Jump to content

mrfuga01

Members
  • Posts

    1
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Program
    English

mrfuga01's Achievements

Decaf

Decaf (2/10)

1

Reputation

  1. Hi guys! Congrats on attending the U of A! You'll like being a Razorback. I finished my MFA here in 2006 and have been a staff member in various employ ever since. Fayetteville is a great town -- lots of fun for grad students. It's sort of the ultimate college town. It's easy to find a place to live that's within walking distance, it's very cheap to live here, there are millions (well, thousands) of others just your age and looking to have fun, and the bar/downtown atmosphere is pretty fun. Here's the low-down: 1. Yes, cost-of-living is pretty cheap. As an example, I live in a 2-bedroom house on a double lot with a fenced in backyard within walking distance to campus. Two parking spots, full basement, front porch and huge kitchen. Very nice (not crappy at all). I pay about $750 a month. That's pretty high for around here. If you want to slum it, you can go as low as $300 a month. If you have income, then you can get a house and rent for $800 a month and do very well. Utilities should be about $150 a month, depending on the season and if you have gas heat. 2. Social life is pretty easy -- most departments will have some sort of social network. If not, latch on to one that does. The international student program is big here, and so are some of the other grad student programs. Dickson Street is the place to go bar hopping, restaurant skipping and all-around see and be seen. It can get tedious after a few years, but hopefully you'll enjoy it before you hate it. George's is good for live music (saw Gavin DeGraw there in October, and Merle Haggard before that), Mickey Finn's is good for a pub scene, Brewski's is more grad students and Common Grounds is a coffee shop/bar/restaurant that is open late. It can be heavy on the youngsters, but it's a nice place to go and get a coffee and study. People are really friendly here, so strike up a conversation if you are out alone. The bartenders and wait staff tend to be young and in college. Don't be afraid! One MAJOR MAJOR note: restaurants stop serving around nine pm there. There are also only about two delivery places. This can be a bummer. You need to plan when you go eat. Common Grounds is open late -- 11 at least, so there's always that. Plus, the sushi in town is great. I eat sushi in Los Angeles and I can honestly still say that Fayetteville sushi is great (not LA quality, but you see what I'm saying). 3. If you are a foodie, prepare for some difficulties. Fayetteville has the stuff you want, but you have to search for it and pay for it. We have three major grocery stores: IGA, Harp's and Wal-Mart. Embrace the Wal-Mart, love the Wal-Mart. Your snobbery will only hurt you. It really has the best selection of stuff. For better quality and somewhat better selection, try Ozark Natural Foods (grains, organic stuff, etc. -- owned by Whole Foods) and Richard's Meat Market. The Fayetteville Farmer's Market is every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning on the square from March to November. Great source of local produce, meat, flowers, crafts, plants, etc. If you ask around, you can find local people who sell all kinds of produce, cheese, meats, etc. from their farms, if you are into that kind of living. 4. When you are looking for housing, try to get something close to campus -- it's not worth trying to park on campus. There are lots of cool little houses near campus. Just plan a visit and take a look. Don't try to gauge something over the internet, though. Kinda hard around here, I think. 5. Weather: Mostly warm and mild. We just got plowed by an ice storm, which is unusual. The winters are usually around 40ish for Dec-Feb. Spring is warm -- about 60. Summers are hot! Your first 6 weeks of grad school may be over 100 degrees, so be prepared. Everything (and I mean everything) is air conditioned around here, so it's not too big of a deal, but it can be culture shock if you aren't used to it. I'm happy to answer any questions, especailly if they are about the MFA in writing program! Good luck! Woo-pig sooie!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use