Katie Bailey, in her book “The Roommate Situation" wrote, “finding a roommate is like finding a life partner. You have to live with it." This goes for every other thing in life, including housing; therefore, one ought to be extremely careful with that particular decision-making. Personally, I recommend Rice Graduate Housing for first-year graduate students, as it helps build your first formative years in a new school and environment. First, it is very convenient, as they provide free Wi-Fi and shuttle services to students, along with other perks that benefit the student community, such as student events organized by the Resident Assistants, proximity to the school and museum districts, and Saturday shopping shuttle services. However, this accommodation is limited to first-year students and a few older students who are selected as Resident Assistants. With Rice Housing, roommates are randomly paired with students based on lifestyle compatibility, such as dietary restrictions and other preferences like being a morning or night person.
Rice makes finding housing easy for students, too, by organizing housing fairs for graduate students where representatives from different apartments, in liaison with Rice Housing, advertise their apartments while answering questions from students. The good thing about attending the fair is that most of the apartments waive their application fees for the attendees and even give huge discounts on house rents. It is worth going to. Lots of Swag bags are shared on that day, too! There is also a website for off-campus housing with an array of information. Housing options range from condominiums to self-contained apartments and shared flats. The website also helps students in need of roommates!
Other essential factors to consider while seeking off-campus housing include:
- Proximity to School: Housing close to Rice is very convenient. Areas like Rice Village, the Medical Centre, and the West University area are not only accessible through the town’s Metro system (bus and train) but are also considered safe.
- Time: It is also imperative to start housing-hunting at least three months in advance to avoid being stranded and to allow you sufficient time to make a wise choice.
- Safety: The Housing options on the Rice Off-Campus Housing website have been screened to a reasonable extent. Therefore, it is best to use the website. Housing providers on the website also understand that you may be an international student, so certain factors could be adjusted slightly to accommodate your needs. The apartments on display on the website are generally budget-friendly for students.
- Necessary Documents: Other essential documents to have with you during the house search are your Rice Student ID Card, International Passport, and your I-20 documents. Without these, some house agents would not allow you to tour a potential residence.
- Booking Online: Make reservations ahead of time and follow the scheduled time to ensure a maximum experience at the apartment and to allow yourself enough time to make informed decisions.
- Guarantor: While some apartments require a guarantor when you are finally paying for the apartment of your choice, others do not. For an international student without any relatives in the U.S., it was a significant challenge for me; therefore, I settled for an apartment that did not require a guarantor. Some apartments have special guarantor programmes that take care of that part of the application, but others do not. Weigh your options carefully and choose the ones that best suit you.
- Security Fee: Be prepared to pay a security fee of $500- $1,000. Some apartments also require it, instead of the Guarantor Option, while others require it in addition to the Guarantor Option. It all varies slightly depending on your apartment selection…
Good luck with finding the right apartment and/or roommate!!I also recommend visiting units in pairs or groups to save on transportation costs and, of course, to have fun with your group exploring the beautiful city of Houston (while completing demanding tasks). It makes it a lot easier!
Bon Chance!
About the Author
Osinachi Okafor is from Ebenator village, Azigbo town in Nnewi Local Government Area of Anambra State and is a current Ph.D. student in Art History. She got her B.A in Fine and Applied Art at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria in 2017.