1) I doubt this, but is it possible to switch out to off-site housing during the season?
2) Did anybody here live off-site in Florida or know somebody who did? How was it?
Thanks!
Emily
Yes it is - I did. I lived in the housing and then requested to move off site about two months into my program. It's easiest to move out if you are going to be living with immediate family.
To get approval your request goes in front of an approval board type thing. They do not meet all the time so make sure you give them lots of notice in order to get everything arranged (I did everything about 4 weeks in advance). You are required to move out on Sundays by 11am since you pay for housing Sun-Sat.
It was kind of easy for me since I was moving in with my husband... but it was a pain because I had to prove I was married. They would not take a copy of my license or allow me to just bring it in for them to look at, I had to pay for a certified copy to give them (they kept it).
A friend of mine also moved out, but I'm not sure how she was able to justify it.
To be honest, if my husband didn't move down, I would have preferred to stay in housing. Once you move out you cannot ride the busses, attend the social events, and going to the networking events was difficult (I'd sit at security forever in order to get clearance into the apartments). When it came time for graduation I almost wasn't allowed to go since I lived off site, but since I lived on site for two months and paid that initial activities fee they let me in (after a couple phones calls to managers).
I lost my network of CP friends once I moved out, so that was sad. When people go out they invite whoever is close to them (in the apartment, in the building) since I didn't live there I started to get disconnected. Just something to think about.