Crosspost from another forum, good questions asked!

[tRmedic21]

Hi! I just recently was accepted to AUC and have a million questions. My most important concerns are:
1. Where on-line can I look to find an apt. (I have a dog and a cat)

2. What kind of transportation should I have? (is a scooter-moped a bad idea---how often does it rain?)?

3. If I live in an apartment off-campus, will I be missing out on events related to the housing on-campus, such as study groups? I don't want to be out of the mix. Are there some places close by?

4. When should I start looking for somewhere to live?

5. Are there some places that I should avoid living (because of distance, safety issues or bad expereinces)?

6. Where do you suggest that I look for an apartment that is decently close to AUC that is pretty new and allows pets? Is there such a place?!?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks! Lynsey Stewart (lynseystew@hotmail.com)

Well, Lynsey, congrats first of all on being accepted to medical school! It is a mile marker in your life, and no doubt about it.... I remember when I got MY acceptance letter.... oh well, never mind. About your questions...

1. There are tons of places you can look to find housing, unfortunately many of them are here on the island. You can check the Daily Herald online (www.thedailyherald.com) as well as these message boards. There are people who would be glad to help you, myself included and also julestx, who is my next door neighbor. She practically rented my place for me before I arrived. She is great and I know she has helped numerous students who are here now. She is a great resource and a great friend!

There are always postings on the walls at the school of places to rent, and maybe we could arrange a system to have a single 'housing' thread here, with available stuff listed, and we could remove each post once the place was rented out. I dunno, just an idea, although admittedly one with some flaws in it!

However, my take on the matter is that, as a 1st semester student, you should try to live in the dorms if at ALL possible. For a single student, I think financially, it is the best deal in the area. It is RIGHT on campus, guarded, clean, utilities included, Central air (a big deal, utilities can get high with the too-common wall units), and you will find yourself loving the convenience of being literally steps from the Anatomy lab for those late-night study sessions. $1000 a month sounds like a lot, but many students are paying much more than that without utilities. Also, you don't have to worry about all the other crap the rest of us did. I am STILL fighting with my landlord to get my washing machine installed! The best apartments by far are the doubles, so if you can stand living with anyone at all, go for that. It is $100 a month cheaper, and you get a much bigger place, separate baths, and a sweet balcony overlooking the lagoon. The only downside is the laundry, which is expensive as hell, but I know of a lady who does all your laundry pretty dang cheap, you just need to catch a ride to do it, unless you are planning on buying a car (which I also recommend).

Another factor is safety, which I mentioned about the guards and such, but also the building's sturdiness. It is built to the same standards of the school, I think, which means all but the absolute worst hurricanes won't even touch it. It is also autonomous in terms of water (the school has its own osmosis system, and the water tastes great!), electricity, etc. When the electric goes out for the rest of us on the island, as it typically does, for as much as a half an hour at a time, maybe once a week or so, you will still be air conditioned and dancing to your radio.

2. A car. A moped isn't bad, but it does rain alot here, and you will inevitably get caught in a downpour. It rains mostly every day, sometimes two or three times. It starts quickly, rains heavily, and ends just as quickly, sometimes in as little as 2-3 minutes, but if it lasts 10 minutes or more, and you are running late for class, waiting it out under an awning would be a pain, to me. You don't want to come in late to Biochemisty with Dr. Trotz. A car can be had for $1500-$3000 pretty easily, and though I myself don't have one right now, I know it would certainly be nice to get one.

3. Living off-campus isn't really an inconvenience. There is alot of housing close to the school, and there is not much going on at the school, with the exception of people studying individually in the library, Histo lab, and cafeteria. There are a few study groups, and there is SGA-sponsored tutoring available on campus, but unless you live out in Pelican Key or Cole Bay, it isn't a big problem to get back to campus, or to stay in the loop about what is going on.

4. Look for a place as soon as you can. I would recommend coming to visit the island if at ALL possible! I am serious. Let's say you wait until summer, when airfare goes down (www.bestfares.com, as low as $350 round-trip sometimes during summer), you can fly down for a week, and see all you need to see. During off season, rental cars are cheaper, flights are cheaper, hotels are cheaper, etc. It also will help you get a feel for what you are going to need to get ready to come here and stay for good. But if you find a place open right now, they are not going to hold it for you until then! Don't even expect them to hold it a month. Plan on 2 months' deposit PLUS first month's rent, just to move in. Some of the landlords will work with you about waiting for your loans, but you need to be 100% clear about that before you move in. Coming down early will help you find which places you like, though, and which ones you don't, so you know what areas to keep an eye on!

My wife and I live less than 5 minutes walk from the school, and we are planning on renting out our little studio apartment for $25/night just to cover utilities. We have some drinks and snacks in there, a small refrigerator, and a small stove with some dishes, so you can "eat in" a little bit to save some cash. It is completely autonomous from our apartment with separate access and all that. Anyone interested, let me know. I also think Jane Pedlow rents out some of her places for the same, if they are open. It is not to make any real money, just to provide prospectives with a cheap place to stay.

5. There are lots of places to avoid, and lots to jump on, so I won't go too much into that here, partially because of room constraints (man, this post is getting long ), but partly not to upset anyone who may live in those areas! You can e-mail me and/or julestx or PM us for specifics if you wish.

