How can You Get a Suitable Apartment?

photos and essay by Ansam Jameel Talib

Are you a new student in College Station? How can you get a suitable apartment there? I know you will say, "East or west, the home is the best.” But now you are moving to a new place far from your home. Everyone should have a suitable and comfortable place where he or she can rest and overcome the tiredness from the hard work. If you are an international student and looking for a secure, safe, and comfortable apartment, you should decide first where you want to reside: on-campus or off-campus.

The on-campus apartments have many advantages and some disadvantages. On-campus apartments are very secure and inside the campus. Also, there are university buses that come to these apartments. You will not be late for your morning classes because you will not feel the traffic jam problem. You will not have any problem about setting up utilities, and the electricity is cheaper than off-campus apartments. However, there are some disadvantages for on-campus apartments if you do not have your own car. There are some bus routes that take you some supermarkets, but that means you need to ride four buses going and coming to buy your food, clothes, or necessary things.

The off-campus apartments have some benefits, but you should remember to find a comfortable, quiet, and secure place. If you have your own car, many things will be easy to do. If you can wake up early you will not be late for your morning classes. You can buy your food clothes, or anything you need as you like. You do not need to follow the bus schedule. But you should look at your money. You can find some apartments with low prices, but what about the utilities? Some apartments do not have good maintenance.

In both cases first, you need to search online. You can visit this web link to see the apartment's on-campus: http://reslife.tamu.edu/ua/theGardens/ or off-campus http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss/requestpublication. You will find these apartments with annual updating for off-campus survival manual through this website. You can see how those apartments look like from a map and some pictures of an apartment. At the same time, you can check the prices, the utilities, and the rules for each apartment. For instance, some allow pets, but some do not. You can register online and fill out an application for an apartment after you choose which apartment you want. After that, you can pay the application fees and the deposit online to hold this apartment; you need to make a contract with the office for the apartment. You will need your official documents, especially two identification cards such as I-20, DS-2019, or your student card, your passport, and a bank statement. Finally, make sure you choose the right apartment because the contract is at least for six months.

To close, you should decide where you want to live: on-campus or off-campus. Find the place where you can be safe, and relaxed for a good price. If you check these guides, you will be able to choose your future apartment. Search online and be familiar with this small city.