Hey you guys and gals that just flew out for the May semester:
What was the most important necessities you looked for in respect to choosing a apartment?

location
cleanliness
air conditioning
(every apt I saw had AC, but central AC is rare and I wanted that. -- I did not get it though.)

Hi-

I looked for a place that was close to campus, had AC and the rent was reasonable. I got more...cable TV, a microwave, fridge and maid service two times a week for $525. The walk is three minutes from campus. Most ppl that I talked to have cable tv included in their rent. If you want AC make sure the AC is in your bedroom. Some places have the AC in their living rooms. With AC in your bedroom, you can close the door to your bedroom (if you have a one bedroom apt.) and have the cool air circulating within your bedroom and not throughout the whole apartment! That way, you can turn on the AC on 'high' at the coldest AC possible and letit go for a few hours. Then, you can turn it off and the room will be cool for some time! :P

The main thing I looked for was good location. I got an apartment that was on the main road, about 3-5 minutes away from campus. I'm an LA girl, and I'm not used to walking more than one block , so that was my main concern. Also look at the kind of path you'll be walking on--is it paved, windy, uphill/downhill, well-lit, etc.

The second thing is the quality of the screens on the windows. Make sure they're tight. My body doesn't cope well with insect bites, so that was another big issue for me.

Other things to look for: AC, hot water, decent bathroom/toilet.

Hi Teekay-

I'm not sure if you are still around ( the forum, that is)...

I'll be starting in Sept. '03. I'm coming to island late ...could you possibly pm-me and tell me where you got such a great deal. Are there one bedroom apartments where you are? I'm terrrified of getting stuck in a bug-infested crappy apartment.

Thanks in advance,

happydoc