Relocating, Summers, and On Campus Housing

[kateausten]

I'm starting grad school in Spring and have a 2000 mile relocation ahead of me. Obviously it's going to be costly, so I'm deciding how I want to handle it. I'm also looking at 1BR or studio properties within walking distance of campus for various personal reasons. Getting a roommate is a last resort for me.

I have the opportunity to live in on-campus housing for a little over $1000/month plus #100 parking. It's steep for the area (Milwaukee), but the apartments are furnished and the price includes all utilities including cable/internet and has a fitness center. I could essentially relocate for the price of gas because I can carry clothes, books, and small stuff in my car. The lease would go until the start of the fall semester, though, and they don't allow subletting. For the fall semester I could either stay in the same place or use my time in the city to line up cheaper housing.

I could also try for a short term lease with another apartment. They seem to go for around $700 plus extra for parking, but of course that doesn't include all the utilities that the on-campus does. I'd also have to factor in the cost of staying in a hotel while looking at places (seems dangerous to rent one sight unseen -- even if you avoid scams there could be issues with the building that aren't apparent in pictures/reviews) as well as the cost of buying new furniture or moving mine. In past relocations I have used this method to save some money over paying more for move-in-ready temporary housing and it has wound up costing way more than expected (in terms of nights in a hotel, the amount of furniture required, etc).

I suppose the best situation would be if I could sublet from a student who will be away for the semester. However, I'm guessing that those places go fast and that I would have to be extremely lucky to find one still available when I show up on campus. Since I'm 2000 miles away and plane fares are going to be at holiday prices soon it would be difficult to just stop by and check out sublets. I could always sign a lease without seeing the place but that seems risky.

A big part of this decision is whether I should expect to be on campus for the summer. I'm in a MA program (dual focus, one professional one academic, and not writing a thesis). If I don't have a research assistant position or local internship or something, it would be much more cost effective for me to stay with parents for the summer. Do grad students usually stick around for the summer regardless, or should I not count on needing housing then?

Any good/bad experiences with the above possibilities? I have done quite a few temporary relocations but I always seem to manage them poorly and wind up wasting money.

[Chai_latte]

I would go with campus housing. There's not enough turn around time otherwise. The bad/good thing about spring is that the process is much faster. You find out faster, but you're also expected to find a place/get acclimated in two minutes. And yes, a lot of people tend to stay for the summer. I think it's a good idea thesis, or not. You have the opportunity to solidify your network/do an independent study/intern/anything without classes and homework anchoring your day. Seriously, be grateful that you have this as an option. At my school we have ~8000 grads w/ 200 slots for grad student housing. Half of the housing is crap, which means only 100 REAL slots are available. Luckily, I moved my feet and snagged one. I suggest you do the same.

[rising_star]

If I were you, I would send an email to your new program and see if you can send out an announcement for the department list saying tha tyou need housing for spring semester. It's definitely not to late to do this and you may be able to find a sublet of a furnished place. Alternately, you could stay with another grad student while you're working on finding your own place to save on costs. If I were you, I wouldn't just go for campus housing because, in my experience, it's both overpriced and not as nice as what you can find on your own.

[juilletmercredi]

I think it depends on the city that you're moving to about campus housing, and even the campus. Our university's main campus is a very expensive neighborhood and campus housing is cheaper and nicer than what you can find in the main neighborhood for the same price. If you move up to the next neighborhood, you can find things around the same size and price, but the neighborhood itself is not as desirable for most and you add a short commute. However, at the medical center campus, that's a cheaper neighborhood and the campus housing is crappy compared to what you can get in the SAME neighborhood. This is something to ask current grad students about.

But yeah, there are definitely a whole bunch of people going to do fieldwork or research somewhere else who need to sublet their apartments during any given semester (especially summer, but also spring and fall) and you can find a sublet. I would follow rising_star's advice and email the departmental secretary.