Accomodation
Let us get straight to the point. Relative to other universities, accomodation in UNH can be very expensive . There are several factors responsible for this:
1) Durham is a small university town and off campus housing is limited.
2) Commuting from nearby bigger towns like Dover(7 miles) and Portsmouth(12 miles) can be difficult in winter inspite of the frequent shuttle service.
3) We are a small indian community of 30-40 students which makes finding suitable roommates difficult. (Other popular Universities often have several hundred students)
4) New England, of which New Hampshire is a part, has the most expensive real estate in all of the United States. So even if you do find a roommate and decide to brave the cold, the savings may not make it worthwhile.
Now that you have heard the bad news.. Cheer up! Living in UNH is a wonderful experience. Babcock Hall, the graduate student residence hall at UNH provides a great living experience irrespective of the type of person you are. If offers privacy and community all bundled in one package (admittedly costly package.. :-)). All rooms are single, so if you want privacy shut your door and if you want community go over to the lounge (there's one in each of the five floors). Also, at any given time there are atleast 10 indians living in Babcock with whom you can interact with and try to make friends.
Great.. so what's the catch? Well.. umm.. Babcock costs 650$ a month. :-(. What other choices have you got?.. Realistically speaking, for all of the reasons outlined above, NONE. So it's best to accept living in Babcock and enjoy life here, atleast for the first semester. You could always try to find a roommate and move out later, but it will still cost you atleast 300-400$ a month and it is often the case that after enjoying the advantages offered by Babcock, many students are reluctant to move out.
Forest Park apartments, a possible solution, are also on campus and within walking distance of Babcock and all the academic buildings. Traditionally, you could only apply for a forest park apartment if you were a PHD student, married or a faculty member. Though, they have now been opened to Master's students also, the waiting list is pretty long and being allotted an apartment could take upto a year or a year and a half. These apartments could reduce your cost considerably if you share them with 1-2 other students. Feel free to try your luck and apply when you get here.
Food and other living expenses:
These expenses are comparable with those of students at other universities. Assume you are cooking for yourself, it could cost you anything between 100-150$ for food. Calling home to India and talking to parents and friends would probably cost around 20$ a month. Having a cell phone will cost an additional 45$ each month.
For those of you for whom money is no object, unlimited meal plans are available starting from 1500$ a semester. UNH dining has won several awards and the food is pretty good if you are non-vegetarian. It's probably not worth it if you are a veggie.
Initial expenses, including but not limited to a comforter, pillows, winter jacket, rice cooker, telephone instrument, stationery.. could cost upto 200$.
Key points to remember :
- If you are coming to UNH get the idea of paying 100-125$ a month for housing out of your head.
- Book a room in Babcock before you get here as there is quite a demand for on-campus housing.