Welcome to Morgantown, West Virginia. Blue mountains, flowing rivers, and you can hear John Denver singing around every corner. The first time you come here, you can just tell there isn't much like it. There is so much do, so much to explore. I personally can't wait to get to know the area better. Even though, it's beauty may be unmatched, this town comes with it's own challenges. After living here for several weeks, I am here to give you advice on moving here, getting around the area, and a little bit about being a student here at WVU.
There are many perks that come with being a Mountaineer. For the sports fans, yes tickets to the basketball, football, and other sporting events are FREE! I'm not sure how many division one schools are out there that do that. All you have to do is enter into a student lottery online. Grad students (which would be you) actually get priority to these games, so you are likely to get a ticket. I haven't tried this yet, but I definitely will go see a basketball game and go to the football games when time allows for it. Also, the student recreation center is free for students too. This is a great place to take your mind off of things once class gets stressful. You've got to take care of yourself if you are going to make it in this program. The rec center has basketball courts, a giant rock wall, weight rooms, an indoor track, a pool, and probably more that I have yet to discover. I have enjoyed going there the times that I have. As a side note, there is a gym in the hospital itself that only costs a one time fee of 10 dollars if you don't feel like leaving your second home.
With the PA program starting in January, this makes finding an apartment or a house pretty challenging. It's the middle of the school year in a college town. Most places are pretty booked. The most important advice that I can give to an incoming student is to find a place that is close to the hospital/health science center. The infrastructure is Terrible, with a capital T. Parking passes are very few due to them being sold out at the beginning of the school year. Sometimes driving to class may even take longer than walking depending on where you live. Coming from Michigan, where the whole state's elevation change is probably around 100 ft, West Virginia feels like a different world. This university is built on a mountain. Everywhere you go, there are hills, hills, a sharp turn, and then more hills. This makes riding a bike difficult, unless you are ripped. Trust me, I tried it and did not enjoy it. Oh yeah, there aren't really any sidewalks either.... Sometimes I take the bus (free), but it isn't very reliable. There is also something called the PRT (personal rapid transit). It is an automated tram system created by Boeing in the 70s, which I have heard is really nice for some people . It is free for students and if I was close to a station, I would probably take it. But it does break down a lot, and apparently you can get stuck on the track for a while before someone realizes it, due to the whole thing being automated. So after all of that, I can hopefully convince you, that a short walk to class would be your best friend.
You may not find the place of your dreams and it may be a downgrade from where you came from. But you've got to remember, it's really only for a year. The second year you are all over the place doing clinicals. And you really only need a place that will provide a good environment to study. So yes, you may have to sacrifice your closet space, or you may have to choose that place with the ugly carpet. It will all be worth it in the end my friend.
Regardless of the difficulties of getting around town, this place really is breathtaking. I mean (*raises eyebrows as if to point above myself*) just look at that picture. Morgantown has a lot to offer. As time goes on, I will be able to get to know this area more, and discover what it truly means when John Denver (or a stadium of full of people) sing "Take Me Home, Country Roads."