University at Buffalo Engineering Programs

• I found my accommodation via WhatsApp groups. I am paying $475 with utilities.

• I used Facebook to find roommates. Most people use Facebook to find houses and Roommates.
• The rent was $1000 per month. The rooms are ok in the Buffalo region. It's an old city and people will have a cultural shock. Candidates who reached early got houses closer. Also, people reach out to seniors to book rooms on their behalf as rooms run out very fast.
• My accommodation was almost 20 minutes away from the bus stop. So it was quite a walk. The bus service is provided by the university from north campus to South campus. During winter the frequency is increased so that people have to wait less during extreme cold.

• A Facebook page is the best way to find accommodation. There is one page called GISA where you will see house postings; usually students take houses near south campus (englewood st, heath st, merimac st) and there is a list of all the house owern number you can message them and ask about their property; you can get a decent house for $450/month.

• I chose off-campus housing near the North Campus because it's easy to walk to campus; i dont need to simply wait for a bus to come and go to university. I found my apartment through fb gisa group and continued to follow up in whatsapp later . The apartment was about a 10 min bus ride from the campus and a 20 min walk to campus.
• The monthly rent was approximately $700, including utilities and food, depending on person to person. I definitely recommend other students to even prefer housing in north campus by starting a bit early, as it fills so soon. But there are many Indian students who mainly prefer to stay in south campus because they get private rooms for a lesser price, like around 350-400 usd. whereas in north campus the private room is double than in south campus.

• Online communities are there on whatsapp and generally students find accommodation from those communities. Either choose subleasing, or you will also find contacts or landlords from those communities.
• There is also one online group, GISA, on facebook where students post rentals or any other household items for sale. Generally, Indian students stay near south campus and will take 20 mins by UB transportation to reach north campus for CS students. Living near north campus is expensive so students prefer south campus.

• I opted for off campus accommodation. Rent was 500$ monthly. Facilities included are the facilities in a normal house. No challenges encountered by finding this accommodation.
• I would recommend to stay on campus in Amherst manor or in off campus houses as the landlords are pretty good as well.
• Accommodation is 15 minutes from north campus and most stay in south. If you are lucky you will get house in north campus and be sure to apply first.

• Off-campus
  - Found through the university's group, and contacted agents via seniors.
  - 540$ - including all the utilities and wifi.
• Challenges: To properly verify the condition of the house, most photos are captured in ultrawide, so it creates the illusion of bigger rooms.
• Contact the seniors for help.
• 5 min from south campus. Most of the Indian students stay near the south campus, as it's cheaper.

• I had one of friend already studying here.
• I pay around $500 monthly rent.
• I did not face much challenges as i already had some friends here but there are groups on whatsapp and facebook they help a lot in this search.
• My accommodation is 5 minute walk from my campus, and from there i had to catch university shuttle which is free of cost service for students

I enrolled in this college as I preferred a medium sized city to keep costs of living and attendance low, but also to study at a reputed research university. Buffalo also has great connections to aerospace, which is my chosen career field. I have been at this school through two degrees and have to say that I am quite happy with my experience here. I do believe that graduate studies are quite independent, so spoon feeding should not be expected, but this encourages a lot of independent thinking and decision making.