VUbrat08

I just came from apartment hunting in Chicago, and will fax all of my stuff tomorrow for approval for my place. This is my first apartment so, needless to say, I'm anxious and excited. Mom and I went to IKEA today to do some initial furniture browsing/shopping and discussed just what we would buy online and pick up there (since the sales tax is killer) and what we would take in the truck. I worked my last shift on Friday. Though I've grown to hate retail, I'm going to miss my managers and co-workers: they made the last nine months tolerable. Orientation isn't until August 28th, so I'm still waiting for the info on that. It's so weird having to wait until virtually the last minute to register for classes... But the cruise is coming up, so yay!!

One thing I'm glad for is that I'm shooting for an August 1st move-in date, so I will be (thankfully) skirting my way around Atlanta dog-days. It's already getting to that "Holy-Hell-it's-hot" stage, and it's only mid-May (today's humidity was no joke)! I'm a born and raised Georgian, by the way. And I've been frequenting Midtown/Atlantic Station lately (can anyone say IKEA?). However, I am exchanging the hot summers (and springs and falls) of Atlanta with the hyper-cold winters (and sometimes springs and falls) of Chicago...but I'm prepared.

- working as many hours as possible at my lowly retail job - looking for apartments (hopefully will have one picked out by the end of June) - go on a cruise in July (!!!): this is probably be my last leisurely trip for a looooong while - read - write, write, and write some more - get ready for the big move - search for jobs in Chicago

You're lucky. I can't register until Graduate Orientation...in August.

I'll be moving from the Metro Atlanta area to Chicago, and I'm only planning on taking clothes and the smaller electronics I have (TV, VHS/DVD player, gaming console, computers, etc.). The rest I'll be buying when I get there.

Thank you so much for the info!

I'll talk about the places I'm very familiar with: Atlanta: I'm a Georgian, born and raised, incredibly familiar with the ATL area. Do not come down here without a car. Others have said the same thing in this thread, but I can not stress this enough. I've been on MARTA once and I won't do it again; the buses are atrocious. Even with the traffic, your life becomes much easier when you have access to a car. re: traffic: in Forbes' list for worst traffic in the nation, we were #4. Just saying. Nashville is similar, though smaller and with not as much traffic. I was ecstatic when I was finally able to take my car (I went to Vanderbilt for UG). You can't go to a grocery store without one (Harris Teeter and Kroger are the closest, but they are way beyond walking/biking range), so yeah. Also, I thought that Atlanta drivers were bad....Nashville drivers are horrible.

This thread has been really helpful in terms of what I'm going to need for the fall. Thanks, guys! I do have a question about the external hard drives, though: what would be the best one to have that is BOTH Mac and PC compatible? Is it worth it to shell out that $300 for a 1TB Time Capsule, or is there a better/cheaper alternative? Any suggestions would be great.

warm weather

Hey all, I'm planning on starting at Columbia College in the fall, and I was just wondering which nearby areas are the best/safest to live. I'm going to be living by myself in a studio apartment (I'm female), and I'm looking for rent to be anywhere in the 500-1000 range. I would really appreciate any info.

gum disease

Mint condition

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As of right now, I won't be getting any type of a stipend my first year, as I'm not eligible to be a TA until my 2nd year. But I have a good bit of money left over that would cover tuition easily if needed. The living situation is a different matter. I filled out my FAFSA, and even though I'm essentially broke (re: my bank account) I have too many investments to get any money worth anything. I figure I'll have to do work-study throughout.