Living in Abilene

Living in Abilene
I came to Abilene, two years back. I first came to Lubbock campus and then came to know about Abilene Computer Science department. As everybody else I was initially skeptical about the place and department. So many questions, Is it same as Lubbock CS dept? How about taking courses as distant student? How about living in Abilene and managing expenses? But when I look back, the decision to join the Abilene campus was one of the most important and appropriate decisions of my graduate studies.
As an international student you face many challenges in United States. Coming to Abilene has helped me focus more on my education than worrying about other hardships and challenges. In Abilene, you will get all the excellent facilities. Which, for research assistants, include your own cubical and your own desktop computer. The chances of getting an assistantship in Abilene are far greater than getting that in Lubbock. Another important facility is, all the lectures are available to watch on-line at your convenience . For a student life on assistantship, getting paid for your education along with excellent educational facilities is like a dream come true.
Abilene is a small town best suited for people who love to stay alone. There are many residential places, where you can stay without paying much. Normally, a student can live comfortably by paying $300-$400 for one-bedroom apartment. Most student prefer to live near the department, which is in the downtown of the city. Naturally, you will have to pay more, if you are staying in this area. But, if you stay away from department, the important consideration is transportation. The public transportation is available, but you cannot rely on it for daily commutation. Most students rely on a bike or buy a cheap car.
Another important consideration is food. Almost every student prepares his own food and that is the cheapest means available. For grocery, Wal-Mart serves all your needs. Once in two weeks you can do the Wal-Mart using public transportation. The average cost of food for one month is around $200-$300, if you are not too picky about delicacies. Finally about entertainment, well, I accept that there is not much social life available for students. But, If you have a group of students, then there are many options. The Abilene department has a recreational place, where you can play table tennis, pool, hand football, etc. There are also theaters and places in the town, where you can hang around typically on a Friday night.
So all in all, its a great place for students who really want to focus on their studies. The educational facilities are better than many high ranked universities. Your monthly expenses will be around $500-$600, which is cheap considering other university places. The only limitation is on your social life, but as a student, I would not mind much about it, given other excellent benefits.
Sujit Bhosale
Graduate Student,
Texas Tech University
http://www.eclectic.in

Computer Science at Abilene

Living in Abilene