<p>For transfer students that plan to live off-campus, how far away from campus can you live that you still think is appropriate? I've heard you have to take a shuttle or something from the parking lot anyways, so would it make a difference really if you lived say 5 minutes from school as opposed to 20 or so? Housing seems easier to find in San Diego than La Jolla.</p>
<p>yea i have the same question, but also think la jolla apartments are more costly</p>
<p>Apartments and rental condos are readily available in the University City area which is close to campus. They're generally nice also. This is where most students live who are off-campus and likely where you'd want to live. The UCSD shuttle serves that area as does the city bus. Areas further away wouldn't be served by the UCSD shuttle and would make it more difficult to commute from. Take a look at the area around Genesee and Nobel, along Regents, La Jolla Village Drive, and Villa La Jolla Drive. Use Google Maps or Microsoft Live Local to get an idea. </p>
<p>If you have roommates, i.e. 2 per bedroom, similar to on-campus dorms, it'll actually be less expensive than living on-campus.</p>
<p>This will give you an idea of where the UCSD shuttles run. It's nice to live close to one of the stops.</p>
<p>UCSD</a> Shuttles</p>
<p>thanks ucsd dad..i have also heard from many that living off campus does ave money</p>
<p>A bit more on apartments - </p>
<p>If you're looking on Craigslist, look for rentals that say they're in the UTC area. UTC is a mall in University City fairly close to UCSD. Some apartments are close enough that you could walk (usually longish walk) or ride a bike. It's best to locate close to the UCSD shuttle anyway since there are times you might want to use it - and it's free.</p>
<p>Some of the bigger and nicer apartment complexes are -
- Costa Verde
- La Regencia
- Oakwood
- Archstone</p>
<p>There are also a lot of condo rentals in that area. </p>
<p>Since the area has so many UCSD students, there are usually always students looking for roommates. Check on UCSD's housing site for connections to people looking for new roommates. Of course, it's nicer to share with someone you already know but if you don't know anyone, check out the ads.</p>
<p>thanks again dad...am probably gonna end up at ucsd cuz i got rejected at cal...but hey, im lookin forward to it</p>
<p>University City is really expensive. I don't know if you plan to use a car or not, but if you do, there are much cheaper areas in the central, south, and east parts of SD where you wouldn't be forced to find a roommate. Even without a car, I think commuting to UCSD by bus is doable if you live around Clairemont/Linda Vista, or within a few minutes of downtown (there are a few buses that go from downtown to UCSD).</p>
<p>i do have a car, and i'm actually used to driving quite a bit (i have 30 min drive to and from work everyday), but I was under the impression that the traffic and all that was horrible around there and maybe parking was plain unavailable. If it isn't too much of a hassle though it would be much easier to find housing a little farther away.</p>
<p>Of course, there's housing further away and in some areas it'll be less expensive. But, it'll be further away, it'll not have plenty of other college students living at it, it won't be served by the shuttle, it won't be within walking/biking distance, it'll probably be harder to find other students to room with if needed/desired, and it likely wouldn't be as nice of an area.</p>
<p>Some other areas outside of the UTC area that would be cheaper would be Clairemont, Mira Mesa, and Pacific Beach. The UTC area is nicer than Mira Mesa and Clairemont and arguably, PB though. There are a fair number of students living in PB but it's a different sort of area than UTC - a youngish crowd lives there and it has a fair amount of bars and restaurants but it's also fairly densely packed. Obviously, some students like PB - especially if they're over 21.</p>
<p>Again, the largest student housing area off-campus is in the UTC area. </p>
<p>Research the areas on Google earth and Microsoft Live Local to see what they look like. Check out the prices of apartments and rental condos in the areas. If you can, make a scouting trip in the early summer to get an idea of where you'd want to live. Check with the places to deterimine availability for fall. Some people rent a month or so before they actually need it to make sure they get one before a rush.</p>
<p>I don't think traffic in SD is horrible. Maybe my perception is affected by the last 4 years I've spent living in LA where horrible traffic is the norm, but in my experience in SD there are just a few parts that get heavily congested. For example, the 52 and Friars Rd in Mission Valley.</p>
<p>UTC is certainly a nice area, but unaffordable for many. If I were to move back to SD to attend UCSD, I probably couldn't live there. It depends on your budget.</p>
<p>You can try the classifieds in the San</a> Diego Reader to get an idea of what rents go for in the different neighborhoods.</p>
<p>To quantify it a bit, figure about $1600-2000 for a 2 BR apartment in the UTC area in a very nice complex. With 4 students that's about $400-500 per month. Add a bit for utilities and an internet connection. The price will obviously vary if you go to smaller less expensive complexes in the area or if you decide you don't want to share a room. It could be even less if you got a 1br and had 3 people in it similar to the way some people live in the dorms.</p>
<p>Since I am a transfer and I'll probably be living off campus, and have also completed all my PreReq's/GE's at a community college, does that make the specific college I got into (Marshall) basically irrelevant? I know the colleges have nothing to do with majors or anything, so it seems to me like whatever college you get admitted to as an off-campus transfer student would really have no meaning. Not only will I not be living with the rest of my college at the Marshall dorms, but I also wont be taking any of the GE requirements. Can someone clarify this for me? Does the specific college really play any role at all to a transfer student?</p>
<p>^^ no, except for GEs that you'll have to complete.</p>