I think the problem is that the maintenance people know that it's nearly impossible for them to be fired. If you aren't afraid of losing your job and the culture dictates no reason to care about your job, then there is no incentive to do it well. When I moved out of the dorms, I also had to pay my way out of a large clean up fee, even though my room was already nearly spotless. Fortunately, I had something they wanted (a very large carpet), which I wanted to get rid of anyway. They agreed to clean my room for free if I left them the carpet. Of course, I watched them take the carpet, lock the door to my apartment, and I'm sure they never came back again to clean. It's definitely a scam, but nothing is going to change.

About living in the dorms, they are definitely a rip-off compared to American standards, but not bad for the island. There are electricity and water issues, but they're not nearly as bad as GEBE issues once you move off campus. They also rip you off a lot less than the Solutions people. The rooms are decent, A/C is included (which is typically very expensive), and the proximity can't be beat. Will I ever live there again? No. But, are they a bad deal for first semester? No.

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I'm an AUC student...that's all you need to know