Many questions might possibly be buzzing around in your mind. Being nervous about moving to a new place is natural, especially if that place is located in a different country across the seven seas form home. The answers to the following questions are a start:
- How do the rates of the on-campus and off-campus housing facilities compare?
- Which one is a preferable, on-campus or off-campus? Which area off-campus?
- Could you suggest some apartment complexes for married couples, perhaps with Indian neighbors?
- Do I have any options other than the ones in Northgate area?
- What kind of food is available on-campus and off-campus?
- Isn't a 15 minute walk tedious in the Texan summer?
- How about the transportation facilities on-campus and off-campus?
- Any additional resources?
Scroll down to find out...
1. How do the rates of the on-campus and off-campus housing facilities compare?
On-campus housing facilities are mainly used by undergraduate students. These are more expensive and many of these do not have kitchen facilities. There are hardly any Indian graduate students who opt to live on-campus. If you are still interested you can find out more here.
Most Indian students choose to stay in off-campus housing facilities since it is more affordable. The housing units are available as 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom, with kitchen, hall and bathroom(s). The rates vary from $550 (single bedroom apartment) to $800 (2 bedroom apartment). Four people can comfortably stay in the 2-bedroom apartments (and divide the rent by four!).2. Which one is a preferable, on-campus or off-campus?
We would suggest off-campus apartments for the following reasons:
- Cheaper and properly maintained
- More facilities like kitchen, spacious rooms and others
- More Indians opt for this option so you are likely to have a Indian neighbors.
- The apartment complexes are at a walking distance to the Engineering and Architecture buildings
- These are also on the bus route (to the Business school and other parts of the campus). The frequency of this route during regular school hours is satisfactory.
All the apartments situated near the Northgate area fall within a 5-10 minutes walking distance radius to the University. Majority of the Indian graduate Aggies stay in the Northgate area.
Here is a list of apartment complexes:
College Main apartments - **IGSA DEAL**- ( Rent for 2 bedroom $720-750) (Online applications accepted)
http://www.dtiproperties.com/apartments/texas/college_station/college_main/
Country Place Apartments - **IGSA DEAL** - ( Rent for 2 bedroom $745-900)
http://www.countryplaceapts.net/
North Ramparts ( Rent for 2 bedroom $750-800)
https://aggiesearch.tamu.edu/view/complex/id/100
Casa Del Sol / Normandy Square / Cherry Hollow Apartments ( Rent for 2 bedroom $850)
http://www.mycasadelsolapts.com/.
College Main apartments - **IGSA DEAL**- ( Rent for 2 bedroom $720-750) (Online applications accepted)
http://www.dtiproperties.com/apartments/texas/college_station/college_main/
Country Place Apartments - **IGSA DEAL** - ( Rent for 2 bedroom $745-900)
http://www.countryplaceapts.net/
North Ramparts ( Rent for 2 bedroom $750-800)
https://aggiesearch.tamu.edu/view/complex/id/100
Casa Del Sol / Normandy Square / Cherry Hollow Apartments ( Rent for 2 bedroom $850)
http://www.mycasadelsolapts.com/.
3. Could you suggest some apartment complexes for married couples, perhaps with Indian neighbors?
Most of the Indian students stay in apartment blocks that are at a short distance from the University. These are good for families as well. As a matter of fact, there are Indian families staying in such apartments. Once you arrive in Aggieland, you could apply for an apartment in the University Apartments. These are maintained by the University and are especially for married couples. The only drawback is that there can be a waiting period of up to a year, so it is advised to book for this as soon as you can.
4. Do I have any options other than the ones in Northgate area?
There are other options available in the BCS area where you can find good apartment complexes. However, there are certain drawbacks to living in these areas. Firstly, very few Indian students live away from the Northgate area. Secondly, some of these places are farther than a 15 minute walk from campus, other places might have a lower frequency of buses. However, several of these options are quite good and some students do avail them.
In these recent years, some students have chosen to live at :
Scandia Apartments (near to H.E.B, excellent bus frequency)
Eastgate Apartments (walking distance to Engineering and Architecture buildings)
Parkway Circle Apartments
5. What kind of food is available on-campus and off-campus?
The University has a lot of cafeterias that serve food at various hours of the day. There are also snack bars and vending machines that you can use. There are some dining halls on campus and the University offers meal plans as well. (Most Indian Aggies do not purchase the meal plan.) You have the option to eat at the dining hall without a meal plan and pay as needed.
College Station has several options when it comes to fast-food outlets and restaurants. You can get nearly everything out here - Chipotle, Schlotzsky's, Subway, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Starbucks and so many more.
Mexican style food is big in Texas and College Station has its own plethora of mexican restaurants, like Fuego's, Lupe's, On the Border, Chuy's, Lime, and a long list of others.
Most students cook by themselves at home. This is comparatively inexpensive and you can tailor the food to your personal taste.
There are some stores from where you can get Indian ingredients like spices and flours; along with some ready to eat food like parathas, chapatis, gravys among the alternatives. The Indian stores near Northgate are the Shell store, Minimart and Farm Patch. YOu might find certain food items in the Asian Foods isle at H.E.B.
6. Isn't a 15 minute walk tedious in the Texan summer?
Summer break service is offered by the University. The buses have routes that run through most apartment complexes. You can use the bus facilities to commute to and from University.
There are some stores from where you can get Indian ingredients like spices and flours; along with some ready to eat food like parathas, chapatis, gravys among the alternatives. The Indian stores near Northgate are the Shell store, Minimart and Farm Patch. YOu might find certain food items in the Asian Foods isle at H.E.B.
6. Isn't a 15 minute walk tedious in the Texan summer?
Summer break service is offered by the University. The buses have routes that run through most apartment complexes. You can use the bus facilities to commute to and from University.
7. How about the transportation facilities on-campus and off-campus?
The University provides transportation services via buses that run through several routes, on and off campus. It covers a vast portion of the campus and key locations off campus. The fee for transportation is already included in your fee statement so you don't need to pay any additional charges to use the buses. You need to carry your Texas A&M ID card to board buses from off campus locations. (Do not worry the bus drivers know that the new students might not have an ID yet and usually allow them to board in the first few weeks, if they know their UIN.) Here is a map and timings of the various bus routes on and off campus.
During the semesters, the bus runs early morning to midnight except on weekends and some special break service days.
Once you come here you can also buy a bicycle (Americans call it a bike!) for a cheap price. It's a common mode of transport. You can either get a new one from WalMart or you can buy a used one on one of the Facebook groups like "Free & For Sale", "Indian Aggie Classifieds".
8. Additional Resources
Map of the Main Campus
ISS List of Housing Options
ISS List of Temporary Accomodation options
***These questions are answered based on the personal experiences of the members of the IGSA. The organization is not responsible for the nature of use of this information***
ISS List of Housing Options
ISS List of Temporary Accomodation options
***These questions are answered based on the personal experiences of the members of the IGSA. The organization is not responsible for the nature of use of this information***