College Station, TX

[Devaris]

Hey!

I think I will attend TAMU in the fall,

I'm a MS student and I'm 22.

I was thinking about living on campus and I don't have money for a car.

I will be on a RA with 1750/month. Is it livable?

Any suggestion?

Ghionus - I think 1750/month should be livable, especially if you don't have a ton of other expenses like car insurance, etc. College Station is, generally, a pretty affordable town.

[m.giugno]

Ghionus - I think 1750/month should be livable, especially if you don't have a ton of other expenses like car insurance, etc. College Station is, generally, a pretty affordable town.

Thank you!

Do you know how much is after taxes approximately?

I booked a room in a 3BR/3BA at around 500$/mo (I needed fully furnished) near campus. Is a car strictly necessary or not in College Station?

[Devaris]

I don't think a car is strictly necessary in College Station, especially if you don't mind walking/biking a little bit, or just taking the free shuttle service the campus offers. For those few occasions that you simply NEED to get some place a little bit farther, you can always do what all other students do and just offer to bribe a roommate with gas money in exchange for a ride - worked like a charm for me for my first two years as an undergrad in South Texas.

As far as taxes, I'm not entirely sure I understand your question. Do you mean will your $500 rent be taxed? If so, then no. Just be sure that you read over any sort of contract you have with the landlord or roommates so that you know whether your 500 will include utilities or not - typically though, I expect that it will just be a straight 500/month.

[m.giugno]

I don't think a car is strictly necessary in College Station, especially if you don't mind walking/biking a little bit, or just taking the free shuttle service the campus offers. For those few occasions that you simply NEED to get some place a little bit farther, you can always do what all other students do and just offer to bribe a roommate with gas money in exchange for a ride - worked like a charm for me for my first two years as an undergrad in South Texas.

As far as taxes, I'm not entirely sure I understand your question. Do you mean will your $500 rent be taxed? If so, then no. Just be sure that you read over any sort of contract you have with the landlord or roommates so that you know whether your 500 will include utilities or not - typically though, I expect that it will just be a straight 500/month.

I was referring to stipend. I don't know how the US system works. Since I will have a 1750$/mo, how much will it be net after taxes? Thank you!

[Devaris]

I was referring to stipend. I don't know how the US system works. Since I will have a 1750$/mo, how much will it be net after taxes? Thank you!

No idea - tax laws in the US are notoriously difficult to understand, especially if one can claim a status as an active student. I would just talk to whatever organization is granting you the stipend (A&M?) or make friends with someone out of the Department of Accounting over at the Mays Business School and talk them into doing your taxes for you as a way to help them study. Hey, it might even work. Best of luck!

[VictorianTess]

hi!!

I got an admit from University of Texas,Dallas for fall 2011.I would like to know if on campus housing

is better or off campus..and any other useful information provided will be appreciated..thank you..

I would recommend not living on campus. If you're partnered, there's family housing, which looks kind of run down. If you're single, they'll put you in the dorms with undergrads.

Also, those asking about cars: it is possible to do just about everything without having a car if you're near a stop. The downside is that during the Summer, buses only run every 1/2 hour or so, and almost every weekend in the Fall, the buses don't run (because they're used to shuttle people to the football games). They also don't run on holidays, and most places you need to go, you'll have to take the bus to campus, then another bus from campus to your destination. That being said, you can save lots of money on parking and gas by taking the bus to campus every day instead of driving.

Those considering Treehouse Apartments: I have friends who live there and another moving in. It's not super fancy, but it's a convenient location (with a bus stop right there) and a good price.

[wildriver]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum, I am moving to CS for a 1-year postdoc at TAMU in July. I am driving all the way from Chicago, with my wife and need to find an apt soon after our arrivals. I have some questions:

Do you know any place, rather than hotels to stay in for a low price or no price for a few days till finding an apt?

Does anyone know apartments with more couples that match us up more?

