked my financial aid and found that I've been awarded the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. It's a lot of money for the first year, it would go a long way to help me pay for it, and I wouldn't have to pay it back until I'm done with school. But I'm wondering if it's worth it. Which sounds horrible, I know, but I already have a loan with my car that I need to pay off. And I'm not entirely sure how the loans work - I know they'll automatically pay off my school payments and then give the rest to me, I know it'll have interest as soon as it pays the school, I know I don't have to pay it back until I'm done with school. But really, is it that simple? And is this loan a good one or should I try for a different one? What have others done? Thanks!

I'd relax, too. You seem to have everything under control, so take some time for yourself. Do something fun with your family or friends, it may be the last time you see them in a while. Hike around your environment, go camping, take pictures and make some memories to take with you. I'm moving down with cats, too! And am not really looking forward to it.

I have a word-of-mouth business, as well as contracted work with a few companies (one's a technical edit, the other's literary). I've found that the best thing to do when trying to find work is to put yourself out there, talk it up with friends and family, there's always someone who need something edited.

Wow, these are some awesome responses! Thanks so much for the advice! It does make sense that people wouldn't really review a place if they liked it. And that's a good idea to view the apartment (or get pictures) before signing a lease. On that note, I think I'll plan on going to see the apartment in the beginning of August, since the current tenants don't move out until the end of this month. I should see if it's been written up in a school paper, that's such a great idea!