Graduate housing

[VT]

Since the admission season is almost over, and it is about time to make decisions and plan for gradaute housings and other related issues, I was wondering what people think about on-campus gradaute housing(that would be just like your undergrad single room housing). I do not want to go through whole apt renting procedure because I find that painful and stressful. Also living in an apt, you will have to take care of so many tiny many details which I do not have any good experience of (cleaning to diswashing, sorry if I sound like a child who always loves candy )
Any thoughts on what it would be like to live on on-campus housing. Do any grad students ever make such a choice? Is being a grad students intrinsically related to having an apt style life?
I have been checking apts around Madison online, and it is driving me nuts.

[will]

Also living in an apt, you will have to take care of so many tiny many details which I do not have any good experience of.

Now's the time. You can't live in a dorm all your life, and there's a lot more tiny details involved in owning a place so you might as well get your feet wet now.

If you still don't want to do it, I'm pretty sure Madison has grad housing on campus, though I think you were supposed to request a housing application when you filled in the grad school application... But I suggest against it. There's nothing worse than going out, meeting someone, having a great time and then asking her back to your dorm.

[excel]

I am planning to live in graduate housing during my first year, so that I get to know the good places and potential apartment-mates before I actually rent an apartment. I did the same thing during my undergrad: lived in the dorms during freshman year, and then rented a 3-room apartment with two other students. Incidentally, Brown seems to have a graduate housing program for just that.

From what I have seen so far, graduate housing need not be like undergrad dorms though there are certainly a few of those too. Several universities (like Stanford) seemed to have a lot of apartment-style housing for grad students and also some studios and singles.

I am wondering if it would be worth paying the extra money for a single...for the privacy, you know (see the last line of Will's comment ). By the way, even dorm-style 1-person room graduate housing would give us more privacy than living in an apartment, would it not?

[VT]

I do not know if Madison has that sort of apt style single student housing. Even if they do, is not it the same as renting an apt?
Well, crap, I did not fill out housing request form while applying to Madison or any where else. I only cared admission then, NOT the housing.

If you rent an apt, you have to take care of your TPs to ACs ( ) . If you do not have a car, then all I can think is a mess and I am not in any position to buy a car now. I do not know if the first year is a right time to get my feet wet or hands dirty by renting an apt.

[excel]

I dont know about Wisconsin, but all universities that have accepted me have grad housing application deadline that is after April 15, 2008.

On-campus apt style housing is typically located in a safe area and probably very close to your department; that is my assumption at least. Also, the process of leasing and the apartment would be standard, and most universities have a map/ specifications of the apartment on their housing webpages.

[Helio]

sounds better then my school 16000 grads 1100 spots for graduate housing

[will]

The deadline may be April 15th, but like Helio's case, that doesn't mean they haven't already filled. It's not like they're picking the best candidates; more first come, first served. You should call to check as soon as you can.

Not having a car doesn't have to be an issue, by the way. If you can live in a nice area within biking distance from campus or near some public transportation then you're golden.

[Helio]

This is WI not LA. as a grad in LA I would recommend a car.. the 3 years as an undergrad here have been really hindered by that

Also there is always the option of a grad Residential Advisor, Tutor or whatever they call it.

[VT]

I do not have Wisc campus ID yet. I cannot apply for housing before i get one

[dlenmn]

I do not know if Madison has that sort of apt style single student housing. Even if they do, is not it the same as renting an apt?
Well, crap, I did not fill out housing request form while applying to Madison or any where else. I only cared admission then, NOT the housing.

If you rent an apt, you have to take care of your TPs to ACs ( ) . If you do not have a car, then all I can think is a mess and I am not in any position to buy a car now. I do not know if the first year is a right time to get my feet wet or hands dirty by renting an apt.

Did you not ask these questions when you visited? From what I've heard, all the grad students live off campus but most are nearby (15-20 min walk) so no car is involved. Supposedly, there is some university owned grad student housing (not necessarily on campus), but none of the physics grad students look to be using it for various reasons. From what I've heard, there isn't enough housing on campus for the undergraduates so there's a ton of cheap housing in the area. The trick is to go out a little farther than the undergrads because they can be drunk/noisy (then again, some of the grad students seem to be quite capable of being drunk -- the plasma folks seem to take some pride in it but in truth, they look to be fairly sedate as far as drinking goes Did you go to the Essen Haus?)