[elpu1215]

I need some help deciding where to move to in Florida! I live in Boulder Colorado right now and go to college there, but over the summer I want to move to Florida and take a class at a community college. I definitely like the college/party town feel, so I was thinking Tallahassee or Gainesville, until I saw a lot of people saying it was out in the boonies. I would like to be a bit closer to the beach, but maybe not a super dense city like Miami-I hear the crime rate is pretty bad but I've never been so I wouldn't know.

I'm just planning on getting a serving job and subletting an apartment for a few months, so anywhere where I could get a job and rent isnt sky high.

Are there any suggestions of where might be kind of close to the beach, close to a university or community college, and that's a nice, fun/lively place to live for a college student?
I'll appreciate any input!

[kyle19125]

There are a few colleges worth checking out that would give you a party feel near the beach. I would avoid the community college approach if it's just one class and register at a regular college so you'll be exposed to others to socialize with as community colleges tend to be older students who either already socialize together from high school or are older students with little interest due to time/work constraints. The cost difference for one class isn't going to be that much either. Check out the University of West Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of North Florida and Florida Atlantic University. All are in safe areas with sizable undergrad populations and a party feel plus close enough to the beach and/or places to work. Of the group FAU could be a bit pricey in terms of housing, but the others are pretty reasonable by most standards. FGCU would probably be my top choice, they have their own private beach on-campus. : )

[rynplm]

One thing to keep in mind is that Florida is big, like really big. The trip from Tallahassee to Miami alone is 7 hours. As a result, each part of the state is unique and different from the others. Think about Florida like this:

• Panhandle - Pensacola and Tallahassee
• Northeast Florida - Jacksonville, Gainesville, and St. Augustine
• Central Florida - Coast to Coast from Tampa to Orlando
• South Florida - Coast to Coast from Ft. Myers to Miami

If your requirements are a low cost of living and being close to the beach, you should take a look at Northeast Florida. Cities like Jacksonville and St. Augustine offer a low cost of living and are home to several colleges, universities, and community colleges. They both also have great local music scenes, and a unique chill vibe to it. If you're looking at coming for a semester, check out St. John's River State College. There's also plenty to do at night in either Jacksonville or St. Augustine along A1A. I'm a bit biased because I lived here, but I loved it. You could also look at Daytona Beach, but I think it's a little gross and overrated.

South Florida is really cool and has a Caribbean vibe, but is super expensive. It's also a little too hot for me.

Central Florida can be really cool and isn't too expensive to live in. Orlando is nice and less superficial once you get north of the touristy stuff in South Orlando and Kissimmee. The Tampa area is also really cool and offers several large cities that you could choose to live in. If you like to party, visit Ybor City (a neighborhood in Tampa) or St. Petersburg.

I've never spent much time in the Panhandle, but Tallahassee is pretty cool.

[jwolfer]

University of North Florida is 7 miles from the beach. Closest state university to the beach, around 15-20K students. Florida State College at Jacksonville( community college) has a campus very close to UNF.

Jacksonville is a metro area of 1.5 million, not as big as Miami, Tampa or Orladno. To give you a head up it is culturally Southern, so if you think someone with a Southern accent is stupid/uneducated etc it might not be for you. Its not a "college town" like Boulder or Gainesville which could be good for employment. UNF is near St Johns Town Center which has lots of restaurants for serving jobs and there isn't 50k College kids looking for part-time employment. I knew people who worked in Jax on weekends as servers, coming home to stay at parents every weekend because they were not able to find part-time jobs in Gaineville. Boulder is to Denver as Gainesville is to Jacksonville ( Yes I know Denver is bigger than Jax etc, not saying cities exactly the same so no need to point that out. Just a bit of an analogy.)

Consider moving and working for a time to establish Florida residency so you can get in-state tuition, it will save you quite a bit of money. Its not easy to change from out-of-state to in-state tuition if you are enrolled in classes. Look at the websites for the schools to find out exactly what is required.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by elpu1215

I need some help deciding where to move to in Florida! I live in Boulder Colorado right now and go to college there, but over the summer I want to move to Florida and take a class at a community college. I definitely like the college/party town feel, so I was thinking Tallahassee or Gainesville, until I saw a lot of people saying it was out in the boonies. I would like to be a bit closer to the beach, but maybe not a super dense city like Miami-I hear the crime rate is pretty bad but I've never been so I wouldn't know.

I'm just planning on getting a serving job and subletting an apartment for a few months, so anywhere where I could get a job and rent isnt sky high.

Are there any suggestions of where might be kind of close to the beach, close to a university or community college, and that's a nice, fun/lively place to live for a college student?
I'll appreciate any input!

Do I understand your post correctly? You want to come to Florida during a break during the summer and then go back to Colorado where you go to school now in the fall?

If that is it.....why take a class? It will be out of state tuition and may not even transfer to your college. That being said applications to attend summer are due this month.

But I would probably say head to Tampa and take a class at University of the South if they will admit you for 1 semester. It will put you in an area with things to do. Busch Gardens and Island adventure to find a job where lots of college kids work etc.

If you are thinking of coming to Florida to go to school full time, you need to look at the residency rules. Because you went to HS in another state and started college in another state you will always be charged as out of state in Florida. Going to college here does not make you a Florida resident in most cases(you can apply though). You would need to quit college in Colorado. Move to Florida, get a job, driver's license etc for a full year before you can even apply as a Florida resident. If you take 1 class that year it may get you stuck with out of state tuition for your time in college here. Your parents from another state cannot pay your in state tuition or claim you on their income tax,either.