helpfulgrad

@dr.strange, congrats on your admittance! That's a difficult question to answer, but I'm inclined to say yes. It all depends on what you consider an acceptable standard of living. If there are international students in the UNC program you are considering, I'd talk to them. There are several students in my program who take international flights at least once a year, if not more. Also, I believe most, if not almost all, leases are year round. (In other words, we are paying for our leases all year). Ultimately, you'll have a better understanding of what budget you are willing to live on. Do you want to live alone? How nice of apartment do you want to live in? Are there other opportunities paid opportunities in your department? (RAs). Many graduate students live with roommates and pick up small research/academic positions throughout their time in their program to supplement their income. My stipend situation was a little different than yours, but I talked to current students and it seems we all live comfortably. We don't eat out a lot or spending money shopping, etc but that's generally true of all graduate students. Short answer, yes it is possible. I also think it's possible to do so comfortably if you are good at budgeting.

There are several independent landlords, but you are looking pretty early into the season so the selections are probably slim right now. I'd think most people get their places late spring/early summer. So you'll probably see more pop up in the next few weeks. Also, here is a housing board: http://www.roommate.heelshousing.com Oh, and somebody asked about on-campus housing. I think most people decide to live off-campus because there are so many options off-campus and they tend to be cheaper.

These are just my quick thoughts about living in the Chapel Hill region. For any students who do live here, please add to my comments or feel free to disagree so that this becomes a more useful resource for incoming students. APARTMENTS/HOUSES Grad students live in apartments and rent houses in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Durham. Rent largely falls between $500-1200. With roughly $1200-$1000 getting you a nice 2-bedroom. A large majority of graduate students share an apartment with a roommate and can pay as low as $500 per person for a nice place. Not very familiar with prices of 1-bedrooms or studios but I’d assume that they are about $900-750. TRANSPORTATION When looking for an apartment, use Google Maps and locate the closest bus stop. Then look at the bus schedule to see how often it comes and what hours it operates. Some buses run frequently and go through most of town, but because there are so many stops they can be a little slow depending on where you’re trying to get. Other buses run less frequently but get to your bus destination quickly. To get from Durham to Chapel Hill, it’s about a 15-20 minute bus ride and from Carrboro/Chapel Hill it can be less than 10 minutes. There are several bus routes to choose from and are free to students. Almost all students get to school by bus since parking passes are expensive and through a lottery system. However, it’s ideal to have a car (or roommate with a car) since grocery stores and other outings can be more difficult to get to by bus. LIVING WITHOUT A CAR It is totally possible to be without a car, but for above reasons might be a pain. That said, I’m sure many buses do go to the grocery store and many students w/o cars end up running errands with roommates and friends. Lastly, there are a number of restaurants and bars off Franklin that are a short walk from campus. There are also pharmacies and a City Target which I know some folks do all their grocery shopping at which you can easily get to by walking. CH VS CARRBORO VS DURHAM More undergraduate live in Chapel Hill than surrounding areas which means that your apartment complex may be loud during the weekends. Carrboro is a smaller town but has nice features including a farmers’ market and good restaurants. Most graduate students live in Carrboro, but many opt to live in Durham and some live in Chapel Hill. I believe Durham is cheaper and has more shopping/bars/breweries/general night life than Chapel Hill or Carrboro. Chapel Hill/Carrboro have a number of good bars with different ambiances and independent coffee shops. SAFETY A few women I’ve talked to have said they avoid walking alone at night. I think this is warranted in the sense that all college campuses pose some risks, and this is how they base their decisions. I have a feeling that this is more a general rule they’d follow regardless of which graduate school they selected. That said, I’ve never felt unsafe on campus or in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, or Durham and have not heard of any incidents where my friends have felt unsafe either. I feel comfortable walking alone at night on campus and surrounding areas. BEING A POC I think moving to the South as a POC may be intimating for some people who have lived in other locations in the U.S. or abroad. I can’t speak for everybody’s experiences, but it seems that most graduate students feel that Chapel Hill and the surrounding Triangle Area is a bubble of safety. I have not had any negative experiences in the area as a POC. DUKE & NC State Chapel Hill has a program with Duke and NC State so that graduate students can enroll in free classes there. Many Duke students attend UNC classes and vice versa. This is ideal since you have more access to take courses and meet professors in your area of specialty.

@KGross12 No, sorry! But I'm sure if you reach out to current Audiology students they would be willing to talk to you. Just make sure to be prepared to ask informed questions. Also, if you don't get a response from current students maybe check in with them once more and be willing to reach out to a few folks. A lot of us are really busy--so while most us want to help we may need you to follow up with us.

Hi all-- When I was looking into grad schools, I did not find this Chapel Hill guide very helpful. Now that I go to UNC, I want to contribute to this page so that it's hopefully more useful to others. Over the weekend, I'll write a blurb about what I find most important, but if you have any specific questions post them, and I'll try my best to reply to all of them.