Thank you

[Amalia222]

Just moved here and I have to say that I like C.S. quite a bit (except for the weather. There apparently are three seasons: Hot, Hotter, and Hottest). Free shuttles everywhere to and from campus, restaurants and stores everywhere so you can buy whatever you need, cheap gas (compared to California, where I'm from), and friendly people. It took me a minute to get used to everyone calling me "ma'am", but I'm getting over that. Finding an appartment can be a hassle, so make sure to shop around. You can find a decent place shuttle-distance from campus for about 500$ a month. The cheaper places are fine if you like roaches and stains. I don't know about night life, since I'm too old for that crap, hehe. Anyways, if you have any other q's, feel free to ask.

[6682]

Is it easy to meet other grad students at Texas A&M?

[hurricane0218]

Hello everyone. I have a few questions about the College Station area. First of all, when looking for housing, are there any areas or streets to avoid? I'm looking for something fairly quiet. I don't want to live in an undergrad party palace. I've had enough of that.

Well actually that seems like the only question I can think of at the moment. Any help will be much appreciated!!

[Waiting13]

Hi hurricane! You can check out this thread on CS from the meet and great section- it kind of answers your question on housing.

I went there for my undergrad and would be happy to answer any other questions!

[superbygk]

hey folks, i'm looking possibly to get a 1 bedroom apartment for the fall when i enroll at TAMU. can anyone weigh in on treehouse apartments? they seem to be a very affordable option for a graduate student, but i see that it got very negative reviews on apartmentratings and reviews compiled by google. would anyone recommend another affordable one bedroom place in the BCS area?

[j.raterman]

Heya all!

 

I'm hoping to revive this thread for the Fall 2013 applicants. I received my acceptance to a Phd program at A&M, so I thought now would be a good time to try to get this up:

 

First, general questions:

 

-Any advice on where the graduate students live comfortably, with decent amenities, quietness, and a reasonable comute to campus (walking, biking, bus, car)?

 

-Places to avoid?

 

-Reasonable cost of living to expect?

 

-Most importantly, what's the bar scene like in College Station? I've heard that Austin and Houston are the places to go for a weekend of culture. We're just hoping for something in the immediate area that's 21+

 

-Any other advice?

 

###

 

My individual concerns for finding a place:

 

-It has to be dog friendly! I'm looking to rent a house with my fiance and our two dogs (both are adult, female, medium sized around 40 lbs., quiet, and friendly- a lab mix and a boxer mix). We would prefer a house with a decent sized, fenced yard but are willing to compromise if an apartment complex/ condo/ townhouse is optimally located, with plenty of roaming room for the dogs to play ball and sniff their hearts out, etc.And we both have good cars but like to have the option of biking and riding the bus. Suggestions?

 

-What are the leash and dog laws like in College Station? Are they okay with bully breeds? Any nice dog parks? People seem tolerant of decently behaved pets?

 

-Judging from the existing replies in this thread, it looks like we could live comfortably within a budget of $600 to $800 for rent? We are flexible up to $1000 for rent per month but a little less is better. Doable?

 

So, to sum, nice, quiet, dog friendly, decent location, and a nice yard are what I'm looking for in a place.

 

I would love to hear from anyone who is familiar with College Station or the contiguous town of Bryan (or any livable places between College Station and Houston, or Austin, etc...).

 

Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone.

 

Cheers!

 

[danorou]

Y'all:

I thought I could breathe a bit of new life into this thread. I haven't read through all of it, so I may overlap with what other posters have said. Forgive me for that, but I thought I could provide a bit of insight, as I will be graduating with a B.S. in civil engineering in August and going elsewhere. I have done research and have heard quite a bit of input from the graduate students I worked with. I will try to share some of my own perspective.

 

Also, some of my points are about Texas A&M University, but there is no reason that anyone would go to College Station if they weren't going to TAMU, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

First of all, my perspective is that of a kid who has lived in several different places, so I won't have a *native* outlook.

