[lagoon7]

Originally Posted by NSX1990

I'm a student at UF. Most people go to Santa Fe either to get an AA because they want to be in something like law enforcement, or to transfer to UF after two years. My friend takes criminology classes at Santa Fe and he says everything is more laid-back there, but there's almost no community- students rush home after class and don't care about involvement or sports.

Yeah, that's true, but it's a community college. People don't go there for involvement or sports. It's a stepping stone to UF or a technical degree.

[4harveys]

After reading online reviews of some of the surrounding apartment complexes, I'm fairly discouraged. Can you find an apartment complex that doesn't just "get by" because "hey, they're only college kids". Sounds like the cleanliness, security and maintenance are lacking and customer service is a joke at most of them. Reviews I read describe wild parties Thur. - Sundays and random people knocking on your door in the middle of the night, vomit in the stairwells, car break-ins... you get the idea.
So, will I find a reasonably priced apartment that won't feel like perpetual spring break near Santa Fe?

[mquintana]

I USED to live in G-ville and I USED to attend SFCC as well as work at the Hub at UF (go figure, it doesn't make much sense, lol).

If you attend SFCC first, your chances of getting into UF are higher because they can take you more seriously. This is true to most universities.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND-Gainesvilles is a COLLEGE TOWN-and most UF students get the good serving jobs. There is absolutly no shortage of college kids filling all the positions that the little town of Gainesville has to offer. I, myself was married then and had a baby girl and I could only find a little part time position at a little cafe on the NW part of town where business isn't as abundant as it is around UF.

Most resturants around UF as well as down Archer Rd. are the ones you want to try for, they make good money because all the UF kids go there and drink.

SFCC (no longer a Comm. College so maybe they shortened their abbreviations to SFC) and UF are really good schools. too bad they are in a horrible little town with no jobs...

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

Can anyone with experience in going to UF or Santa Fe and living in Gainesville tell me about how easy it is to be a student and find any kind of work ?

My wife and I are considering schools to transfer to after we get our current A.A. degrees and UF is on the list but we're a family with a young son and want to make sure that where we go atleast has stuff like food industry jobs.

It's going to be a year or so. So if you can base the info off of the area before the economy tanked that would be great.

[mquintana]

You won't get an apartment community that isn't "infested" (for lack of better wording) with college kids. You can try Santa Fe Trace though, it's right across from SFCC and they aren't so bad-it's not student housing so they do not rent out the rooms, but the apartments themselves.

Originally Posted by 4harveys

After reading online reviews of some of the surrounding apartment complexes, I'm fairly discouraged. Can you find an apartment complex that doesn't just "get by" because "hey, they're only college kids". Sounds like the cleanliness, security and maintenance are lacking and customer service is a joke at most of them. Reviews I read describe wild parties Thur. - Sundays and random people knocking on your door in the middle of the night, vomit in the stairwells, car break-ins... you get the idea.
So, will I find a reasonably priced apartment that won't feel like perpetual spring break near Santa Fe?

[mquintana]

I live in Tampa and I currently go to SPC (St. Petersburg College). If I were you I would think more USF than UF. There are more jobs here than there. Granted the economy isn't great and there are less jobs right now, but your chances are higher here in finding work. I actually just got done talking to my friend (who is a property manager-apartments--I work in the apartment industry as well-btw) and she said times are tough over there in Orlando. Times are tough here and everywhere also, but when they are sitting at an occupancy of 84% when they are usually 99%-it's bad. A lot of people are breaking leases because of job losses and so forth.

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

Santa Fe is out because we're almost done with our A.A. degrees.

If I lived in Gainesville, I would never drive 20-30 miles for gas. When I'm traveling or coming in for vacation, I NEVER stop in Gainesville because of the gas prices..

I think I may end up looking at USF or UCF If I decide to come back because I feel I'll have more chances for work in Tampa or Orlando vs. Gainesville.

Thanks for the reply !

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by 4harveys

After reading online reviews of some of the surrounding apartment complexes, I'm fairly discouraged. Can you find an apartment complex that doesn't just "get by" because "hey, they're only college kids". Sounds like the cleanliness, security and maintenance are lacking and customer service is a joke at most of them. Reviews I read describe wild parties Thur. - Sundays and random people knocking on your door in the middle of the night, vomit in the stairwells, car break-ins... you get the idea.
So, will I find a reasonably priced apartment that won't feel like perpetual spring break near Santa Fe?

Check out Legacy at Fort Clarke and I think it's Paddock Club. Nice apartments can be found but you are going to pay a bit more.

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by mquintana

I live in Tampa and I currently go to SPC (St. Petersburg College). If I were you I would think more USF than UF. There are more jobs here than there. Granted the economy isn't great and there are less jobs right now, but your chances are higher here in finding work. I actually just got done talking to my friend (who is a property manager-apartments--I work in the apartment industry as well-btw) and she said times are tough over there in Orlando. Times are tough here and everywhere also, but when they are sitting at an occupancy of 84% when they are usually 99%-it's bad. A lot of people are breaking leases because of job losses and so forth.

Kids don't go to UF to stay in Gainesville after they graduate. You aren't going to improve any job chances by going to USF over UF if you want to work in Tampa after graduation.

[grapico]

I would go to UF no worries... I went to FSU but if I were to do it again I would go to UF as it is a better school for undergrad, or even GT ...and I got into all of them! FSU just offered me more money to live off of scholarship wise, and only would have gotten bright futures at FL and had to pay all the rent $. I think the value of the UF degree would probably be better and demand higher salaries from employers. The professors at FSU knew their stuff for sure... but I would say they weren't too helpful to the students as they are research oriented and you mostly get TA's or adjunct professors teaching a lot of the classes outside of 4000 level. I have taken classes since then at 2 other schools just to take additional classes and the hands on quality has been better... but didn't know any better my first time around.

[The Floridian]

Go to UM in Coral Gables... I'm born/reared in Gainesville and if I had a son, which I don't, I would send him to UM in Miami. Miami will give you the diversity you will never see in niether Tally or G'ville. Miami is an adult city so why not get a head start in life over you peers than in a college town where a lot of life is sugar coated.

UM, UC-Berkely, Stanford, USC or UCLA -- that's where I would go to college.

My 0.002

[mquintana]

I never said they were going to stay there after graduation. You must be mistaken.

All I said was that in order to actually find a job WHILE going to school, moving to Tampa or Orlando, your chances will be HIGHER for finding employment. Gainesville is too small of a town to provide employment to ALL students. Granted the economy isn't great and job positions-even in resturants-have slowed down, but there is more here (Tampa) and in Orlando to offer VARIETY wise for employment. And this is for employment DURING the course of college, NOT after.

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Kids don't go to UF to stay in Gainesville after they graduate. You aren't going to improve any job chances by going to USF over UF if you want to work in Tampa after graduation.