Need Help With California

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Love your rabbit
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Katmais_mommy

Katmais_mommy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
289
Reaction score
0
Location
, Massachusetts, USA
So, I'm going to school in CA for the Fall 2013 semester. I know it seems far away, but next fall is when I'll be applying.

I need off-campus housing because the school doesn't allow pets. However, my parents don't want me living with someone I'll find online as a roommate. So, I'm still trying to convince them.

Also, they want me to dorm. I really don't want to dorm. If I wanted to dorm, I would have gone away to school 2 years ago, but I didn't because I would have had to live on campus.

I'm going to be 22 by the time I go away to CA. I really prefer not to share a room with an 18 year who prefers partying over studying.

So, my question is, how can I convince my parents? Or how could I find someone I know that will go with me to CA?

The school I'm going to is Cal State LA. If I can get into Cal State Fullerton (which I doubt I will, but I'll apply anyways), I'll go there because I know someone who lives in the same town but goes to a different school and he could find me a roommate.
 
Well, I started traveling abroad by myself when I was 23.. and I know parents get very worried.. one thing that helped me the 1st time was working and saving money enough to use during the 3 months I'd stay out of the country. When you can pay your tickets, stay, everything, your parents seem to notice you have responsibility enough to take care of yourself. After the 1st time it was easier, as my parents figured out I never got in trouble.

I guess even if you don't have $ enough (it happens sometimes, right?!) you can show to them, in other ways, that you're responsible, by hanging out with good people (that they like), not coming home too late (at least don't let your parents will know about it, hehe) and things like these... I guess they have to see that you're responsible and you can make it.
Good luck!
CA is cool!
About finding someone to go with you, you'll have to ask your friends.. but even if nobody goes, you'll make friends, people are nice there!
 
Are your parents paying for your schooling? If not, you're 22 so ... Once you know which Cal State campus you're going to, you should be able to find out about sites for matching up people & find compatible people. I think it works better to have a couple roommates rather than one, with each having their own bedroom. You will be staying there summers as well, I assume, as you'd be lucky to find off-campus housing that was for just the 9-month school year.
 
Thanks for the advice! Right now, I'm working on showing my parents that I'm serious about Cal State. I'm replacing my summer vacation with 6 courses, to save time. So, hopefully they realizing how much i'm giving up. i'm also going to school overtime next fall-spring.

I called the Cal State schools and they said that there's a bulletin where students are looking for roommates. I also have a friend and his friend who are going to help me find someone as a last resort. so, for the moment, I can relax a little about housing.

I plan on giving away 2 of my rabbits. They'll have a home that can give them more free time and attention. It makes me sad but I'm starting the search now because I want to find perfect homes for them that they deserve.
 
When I went to college, only two hours away mind you, I started out with off campus housing with a room mate I'd found online (she was kind of a religious nuts but that's another story). Once I was up here for a while I got my own place. Which I prefer.

Wish I could help you out but you're going to the southern end of California.
 
Having roommates you get along with is really nice, but not necessary. I've had roomies that I loved dearly, and some that just did not click. The most important thing is location and rent price. I would say roommates next, then nearby amenities etc. Good luck!
 
Hahaha yeah I did not get along with the religious nut. The other few were ok, but I like having my space and there is no one to complain about the animals.
 
Check with the department of your program. I know that I found my roommate because he sent out an ad through the listserv in our program saying "hey, you don't have to be in my program, but you do need to be a grad student". Turns out we were in the same program, but I would get emails from different listservs of students looking for roommates. See if your department (better luck if you're liberal arts) will allow you to do that. Start soon. Apartments start going in about April.
You can find a pet-friendly place that's within a short bus ride to school. I live in an apartment that's off campus but on a shuttle route, and while it's not student housing, a lot of students live there.

That may be a way to convince your parents to let you go to an off-campus house that allows pets. If you find one that's well populated with students, parents are more comfortable with that. Some apartments have singles as well, so you don't have to deal with the roommate thing. Often it costs a bit more to live by yourself, but if you can find a little place that's pet friendly and in an area with a lot of students, that approach may work.
 
