SarahSplendor

We are thinking of moving to Chicago next year. Since we are both finishing up school and are starting to apply there, is there anything we need to keep in mind when moving to Chicago? We won't have much money to start off with so what areas are cheaper to live in? Etc etc etc. I don't even know what to ask because he's been living in a small town and I've been in this city for nearly a decade so we have forgotten what it is like to start over.

So advice please. About what happens after graduation. Please share your stories as well, specifically about graduating and finding jobs and how it all worked out, how much money you had, how you managed to pay rent, whether you bought a car or used public transportation, what moving to a new town and a new job was like.

WazzyBoi

Sarah, i can't tell ya about graduating and starting off cuz i ain't there yet. Needless to say i won't need to be there hopefully cuz my parents are here. But since i am in chicago i'll give u a few pointers. If you want cheap housing, try moving to the north side of chicago, one part of which is THE DESI central of chicago, street known as Devon Avenue. There are apartments all around the area and i'm sure u'll find one quickly seeing as though people usually are moving out/in towards the end of summer. Jobs, they're pretty easy to find since it's a big n growing city in the Metropolitans of the country. IF you can afford to get a car that'll be way more convenient for you, if not. Need not wory. The chicago public transpo a.k.a. CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) and PACE buses cover almost all of the city so there is no way u can't get around the city cuz u don't have a car. We have a very established rapid transit system, linked via trains so that's a bonus over buses if ur in a rush and need to be downtown or elsewhere quicker. Um..what else. I don't know you ask me wat else u need to know...i'd be more than glad to let u know anything i may be lacking in this short description of Chi-Town...cuz u know..Chi-town is My-town!

WazzyBoi

Oh and it's very diverse so you'll fit in fairly well and quickly i must say, most people do.

mAd_ScIeNtIsT

Found an internship to do after my final year of university in the UK. Alhumdulillah managed to persuade them to hire me full time after that. Lived at home rent free for a little over a year after that, so was able to afford an almost new car. Parents eventually moved out to another country and I had to pay them a nominal rent (£200 per month, about canadian $550) as me being in the house stopped them from selling it like they wanted.

A year after that I decided that I wanted to make a new life on my own terms without any more leg-ups from my parents, when the opportunity to get transferred by my company to a new country came up.

Moved to Toronto, Canada with 2 suitcases, 13 boxes of my stuff (clothes, books, computer, computer table, computer chair and one or two other things) in transit and a bank draft representing almost all my money.

The new job was pretty much like my old, given that it was a similar job and in the same company.

The interesting part was the moving to a new city experience. Mainly the social life aspect, since I needed to build a whole new social circle.

Luckily for me, I an existing long-time online friend in Toronto who met me early on and introduced me to people I really got on well with. Also, a friend of mine in the UK gave me a contact to meet up with in the city who turned out to become a good friend of mine and introduced me to many others. And, of course, there are the guppies.

Still, I'm always up for new people. Anyone in Toronto want to meeto for shawarma and sheesha, just let me know!

SarahSplendor

Oye what's with the trigger happy thread moving! I don't see how this belongs in Travel and Tourism because it is about job experiences as well. Anyway.

WB, thanks. I was thinking more of living in downtown. How much would a decent one bedroom apartment there cost? And where are all the museums, libraries, and a good university located? I want to live near them if I am going to end up taking transit.

MS, I tried looking for internships as well because I don't have any experience and I am not sure how I am going to be able to find a job that I like with a pathetic psych BA. But the internships I have come across specify students and I will already have graduated by then. Also, how did you find an internship? Are there specific listings of such things or did you just approach companies on your own and enquire about that? I am interested in doing something in the arts (museums) and media (writing for a magazine) so any tips regarding that?

WazzyBoi

Sarah, Downtown's a bit pricy. I live around the area u might be interested in living. I live around UIC campus (University of Illinois @ Chicago) which is situated around the university, the campus, n almost all the downtown hospitals (John Storger Cook County hospital, Rush, UIC Med. centre, etc.) The rent differs from place to place obviously but for a one bedroom u could be looking at anywhere near $800 a month. which may or may not include the parking. Make sure if u want downtown u have permanent parking arrangement because it might turn out to be ur one n only nightmare if ur gonna drive and don't have a parking sought out for u already. All the univ., Museums, art galleries, the new Millennium Park, Libraries including the biggest in chicago (Harold Washington Library, 3 levels with a whole video section n all that good stuff) are all about 15 minutes from my house on a bus, make that about 5 minutes on the train. Downtown's great to live in, always up, always lively, and very accessible which may be the very reason u wanna move in downtown. But just search for a good place to stay at a decent price, recommendations would include areas such as Lincoln Park (hosts Depaul University campus)..also linked with train/bus both so u can def. get to downtown in minutes. What's ur time frame for making a move? I'm leavin for pak on the 30th of this month, so i can most def. help u out before that in any aspect it maybe useful to u. Let me know.

SarahSplendor

Thanks. I am surprised at the rent, I was expecting downtown Chicago to be much more but 800 sounds very manageable. We are planning to move next year around May hopefully. I guess everything will have to wait till we find jobs. Can I pm you if I have more questions when May draws closer?

WazzyBoi

yeah sure, u can pm me.