Advice needed for Grad Studies in Los Angeles
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Hi all,
I'm going to do my graduate studies in UCLA this fall and i need some advice here.
Haven't been to that part of us before though i know the east coast pretty well ( did internship in mit ). Some questions.
Housing
I intend to stay at the grad housing in ucla but i'm wondering if its a good choice. The rental is about 1 - 1.2k and i've checked some sites with rooms around that range, some lower at around 800 900. But I read somewhere in this forum of rates that goes as low as 4-500 usd. Just wondering the condition of rooms like that?
Travel
I've heard much about a must to get cars in LA. Is that really neccessary? is public transport really that bad? If so what is the best way to get a license ? converting the spore license? What is the process like?
Any advice is appreciated!
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first of all.........congratz............but second of all, sorry, i live on the other side of the mountain so i have no clue about LA. hopefully our US contingent can help u out there. good luck!!!!
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Yah, congrats on your admission to the University of Caucasians Lost among Asians.
Don't live in LA but further south. Can tell you that you need a car like you need your liver in CA. No ride, no life. Just know that insurance is expensive. Lots of unlicensed folks on the road. My experience with license conversion is more than 10 years old but I think it's possible. Hey vito corleone, help please? (Vito's in LA. Haven't seen him here in a long time though.)
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omgoodness..........jetta.......you ARE funny!!!!! love the way you write. u should really go into media.......... hanor....that vito MIA liao lah. busy partying siboh?
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Originally posted by ctrlsave:If so what is the best way to get a license ? converting the spore license? What is the process like?
Any advice is appreciated!
Hope this helps:
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Originally posted by littlestream: omgoodness..........jetta.......you ARE funny!!!!! love the way you write. u should really go into media.......... hanor....that vito MIA liao lah. busy partying siboh?
Tank you, tank you veddy much. I'll be here all week.
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you are here all week? ok, i accompany you.
eh, you folks can convert s'pore licence to local licence ah? not in toronto leh. here you have to have int'l licence and it is valid for 3 months. during that time, one will have to quickly get their local licence. yes, meaning do everything all over again. theory and practical.wah seh....TS post 1 liao disappeared liao.
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He sounds like one smart cookie. Bright future.
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good for him. i kinda feel it's getting difficult for kids to get jobs. my friend's children are mostly doing post grad studies.....stay in school 'cos no job? or no ideal job?
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Originally posted by ctrlsave:
Hi all,
I'm going to do my graduate studies in UCLA this fall and i need some advice here.
Haven't been to that part of us before though i know the east coast pretty well ( did internship in mit ). Some questions.
Housing
I intend to stay at the grad housing in ucla but i'm wondering if its a good choice. The rental is about 1 - 1.2k and i've checked some sites with rooms around that range, some lower at around 800 900. But I read somewhere in this forum of rates that goes as low as 4-500 usd. Just wondering the condition of rooms like that?
Travel
I've heard much about a must to get cars in LA. Is that really neccessary? is public transport really that bad? If so what is the best way to get a license ? converting the spore license? What is the process like?
Any advice is appreciated!
HI ~~ welcome to CA
I hope you will have a good time in UCLA, what will you be studying?
the 4-500UCD rooms that you are mentioning are probably shared rooms.
It is quite expensive to live in LA, especially near the schools.
Public transportations are not really convenient in Souther California, (In Northern california, it has BART). I don't know if car is absolute necessary but it is better to have a car. BUt LA traffics are bad. Anyway, ask whatever you want to ask.
I am from OC, close to LA and I can ask some friends who go to UCLA things you want to know.
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One more bit of advice: while the campus itself is pretty safe, UCLA is located in a historically dangerous part of LA. If you intend to stray off-campus into the surrounding neighbourhoods, you might want to consider arming yourself with a handgun. I'd recommend at least a 9mm as the minimum effective caliber for self-defense...
... juuuuust kidding!
I wouldn't be caught dead going into a dangerous neighbourhood without a handgun chambered in at least .40 S&W or .45 ACP. -
why dun u get a hand grenade instead???its good and useful as comopared to a handgun.
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Originally posted by Hitman 2010:
why dun u get a hand grenade instead???its good and useful as comopared to a handgun.
A grenade's not very subtle as a self-defense weapon... -
Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
One more bit of advice: while the campus itself is pretty safe, UCLA is located in a historically dangerous part of LA. If you intend to stray off-campus into the surrounding neighbourhoods, you might want to consider arming yourself with a handgun. I'd recommend at least a 9mm as the minimum effective caliber for self-defense...
You must be thinking of USC. UCLA is in Westwood, a much nicer area. Bel Air is just north, Beverly Hills east and Santa Monica west.
CA has strict conceal-carrly laws, and unless you have a very compelling reason the sheriff in most urban counties will not approve an application.
If you intend to wander further afield than the immediate surroundings, then a car is absolutely necessary. If you stay on or off campus in Westwood, you can easily walk.
... juuuuust kidding!
I wouldn't be caught dead going into a
dangerous neighbourhood without a handgun chambered in at least .40
S&W or .45 ACP. -
Ok, I jacked up the response somehow.