 

Pros:

• College Station is very quiet. If you are a person who likes to study plenty or are content with hanging out with friends, it is a very welcoming suburban-type area. Even the rowdier part of town (Northgate, which has plenty of bars adjacent to campus), is very mild.
• Depending upon your major and how much effort you put in, you can get a high class education. I am only familiar with engineering, which is pretty well ranked in all disciplines. I know the business school is also well respected. That being said, I would say that you can coast through without anyone really checking if you have learned anything. To counter that, there are always professors who will bend over backwards to teach something to you, should you have questions.
• No one is really out to get you. I mean that in the sense that people will not be competing with you for things, directly. No one will want to sabotage your experiment/research. No one wants to see you fail. It leads to a pretty relaxed environment.
• The physical university is beautiful. The construction work has recently been trying to make a more uniform feel to the campus, and I would say that they are succeeding.
• Traffic is no big issue, transit works. The bus transit system is very effective if you live on a bus route. Bike routes are convenient, but there are few which extend out more than 2 or 3 miles from the university.
• The cost of living is very reasonable. Rent for me (about 1 mile from campus) was $750 total from my roommate and I for a 2 bed/2 bath, 1000 sq.ft. apartment. Utilities run about $100-150 per month.
• College Station is growing. Some people aren't happy about this, but it means that there will be more apartments closer to campus, and newer apartments all together. 

Cons:

• College Station might be too quiet. My brother goes to UT Austin (tu), and his constant jabs of "Aggies study because there is nothing else to do" holds some truth. There are no big bands that come here, no really large festivals or such. College Station is only 2 hours from Houston, or about 3.5 hours from Dallas, so plenty of students drive elsewhere to engage in some fun activities.
• You can slip through the cracks. This point ties in with the large size of the university. The university is even looking to expand significantly, and already it seems like professors are overloaded. A professor I worked for had 20 Ph.D. and Masters students at the same time, though it was an extenuating circumstance. I know for undergrad that no body really ever checked if I was learning, or just regurgitating. For grad, I don't think it would be too unreasonable to take 7 years to get a Ph.D. just because no one ever really checked what you were doing.
• Aggies are a little crazy. I should know this because I am an Aggie. It's a warming, family experience in some ways, but it is a little cloistering in other ways. I know that I enjoyed it, but it could be a hard cup to drink if you find the Aggie life isn't quite what you wanted. Just as an example, pretty much everyone is gung-ho to get their Aggie Ring. It's important, but it's also 1000 dollars or so for men, 800 for women. As much as I liked Aggieland and consider myself an Aggie, the pricetag was hard to swallow.

If you have any questions about Aggieland, feel free to ask.

[iit_chem]

Are there are any Indian stores and restaurants or atleast veggie restaurants in and around College Station. Also what are my options to commute if i dont want to get a DMV license.Is a bicycle enough to go around?

[zaphyr]

Hello,

I got accepted to PhD in EE at TAMU and am attending it. just wanted to drop a line and wonder if you would be able to advise me about off-campus and residence housing. Which one do you yourself prefer and got experience? I 'd rather on campus but find it based their website that I am sharing bathroom with other students in all possible options, am I right? How is the off campus?

[BushSchoolStudent]

I'm an international student also weighing up the off-campus housing options! Not sure whether to prioritise proximity or listen to the online reviews and go further out!

[Deb79]

Hi, 

 

I have reading all the questions and answers on this forum reagarding TAMU and College Station and noticed that most of the replies are pretty old. I would like to post few similar questions and would require answers on the current scenario.

