any university students on here

Well, not a student, but I know current and former students... I think a year ahead is a little early to seek housing, but it would be good to have areas of interest. Many students concentrate on the west end ( e.g. Bonne Esperence) or the north side for quick access to campus. Many apartments are within a house, so you could offer to do chores for a rent abatement. You might want to check out the Golden Age Ranch on FB. It is a horse rescue/stable/riding attraction where volunteers are always welcome.

Have you been to St Thomas before?

Thanks for the response I have been there on a cruise once. I know t might be a little early but I want to have everything planned and see up. This is a huge move for me and I can't wait. Thanks for the info about the horse barn

Contant is also a popular rental area. There are many opportunities for marine biology majors. Check Coral World, VI Ecotours, and the Jean Cousteau Center at The Ritz. Unfortunately, they aren't close to UVI.

Nice tank you for that info! I'm not too worried about being close to everything it's not a huge island. I'm used to city traffic and taking forever to get anywhere. I plan on getting scuba certified immediately. Is the rental area you mentioned closer to the university

If you have a car and don't mind driving then you are not limited to the living near UVI/south and western side of island.
North side of island has rentals that are about 15 min. from UVI with little traffic.
South side gets pretty hot during the daytime so if you have to indulge in using the A/C, it'll drive up your cost of living.
Hard to plan so far in advance but if you could visit again before you move and get to know island a bit better then you'll have a better idea of where to settle for school, shopping and your favorite activities without having to drive back and forth from one side to the next, constantly, especially if you'll have to deal with any traffic.

I believe that diving is taught as part of the curriculum. If you have a car, you will have lots of UVI friends and unlimited possibilities for housing.

"The student should contact Paul Jobsis, the Director of the marine biology program. His e-mail is pjobsis@uvi.edu."

thank you stxer what exactly did she say i should contact him about?

My friend's reply was very generic. I gathered that the Director of your program would be able and happy to try and answer your initial questions posted here on the forum. He's probably used to answering the same kinds of concerns that you brought up here.

Awesome well thank you very much

Hi dabb21,

I am in the same situation that you are in. I will be graduating with my Associate's Degree in December and transferring to UVI for the Spring 2015 Semester in January. I just found out that I have been accepted to the University's Hospitality and Business program. I have just started my search for housing and found that if you have a car you can live pretty much anywhere (I am shipping my car), if not then look in the contant area/west end. I am just as excited about moving and continuing my education on St. Thomas. I am 31 and hopefully I will find some part time work while finishing my undergrad degree. Maybe I will see you around campus next year! I have been talking to Ms. Morris in Admissions at UVI, she has been a great source of information to make the move as smooth as possible.

Have a great day!

Hey vi Trojan good to hear I am not the only one doing this I won't be moving until June of 2015 and I am not bringing a car but I think I am going to buy a scooter once I'm there. I am going to pm you and give you my email we can maybe chat once in a while and help each other through this big move if that's ok with you!

You should thoroughly read the forum posts here on scooters before deciding to buy one. 😉

Good luck with the move!

You should buy a scooter before moving here. Prices in the VI are very inflated.

Not safe in STT to drive a scooter, IMO.
Steep terrain, sharp corners coming off off steep roads, narrow roads, lack of side walks, droff-offs on sides of roads, numerous potholes, bad/inadequate lightiing at night, overgrown roadsides, lack of good roads plus there's the idiot other driver factor.
One sees very few scooters here. For good reason.

You should buy a scooter before moving here. Prices in the VI are very inflated.

Since the OP is planning on living on STT, a scooter is not a safe option by any stretch and I concur completely with Alana's comments.

Anybody who considers using a scooter on STT as transportation needs to ensure that their affairs are in order, they have top notch medical insurance coverage and sign up with one of the emergency medical airlift companies.

Sounds like a dirt bike would be a better option!

haha wow i got scared off that option pretty quickly

Don't let them scare you!

Please, let us do scare you as it may save your life and limbs.
We drive in STT. caribstx doesn't. Different islands, roads and topography from STX.

Yeah I had a motorcycle borrowed from a friend for about three months, I had one accident with it. I would not suggest riding any type of bike on STT roads, it is not safe with the roads the way they are and how people drive on the island.

Edit: heh, I would say that driving down there is one of the few things that does not change much over the years, right OT?

The roads on St. Thomas are in MUCH better condition than the roads on St. Croix but there are more hills, tight turns, and blind corners. It's the traffic/drivers that are a larger issue - I find even a cab ride over there can be exiciting. I ride a bike here on STX, but I wouldn't recommend riding on STT at all.

Hi!

I'm attending UVI (moving from DC on Sunday) for Fall semester. Studying Marine Biology as well. PM message me and we can chat!