I've been admitted to University of Maryland for the fall. I've been looking at housing websites and trying to plan for my move. The problem I'm having is that I've never leased an apartment before and I don't really know what to expect. From experience, I'm hoping anyone can tell me what's involved in the process from making appointments, checking places out, getting approval, credit checks etc. How long does it actually take to find housing? I was planning on flying to Maryland (I live in California now) and looking when I move, but I'm wondering if I should make a trip out there specifically to look at places and then a second final moving trip. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.