You must be thinking of USC. UCLA is in Westwood, a much nicer area. Bel Air is just north, Beverly Hills east and Santa Monica west.
CA has strict conceal-carrly laws, and unless you have a very compelling reason the sheriff in most urban counties will not approve an application.
If you intend to wander further afield than the immediate surroundings, then a car is absolutely necessary. If you stay on or off campus in Westwood, you can easily walk.
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
A grenade's not very subtle as a self-defense weapon...
it is a great weapon for self defence.just depends on who is using it n h ow to use it when dealing with a group of gang which normally is the case.just make sure u dun loose the pin. -
am back! sry been kinda busy w sch n transfer now waiting for a reply. anyways, for that price range its actually reasonable given that ure gonna live on westwood, westside prices r more expensive than most areas. westwood is a really nice and safe neighborhood, lots of affordable eats and since ure staying on campus(presumably) u don't really need a car for commuting you could just rent one for the weekends or if u wanna head out. and for conversion of license CA rules only allow for converting US licenses, for others u have to take the written and practical test
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
One more bit of advice: while the campus itself is pretty safe, UCLA is located in a historically dangerous part of LA. If you intend to stray off-campus into the surrounding neighbourhoods, you might want to consider arming yourself with a handgun. I'd recommend at least a 9mm as the minimum effective caliber for self-defense...
... juuuuust kidding!
I wouldn't be caught dead going into a
dangerous neighbourhood without a handgun chambered in at least .40
S&W or .45 ACP.
i'm all geared up for usc w my 7.62 x 39 in my trunk and a baby glock soon to be in my glove compartment -
Originally posted by vito_corleone:
i'm all geared up for usc w my 7.62 x 39 in my trunk and a baby glock soon to be in my glove compartmentwhat are the gun laws like in cali? i wish its more lax in nj.
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i think they're pretty much the same nationwide cuz i had to do a background check with the DOJ before i could get one. basically u gotta be in the state legally for over a yr, no criminal records and have a valid state drivers license before u can apply for a license. sent an email to DOJ got a call from an ATF agent and i was like ''what guns can i buy?" and he was like ''uuhh... pistols, rifles, shotguns anything you want''. ROFL
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pa seems to be more lax, i saw guns in walmart! maybe its bb guns... but still...
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Hopefully I can still contribute my 2 cents. Did my grad school there MSc and PhD. For the most part I did reside in grad school housing.
Some of the UCLA grad school housing are on campus, around campus and others are a bit futher away. Those around campus will have free shuttle. One of the housing units that is further away will have free shuttle and the other, called University Village, has direct public buses to UCLA (25cents a trip with student ID).
My advice though is stay AWAY from campus. The traffic may suck but least you get the feeling of leaving campus for "home".
UCLA grad housing is priced under the market. So take advantage of that. They offer free TV cable and internet cable. You have to cover electricity. Trash/water all paid for. Apartments are decent and over the years, they upgraded the units regardless if you're a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, or just plain ol' Joe.
West LA's public transport is not the best but you can get around. There's even one bus from UCLA to/from LAX. There are plenty of supermarkets, cinemas, eateries around as well. If you want to explore a bit further, you can always rent a car for the weekend. There's Thai Town in Hollywood, Koreatown in Mid Wilshire, Little Tokyo in Downtown LA.
Whatever you heard about LA is probably true and then some. Yes Britney Spears checked into UCLA medical for depression and Lohan was there, also MJ was pronouced dead there. Just the other day, I flipped off Ben Affleck for cutting me while driving. Not everyone is an arse. We are more friendly than New Yorkers. And yes, the porn industry is still striving in the valley.
It's city that you love to hate and hate to love. That's right. It's not fog, it's really smog. When you see choppers in the skies, it can be two things: car chase or celebrities. Pple in Norcal don't really get us then again we don't get the Northerners. LA is one of the most racially diversed city you will ever visit. You can enjoy cuisines literally from all over the world, ie Ethiopian to Greek, Lebanese to Burmese and Russian to Brazillian. To the point that, you might not even care much about SG food anymore.
I have one advice though: work hard. But do yourself a favor when you're here. Find some time, save up some money, rent a covertible and drive up on Pacific Coast Highway. Pop in your IPod. Let the breeze comb through your hair. Stop for lunch at Malibu Seafood. Then you will know why Angelenos like it here so much.
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TROJANS FTW!!!!
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Wahhhh your daddy or yourself must be very rich....UCLA ? What is the cost of your entire education/expenditures? A few hundred thousand dollars right ?
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wow i didn't know that there were so many replies already. Thanks guys, for the very humourous replies and useful tips.
im getting some very interesting answers here. @vito so in order to get a gun license, i need to be there for a year + drivers
license. I heard its damn easy to pass compared to singapore. im not sure how unsafe the surrounding neighbourhoods are
but it would be good to have 1. so basically my plan is to stay in grad housing for a couple of months to get used and to
check out the area before moving out. see how la.
And @Demonbane, sorry but papa aint rich. poor man :( and so am i haha. i got ard 35k usd from ucla per year , the rest
bank loan and other bursary. i think i enrolled myself to a diet program for 2 years.