Graduate Survival Guide = BU and My Version

As I was scouring the BUCSSA forum (short for Boston University Chinese Scholars and Students Association) the other day, I found something really interesting and helpful: The Graduate Survival Guide. It Detailed every bit of all the information you need to know including housing, trasportation, and more. I wish I had found it out way earlier so that I could better prepare myself before I was  in town. Well, if you don't have time to read the whole thing from the Guide, here's my shorter version.

Transportation:
There are three ways for you to go to school:

1. Walk. Boston is one of the best cities for jogging and walking in the U.S. It's a great pleasure to walk/ jog along the Charles river in summertime, it's really pleasant and beautiful. But hey, don't forget that you still have a class!

2. Cycling. Boston is also favoured by the country's cyclists. Even though temperature can drop really low in the winter time, still you would find people cycling on a clear day. However, bikes are pretty expensive in the US. An pretty plain bike made from China can be as much as $100.

3. Public Transportation. The best way I would recommend to go to BU is by public transportation. The Greenline B-line or No. 57 bus are most people's choice. If you buy the semester pass from BU, you could save up to 18% per month.



Housing
Trust me, it is a pain in the neck when you are trying to locate a place to stay in Boston but don't know where to start with, as I did last summer. I was speding hours scouring Craigslist trying to find a decent place to stay.

Things really need to pay special attention to:
1. Location: As a new BU Chinese grudate, the best place for you would probably be around Brighton Ave./ Packard's Corner since it is really close to the B-line T station as well as the No. 57 bus, it is also well-within walking distance. There's a Chinese supermarket nearby and most of the Chinese students are living around the corner. The average price range for a person per room is around $500.

2. Utilities: most of the apartments/ houses include two utilities in their rent: heat and hot water, and the above two can be really high when it comes to winter time. So make sure the apartment you're looking for provide you with the same deal. So all you have to pay is usually electricity, internet, TV (if you have one) and gas, which roughly average at $30 to $40/ person depending on the usage.


If you're new to town and you want my help, don't hesitate to leave a comment below!