In the college town I live in, there are places that are fairly priced, and allow pets with a deposit and are on the bus route to the schools. They aren't always the nicest of places, but you are surrounded by other students and can still have pets so it's a win-win. Just start searching and definitely ask about rabbits. I'm not allowed rabbits where I am right now but I wasn't going to give them up sooo the landlord doesn't know. I'm allowed my dog and they live in a dog xpen so when she has to come in I put the dog in their pen and take them out in their vet-carriers.
 
And what I mean by not as nice is some smell off due to bad previous pet owners, or they are noisier since there are lots of people in a closer area with dogs/cats/other pets and you may hear barking or people walking by late, or even have to deal with parties. But there are many living options! Good luck!
 
OOooor like my complex where dog owners were not picking up the dog poop. It was literally like a mine field under my living room windows. Kind of gross, especially when it gets hot. Which it does come summer. I had to talk with the land lord several times before it stopped. Kind of did put me in a spot. Because if it didn't stop my land lord could have very well said no pets and my cats are never allowed out. I did get him to say no outdoor pets.

I'm not sure what the rabbit policy or caged animal policy is at my place, so I haven't said anything about Harvey. They know about my geckos and haven't said anything. But since you are starting out and trying to convince your parents, it would be better to find a rabbit friendly place, rather then being asked to leave because of the rabbits.
 
I might not get an apartment for the first year to please my parents. But I might get a single dorm room and sneak him in. What do you think?
 
I know people who have done it. You run the risk of having them say "you can't live on campus again next semester/year" if they find out.

One of my best friends had several pet mice. Our RA had a cat. So it's been done. The only concern there would be roommates. If you lived in an open double, you'd have to share a very small space with someone else, and they may not like having a fluffy little creature hopping all over. If you had a single, it would be much easier to swing it.

Usually schools give a week's notice or something before they're going to do checks. Our RA would just take the cat to her boyfriend's for that week. The girl I knew who had a hedgehog would put his bowl in a drawer (since they can't open drawers) for a few hours if she was going to be gone during the time when checks would happen.

So it's possible, but if you're on rocky ground with your parents letting you do something, it may not be the best idea. But if you're paying for your own schooling, you can do whatever you want. If your parents are paying for your schooling, they may not appreciate you breaking the rules. You'd have to discuss that with them.
 
My parents said I could sneak him into a single dorm but I'll have that risk of getting caught. However, I have a friend who attends the same school at the moment and he has an apartment off campus, so I can always bring him there before they do a routine check.
 
I have my two rabbits smuggled into my apartment. Although, landlords have to give 24 hours notice before entering the premises unless flooding, fire, etc. and the rabbit's hay is stored in a cooler so you can't see/smell it and their cage is an exercise pen for dogs (and I'm allowed a dog).. so basically my plan is to just throw litterboxes and water bottles and such in a garbage bag set in the closet and take the rabbits with me in their carrying containers in the car and take to a friend's for when the landlord needs to do the move-out check or show the place.

My dorm rooms would not have worked with a rabbit.. My RA was very strict and even fish had a limit on bowl size in case of spills (1 gallon). My room was also shared with another person and we had about 9 feet by 13 feet total of space. So basically we had room for the two beds, and a shelf/desk, and a dresser-cabinet thing with a walkway in the center of the beds. Hopefully your living space is bigger than that!
 
Hmmm I honestly don't know how strict my apartment is about caged animals. When they do checks, one of my cats does dart under the bed, but they know about the cats. I have my geckos in plain sight and no one has ever said anything. I'm not exactly advertising I have a rabbit too haha. We have a fire alarm test and air filter replacement on Monday. My plan is to clean up the scattered hay as much as possible and close my bedroom door so it is only open a crack. Harvey doesn't make much noise, plus I should be there while they are doing the check.

So it is possible as long as your parents don't mind. I never lived in the dorms when I went to school. My college had tiny rooms that two people shared, plus I didn't want to be around party people either.
 
My experience was that the party people lived off-campus. But this was in the days of in loco parentus with curfews & random late-night fire drills with roll calls once we were outside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top