 

I am an Indian. I had applied in TAMU's Hispanic Studies department for the completion of my Ph.D. in Spanish Literature (Modern and Contemporary period, Fall 2014) and I have been selected along with a TA-ship. The stipend is 14000 for 9 months and the College pays the tutions too. I have to bear the fees for the first 3 years and later the college will take over. The Health Insurance is also payed by the College except for the first 3 months. However, there is no guarantee of Summer Job but there could be some opportunity. Now, I am confused about how good is the offer and how good is the College from the point of view of earning the degree. I heard it's reputed but it's not an Ivy League School. I was in Spain, in Madrid for 4 years. I have earned a Masters from there, had started my Ph.D. too but couldn't complete it owing to fund crisis. I came back to India and joined my old School from where I had earned my first Masters with the hope of completing the Ph.D. but the work scenario is terrible here and the payments are ugly!! Also the bureaucracy is suffocating!! My case is a bit complicated and thus I would like to ask how good TAMU would be. I have been selected by three more Colleges, namely, StonyBrook, Arizona State University and Florida International University. On the flipside I have been rejected by Columbia University and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, it was pretty disheartening for me. 

 

I will be very obliged if someone can throw some light on this. I wish to complete my degree within 3/4 years and start working. I am teaching in India currently but they are not very rewarding. Does TAMU have good placement cell? I am 35 and gradually getting very impatient. My research is getting interrupted again and again and at times I feel like leaving it altogether but again I know that I won't have any future in academia if I don't get my degree...any suggestions?

[Deb79]

*I have been reading

[Deb79]

Y'all:

I thought I could breathe a bit of new life into this thread. I haven't read through all of it, so I may overlap with what other posters have said. Forgive me for that, but I thought I could provide a bit of insight, as I will be graduating with a B.S. in civil engineering in August and going elsewhere. I have done research and have heard quite a bit of input from the graduate students I worked with. I will try to share some of my own perspective.

 

Also, some of my points are about Texas A&M University, but there is no reason that anyone would go to College Station if they weren't going to TAMU, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

First of all, my perspective is that of a kid who has lived in several different places, so I won't have a *native* outlook.

 

Pros:

• College Station is very quiet. If you are a person who likes to study plenty or are content with hanging out with friends, it is a very welcoming suburban-type area. Even the rowdier part of town (Northgate, which has plenty of bars adjacent to campus), is very mild.
• Depending upon your major and how much effort you put in, you can get a high class education. I am only familiar with engineering, which is pretty well ranked in all disciplines. I know the business school is also well respected. That being said, I would say that you can coast through without anyone really checking if you have learned anything. To counter that, there are always professors who will bend over backwards to teach something to you, should you have questions.
• No one is really out to get you. I mean that in the sense that people will not be competing with you for things, directly. No one will want to sabotage your experiment/research. No one wants to see you fail. It leads to a pretty relaxed environment.
• The physical university is beautiful. The construction work has recently been trying to make a more uniform feel to the campus, and I would say that they are succeeding.
• Traffic is no big issue, transit works. The bus transit system is very effective if you live on a bus route. Bike routes are convenient, but there are few which extend out more than 2 or 3 miles from the university.
• The cost of living is very reasonable. Rent for me (about 1 mile from campus) was $750 total from my roommate and I for a 2 bed/2 bath, 1000 sq.ft. apartment. Utilities run about $100-150 per month.
• College Station is growing. Some people aren't happy about this, but it means that there will be more apartments closer to campus, and newer apartments all together. 

Cons:

• College Station might be too quiet. My brother goes to UT Austin (tu), and his constant jabs of "Aggies study because there is nothing else to do" holds some truth. There are no big bands that come here, no really large festivals or such. College Station is only 2 hours from Houston, or about 3.5 hours from Dallas, so plenty of students drive elsewhere to engage in some fun activities.
• You can slip through the cracks. This point ties in with the large size of the university. The university is even looking to expand significantly, and already it seems like professors are overloaded. A professor I worked for had 20 Ph.D. and Masters students at the same time, though it was an extenuating circumstance. I know for undergrad that no body really ever checked if I was learning, or just regurgitating. For grad, I don't think it would be too unreasonable to take 7 years to get a Ph.D. just because no one ever really checked what you were doing.
• Aggies are a little crazy. I should know this because I am an Aggie. It's a warming, family experience in some ways, but it is a little cloistering in other ways. I know that I enjoyed it, but it could be a hard cup to drink if you find the Aggie life isn't quite what you wanted. Just as an example, pretty much everyone is gung-ho to get their Aggie Ring. It's important, but it's also 1000 dollars or so for men, 800 for women. As much as I liked Aggieland and consider myself an Aggie, the pricetag was hard to swallow.

