The 'Who' and 'Where' of Graduate Living
This post is for Alice - and for all you other AU '12 MAccers out there who were too shy to ask about finding a roomie!
Finding a roomie can be a tough task, especially when you're new to campus. You're so excited to start the MAcc program and there are a lot of other things to think about, so finding that perfect roommate that you'll be living with for an entire year and finding that perfect apartment can just add to the rush of it all. Well, take comfort in knowing that the whole purpose of this post is to help you figure allllll of that out!
Let's start with location: Alice asked where most Fisher grad students live, and I'm not sure there's really a great "here" answer. What I can do though, is provide some insight on popular areas and why they are popular! To begin, Fisher grad students have access to Fisher Commons, which are some really nice university-affiliated apartments on the corner of Lane Ave and Kenny Rd (this will make perfect sense once you're familiar with the area). These apartments are close to campus, but not necessarily walking distance.
Anything that's on "North Campus" is very convenient for Fisher students. This area is what is north of Lane Avenue, and includes streets such as Norwich, Northwood, and Oakland. You'll find a combination of apartments and houses for rent in these areas, all of which are close enough to Fisher that you can walk to and from class every day. There are fun restaurants north of campus, too, which makes going out with friends easy and convenient. Check out the Blue Danube, for instance.
South Campus is less convenient, but offers a totally different experience than North Campus. On South Campus, you'll have a good 15+ minute walk to class everyday, but I've been doing it for the past three years and have never had any trouble with it. I wouldn't recommend living further south than 8th Avenue, unless you skip a few streets and go into what is considered Victorian Village. I've found that a lot of the apartments and houses on South Campus tend to be nicer in terms of upkeep, but sometimes are more expensive for this reason. I've always felt incredibly safe on South Campus, too. A huge bonus of South Campus is that you're right by the South Campus Gateway, which has restaurants, bars, and a movie theater, as well as the campus Barnes and Noble. You're also pretty darn close to the Short North and downtown Columbus, so a night out is easy access.
For both North and South campus, you'll want to check out what some of the area landlords have to offer. I'd recommend Inn Town Homes and Apartments, and some others that I've heard of are Buckeye Real Estate and Pella.
Be sure to check out a few prior posts on housing to get other perspectives too! Here are a few...
Fisher Commons - No Left Turn!
The Pros and Cons of South Campus Living
Village, District, Whatever the Name, They're All Great!
Now - on to roomies. Alice specifically mentioned finding roomies that are also prospective MAcc students, but note that you don't have to live with someone from your program. There's a chance you'll take MBA classes, so living with MBAs might not be a bad idea! Just something to consider.
One of the best ways to find a roommate is to join and/or create a group for MAcc 2012-2013 students on Facebook. In the admitted student gateway you can see the names and profiles of admitted students - go ahead and creep to find them on Facebook, then invite them to the group! (And if you haven't already uploaded your profile to the "Admitted MAcc Profiles" section of the gateway website, be sure you do so!) You'll all be looking for roommates, so this will give you a place to talk and figure out if you're roomie-material.
Speaking of the admitted student gateway, there is always a bulletin board in the gateway that is dedicated to helping students find roommates. Be sure to take advantage of this! Some MAccers won't have a Facebook, or might join the group a little late. Every MAcc student should be looking at the bulletin boards immediately though, so this might be a faster and more reliable method to find your roomie. There will also be a Google Group that is dedicated to housing available through the gateway - take advantage of this resource too!
My biggest piece of advice is to simply not be shy. Get on the gateway, find some other AU '12 MAcc students and send them an email. Go grab lunch to get to know each other - if things go well, you've found a roommate. If things aren't great, you've at least met a classmate which will still be extremely helpful in the very near future! Don't be hesitant to look at multiple apartments or houses when you call a leasing office - the first one you find probably won't be your favorite. There are a lot of great living spaces in the area, but there are some nasty ones too. Take your time to make a good decision, because you'll be there for a year.
Good luck!