Thread: Housing is a SCAM at AUA

Whoever heard of a graduate school requiring its students to pay the exorbitant prices to the school and be forced to live on campus? I can understand maybe for 1 semester since you're on a foreign island and need to get acclimated, but there is NO reason to force students to live on campus housing for two semesters at rip off prices.

Also the leases are NON-STANDARD and you will get royally screwed when its actually time to move off campus. For example, this past lease was from Jan 1 to April 22. Now, I plan to do the Block term that runs from April 24 to May 6. Many people including myself are now in a bind since our new off campus lease starts on May 1. You go ask the AUA housing office and the useless lady there just shrugs her shoulders and says its never been a problem before. I still don't know where I'm going to stay for the block and I can't stay with another friend since all my close friends are in the same boat.

This is just a small example of how the school could give a damn about the real inconveniences the students face living on this island. The concept of customer service is a foreign one to all school officials. They probably have a guy sitting in their Wall St. office running an Excel spreadsheet figuring out how to maximize revenue, without considering the effects on students.

BTW, even if you want to stay on campus for an extra semester they are not allowing you to do so for the full term. You havev to leave on-campus housing by June 30. No landlord I spoke to said they would start a lease on July 1 since everyone here does 4 month leases that correspond to the school academic calendar. On top of that the school actually thought people would be willing to move just before finals week in the middle of a semester!?

You need to relax and go talk to student services and ask them for help. I have been here for 2 years and I was in housing for 1 year. If you want to be picky and stuff then yea you'll get screwed. Just calm down and talk to the right authority instead of disreputing the school that has given the opportunity to go to med school when no american school did.

What are you talking about? I already talked to PH in housing AND the NY office; PH basically said tough luck. Didn't you read today's email; they are not letting anyone stay over in current housing if you are moving out. I am now forced to pay around $1000 US for a hotel for block housing and my prior residence is going to sit unused for no good reason. The school is FORCING me to fork out an extra $1000 that I don't have. They are the most insensitive people you'll ever meet.

BTW, stop with this nonsense "they're giving me the opportunity to get an MD so I must bend over for them". We're giving them A LOT of money for that opportunity. THEY view themselves as a BUSINESS not a real school so they should treat us as proper CUSTOMERS and cater to us, but they could care less about us as long as the $$$$ keeps rolling in. BTW, I'm not some disgruntled complainer....I rarely post here, and I'm probably one of the better students being an FSG, etc.

Scam? Times have changed since I was on the island I suppose. When I was in school housing, I had to sign a lease. The lease stated pretty clearly what day I was expected to move out. Knowing this date, I made sure the lease for the house I was moving into had a "move in" date that was a few days earlier. Talk around to the upper classmen who are leaving for break. I'm sure one of them will let you 'sub-lease' their house/room for 10 days or so of the block course. Maybe you can put up flyers around campus or post on the SGA board (if you guys still use that).

Hey, Chill out... Its people like you give the school a bad rep. Based on your verbal diatribe I am assuming that you are in your second semester. Please note I am in no way endorsing the school or this administration. However, you probably did not get very far b/c you approached the situation with a bad and negative attitude as if someone owes you something.
Understand the the housing situation is due to the change of the new semester for the incoming students. They CANT have you in the housing when it is assigned to someone else.
I attended a prominent medical school in the states and I had to live on campus in the dumbs of Augusta. Furthermore, I also attended PACE university in New York and had to live in campus housing.
Everyone had the opportunity to move out of housing during the last semester. I spent one semester in student housing and was granted a waiver. Many students with the right attitude got this. So check yourself and dont come here whining and man's best friending and blaming everyone for the attitude you portary. I a sure they did not put a gun to your head to come here.

People like you who think that the school is running like a business are the ones that suffer. The school is improving its curriculum, incorporated skill labs and doing everything it can to help the students. If you don't want to get off your cranky *** and respond to the system then you are the one to blame. You had a choice to go some where else but you chose to come here. I suggest you shut up and get on with studying.