6. There are plenty of places close to AUC that aren't bad, and I don't believe pets are a major problem, either. In the States, it seems no one wants you to have pets. But here, carpet is a rarity, I think, so that helps. Most places seem to have ceramic tile floors, which are easy to clean. Several complexes near the school range in price from $800 per month for a 1 bedroom up to nearly $2000 a month, like at the Cupecoy Beach Club. It is all about what you want to spend. I know Arbor Estates is also very nice, and about 3 blocks, but also very expensive. We got lucky where we live, but I know people who have nearly the same style and quality of apartment who are paying up to 50% more than we are! As time gets closer, we can keep our eyes peeled for good deals, take some digital photos, etc. Don't sweat it, there are several of us here who are more than willing to help you out. I know the help I recieved before I got here was immeasurably valuable! Thanks jules!

I hope this info helps you and/or some others who are in your boat, and I will be happy to expound on it through private messages, e-mail, or here on the boards if you like! Just let me know if this was helpful or not, and maybe I can come up with some better suggestions!

Take care, congrats, and good luck in your medical school education!

[HELPME]

tRmedic21, hi again.
I just had a couple of more questions. Do u HAVE to have medical insurance when u get there? I know it's a good idea. However, I just want to know if it's a MUST. Also, is there parking at the school for a car? Is there parking at appartments for a car? Lastly, let's say you get your housing through the school and you're all set. Can you simply leave the air port, take a cab and move in?
Thx

[tRmedic21]

Medical insurance is required by the government of Sint Maarten to remain legally in the country, as is a return ticket home at all times. If you do not have insurance with a US company before you arrive, I believe you will need to get it when you get here. That is the official party line, and they say they are going to start checking people for insurance 'soon', whatever that means. Some students try to risk it, I personally don't like that idea.

The school has PLENTY of parking for your car. The lot is usually only like half-full or so during most class times. Most apartment complexes here also have parking, and depending on the complex, it may be guarded 24 hours (Cupecoy Beach Club), guarded at night (Cote d'Azur Marina, where I live, Tradewinds, Arbor Estates), or not guarded at all (Cote d'Azur Residence).

When you say housing through the school I assume you mean in the dorms. Yes, if you are confirmed by the school, you can fly in, rent a car or catch a taxi, check in at the guard shack, and they will get you into your dorm room. If you mean housing appropriated through the "Housing List" provided by the school of local rental properties, you are entirely on your own. They provide that list only as a convenience to students, and the only properties listed are the landlords who actively add their properties to it. Many, many places are not listed in that list, and I think most of those that are listed are because they are too expensive for most students to consider. The ones who can't rent their places out come begging for free advertising to their target group (us). Obviously, this is a generalization, and I know there are some good deals in there. Personally, I didn't use it.

Good luck!

[HELPME]

Peace,
Again thx a million. This forum is soooo helpful. I've been to other schools' forums and they are not as informative. Another question I have is can you insurance from the U.S. or does your coverage have to be from the island?
Thx

[tRmedic21]

If your insurance coverage explicitly states that it will cover you internationally (in Sint Maarten is even better), then it should be good enough. You WILL have to prove it, though, meaning a copy of your policy, or a letter directly from your insurance company stating you will be covered here.

This is the way I understand it, some other people may have a different interpretation, but I think it has been pretty clear.

[wifeofDr2b]

I have a question to add. Is student housing only for single students? What would you recommend for married students, first year? Still on campus, if available or are there other (better) options to consider?

Also, could someone please explain the "plane ticket for home at all times"?

Thanks to all who respond! Hubby will be applying for either the Jan 04 or May 04 class and I'm trying to research all I can! :P

[jhens]

I am leaving the island and my apt.(Bleu Azur) is coming available. It is extremely close the school and is a studio. $800 deposit and $800/month. No phone line so you would need a cell phone which you will want anyway. Very convenient for studying at school. When I first arrived I lived on the French side and loved it but I hated the drive to school everyday. I would recommend something relatively close. I have also heard very good things about the dorms.

[tRmedic21]

You can live in the dorms as a married couple, but remember, they charge per person, not per room. This means you will pay $1800 a month for a single, whereas a single student would be charged $1000 a month. My wife and I looked into it, but it is obvious they want to discourage couples or children in the dorms. Go figure.

Having a plane ticket home at all times.... If you come in on a one-way ticket, they (presumably) won't let you get through customs. Basically, the best thing to do is to buy your ticket down here with an open-ended return date. This usually means it is good for a year. You can also buy 90-day, 30-day, or 7-day tickets, I believe. Depends on the airline. My wife and I came in on a round-trip 7-day ticket, meaning we basically looked like tourists. Our return came and went, and we bought a couple of tickets to Puerto Rico for about $230 each. You always have to have a ticket available to fly out on to get away from Sint Maarten. Having the money in your account to buy the ticket isn't sufficient. Having a reserved ticket also isn't sufficient. You have to actually BUY a ticket and have it with you. Basically, what it boils down to is, if you get into trouble, Sint Maarten wants to be able to deport you on your commercial ticket, instead of their dime.

Hope that helps.