Affairs to Get In Order for Relocation to a New City

[scientist410]

Hello all,

I have been admitted into the grad school of my choice! However, right now I am in a bit of a mess as to what exactly I should start preparing for. Off the top of my head I know - housing and awards. But what else should I start looking into now so as to be fully ready to be settled by September?

 

Thanks

[fuzzylogician]

Nothing more than what you'd usually plan for when you move, and you can search the web for multiple lists like that. You want to ask around about the neighborhoods where students in your program tend to live and when the housing market gears up, and be ready to search for an apartment/roommates. You need to figure out how you're getting from Current location to New location and book your transportation. You may need a new bank account if your bank doesn't have branches where you're moving to. You want to find out about utilities, maybe get a technician to install your internet as soon as you move. You may need to buy furniture. You may need a new phone plan. You'll have to pay some down payments so plan accordingly, these things pile up. 

School-wise, you might want to read up on your programs's regulations. If there is a student handbook, browse it. Have an idea of the structure of the program. You could read up on on-campus groups, the gym, etc.

City-wise, if you aren't that familiar with it, you could spend some time on the street view option on google maps. You could familiarize yourself with the local transportation options. You'll want to figure out if you need a car, parking, where the local DMV is, how much insurance would cost. 

Which is all to say, now that it's all done, there's a new kind of waiting period -- waiting to get your new life started. Nothing that I listed (with the possible exception of the housing market and any flights, movers, etc) needs to happen more than a couple of weeks before you move. 

[TakeruK]

Congratulations on getting into your top choice school  Fuzzy's list covers the main stuff. The only things I would add are:

- As part of the learning about when the housing market gears up, learn the typical "notice to vacate" rules in your New Location. Some places require tenants to give their landlords 60 (or 90) days notice to vacate, so if you are looking for a rental to begin September 1, it will likely already be on the market by June 1 (90 days) or July 1 (if 60 days). Most places in the US are 30 days though. But watch out for places with longer notice periods so that you don't miss out on some good deals.

- Look into health insurance as well to ensure you don't have a gap in coverage. If you are staying on existing insurance, be sure that you can get the services you need while in the new city/state. If you are switching to student insurance at your new school, make sure you arrive after the insurance takes effect, or make sure you have some backup insurance if you move early.

Finally, are you moving internationally? If so, there's a few more things to consider.

[Sigaba]

23 hours ago, scientist410 said:

But what else should I start looking into now so as to be fully ready to be settled by September?

Congratulations on your successful application season.

You can start one aspect of the transition immediately--the change in mindset from undergraduate to graduate student.

For a start, you could take a look at your previous posts on this BB and read very carefully the replies that you've received from very experienced members and then read more and more of their posts.