If you have any questions about Aggieland, feel free to ask.

Hi, 

 

I have been reading all the questions and answers on this forum reagarding TAMU and College Station and noticed that most of the replies are pretty old. I would like to post few similar questions and would require answers about the current scenario.

 

I am an Indian. I had applied in TAMU's Hispanic Studies department for the completion of my Ph.D. in Spanish Literature (Modern and Contemporary period, Fall 2014) and I have been selected along with a TA-ship. The stipend is 14000 for 9 months and the College pays the tutions too. I have to bear the fees for the first 3 years and later the college will take over. The Health Insurance is also payed by the College except for the first 3 months. However, there is no guarantee of Summer Job but there could be some opportunity. Now, I am confused about how good is the offer and how good is the College from the point of view of earning the degree. I heard it's reputed but it's not an Ivy League School. I was in Spain, in Madrid for 4 years. I have earned a Masters from there, had started my Ph.D. too but couldn't complete it owing to fund crisis. I came back to India and joined my old School from where I had earned my first Masters with the hope of completing the Ph.D. but the work scenario is terrible here and the payments are ugly!! Also the bureaucracy is suffocating!! My case is a bit complicated and thus I would like to ask how good TAMU would be. I have been selected by three more Colleges, namely, StonyBrook, Arizona State University and Florida International University. On the flipside I have been rejected by Columbia University and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, it was pretty disheartening for me. 

 

I will be very obliged if someone can throw some light on this. I wish to complete my degree within 3/4 years and start working. I am teaching in India currently but they are not very rewarding. Does TAMU have good placement cell? I am 35 and gradually getting very impatient. My research is getting interrupted again and again and at times I feel like leaving it altogether but again I know that I won't have any future in academia if I don't get my degree...any suggestions?

[zaphyr]

I'm an international student also weighing up the off-campus housing options! Not sure whether to prioritise proximity or listen to the online reviews and go further out!

Hello, which lists are you searching in for an off-campus housing? In need some info, would you mind sharing me?

[CC2014]

I'm going to be attending TAMU starting this fall so I've started my search process for a place to live.  I'll share the resources I've been using but most will have been mentioned in these threads:

 

aggiesearch.tamu.edu

 

This site seems to be run by the school itself and is actually pretty useful.  Of note are the locator services.  I plan to make use of these locators as I do not want to live in a complex but rather in a a house or at least a duplex/fourplex.  I am married and my wife and I would like to remain out of the undergrad scene as much as possible

I've also used Padmapper and craigslist a bit.  

Yeah, thats pretty much all I got.

[zaphyr]

I'm going to be attending TAMU starting this fall so I've started my search process for a place to live.  I'll share the resources I've been using but most will have been mentioned in these threads:

 

aggiesearch.tamu.edu

 

This site seems to be run by the school itself and is actually pretty useful.  Of note are the locator services.  I plan to make use of these locators as I do not want to live in a complex but rather in a a house or at least a duplex/fourplex.  I am married and my wife and I would like to remain out of the undergrad scene as much as possible

I've also used Padmapper and craigslist a bit.  

Yeah, thats pretty much all I got.

I really appreciate for the useful website

[BushSchoolStudent]

I've been using www.apartmentguide.com to see the apartments that are available - and apartmentratings.com to look at the reviews!

 

Like CC2014 I'm going to be looking for something a little out as I'm a graduate student but I still want a community as I'm coming by myself from the UK! So I'm trying to achieve a balance.

[zaphyr]

I've been using www.apartmentguide.com to see the apartments that are available - and apartmentratings.com to look at the reviews!

 

Like CC2014 I'm going to be looking for something a little out as I'm a graduate student but I still want a community as I'm coming by myself from the UK! So I'm trying to achieve a balance.

Thanks