UOP is so progressive and it looks like the even the dean has a started a blog. So far there’s only been two posts but I’m excited to see what Dean Ferrillo has to write about. I like that he’s using a blog to get his message out and I’d encourage him to keep at it, after his much needed relaxation, of course.
San Francisco is such a fun, free place to live. The atmosphere here is so easy going and besides being a major city, it’s nothing like living in New York. There’s some talk about living as close as possible but that’s really a matter of personal preference. I live a mile from school; I absolutely love the location of my building and pretty much everything about my place.
Here’s a picture of the view from my balcony:
The last minute hunt for housing was one thing I wanted to avoid. I didn’t want to wait for the Pacific housing lottery to drop the bomb on me that I would be homeless with a month to look for something. Now that I’m seeing a fellow future classmate go through the hunt, I’m glad I put in that little bit of effort early on to secure a place of residence. Finding housing in any big city is not a fun endeavor. Many people are renting because of the housing slump and so in addition to sky-high rent, everything goes fast. However, there’s not too much to finding housing in SF and here’s five housing tips I’ve learned along the way.
1) Start early!
There is nothing worse than the gut wrenching thought of not having a stable place to live. Starting early allows for some leeway in the event places get snapped up. Additionally, you can wait for a price that works better for your budget. But if you cut it close, well, beggars can’t be choosers.
2) Craigslist is your best friend.
Craigslist was started in San Francisco. It’s very popular here and this free site is a godsend for students looking for a central location where people post potential housing. You can also slap up a free ad in “housing wanted” in case there are renters looking for tenants or roommates. With that said, be honest with yourself and whomever you’re rooming with, if it’s not a match, it’s not a match. Personality clashes mid-year or during finals week when stress levels are high are no fun and can be avoided.
3) Google maps is your second best friend.
Map everything. Get to know the different neighborhoods; i.e. Tenderloin is not a great such a pretty place to live. Remember, there will be days you come home after dark. Safety is something to think about. Also, housing that’s too far can be a hassle if you have no mode of transportation to get you to school. If you’re thinking about a vehicle, see point #3.
3) A parking spot is a luxury.
If you have a car where parking lots are the norm and street parking is a never, make sure you brush up on parallelparking before you get here. That skill will get you far. That and a 5 lb bag of quarters. Meters can run you $0.25 for 10 minutes and up to $0.25 for 6 minutes. As of now, there is a waiting list for a monthly parking pass at the Japantown parking lot.
Otherwise, nix the car and walk, bike, scooter or bus your way through dental school. Those are all economical and aside from the scooter, healthier alternatives for commuting. Personally, I will be biking to class. There is a bike cage at the garage by the school for free bike parking.
4) $900/month is awesome, awesome, sweet deal. Period.
5) And no matter where you rent, know your rights as a renter.
Having been screwed out of security deposits and had locks changed on me before move-out day, I know how awful landlords can be. So if you are looking for housing, make sure you read up on what you are entitled to as as a tenant: San Francisco Tenants Union
I think this vacation is making me soft. So, in my attempt to get back into the dentistry mindset, I found this depressing little article “Who Would Ever Go Into Dentistry“. It’s got all sorts of nuggets of motivation perfect for me to feel like I’ve made the right career choice to throw my heart and soul into for my short stay on this planet.
She starts off with,
The joy of changing a person`s life by creating a beautiful, healthy smile is one of the intangible rewards of being a dentist that can`t be measured.
But then goes onto,
Anyone who thinks dentistry is not physically taxing is greatly mistaken. While the fatigue that comes from a day of physical labor generally can be overcome by a good night`s sleep, the fatigue that arises from the mental and physical stress of producing dentistry seems to be cumulative. Carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic back problems, and hypertension abound with dentists. Some days, you feel as if you are swimming against the current all day.
Awesome.
Some people have a very limited “opening” capacity; some have tongues the size of car hoods …
Ah, the lovely use of metaphor.
The depression deepens
You’re a positive one, Mr. Grinch.
Could you imagine her as dean of a dental school? She’d give some awesome speeches. “I know you guys have all heard the rumors about dentists and suicide rate because well, it’s true. Every. Single. Word of it. And I’m not trying to depress you guys but you should really be depressed already because well, you know, some patients have tongues the size of car hoods and if that isn’t enough to scare you then how about carpal tunnel? or back problems and add hypertension to your soup of possible crippling ailments that’ll befoul you. There! But don’t let that scare you now.”
But then she’s like, “Enough! Enough” and has this Dr. Thibodeau bring in a possible ray of hope for the profession.
As a private-practice dentist, assuming you have not entered into any indentured servitude contracts with some insurance behemoth …
Okay, don’t sign any papers with those wily insurance companies. They don’t really love me. They just love my hands of gold and dental license. Got it.
You decide whether to be a nice person or an SOB.
This one I like. Alright, I pick B! B! Latter, please. Thank the heavens I chose dentistry.
I think the article was meant to inspire but I’m not really getting that from it. Fortunately, I’m going to a beautiful dental school with good lunches and big chocolate chip cookies, where the sim lab is gorgeous and the students are happy. I get to live in San Francisco and, and, and there’s a chocolate waterfall surrounded by giant marshmallows in the main lobby. Okay, so that last one is a fabrication but whatever, it’s keeping my dream of going to the perfect dental school alive. Alright, I’m going to get a head start on the carpal tunnel and hypertension - even before dental school! I ooze dedication.
34 more days and counting!
Oh and seems the 1st years were assigned their little sibs. It’s their last week as 1st years as well. I’m excited for them! I’m curious to see who I was assigned to. Hopefully it’s someone easy going and down to earth. I made some silly comment on my preference form in the additional comments section about wanting someone with a sense of humor and proceeded to display my own sense of humor by ending it with: Thank you Match.com Big Bro/Big Sis Coordinators. Hilarious, I know. Then I failed to specify whether I wanted a guy or a girl because I was supposed to get back to that but never did and then left out my phone number so to avoid any chance of clarification. So it’s going to be a surprise. Well, gender isn’t important so long as they’re healthy. Right? 
Dental school starts in a month! O em gee. There isn’t much going on for school. Some of the first years have put together and mailed out a welcome manual. It’s all spiral bound with pictures and detailed descriptions of everything from administrative boring stuff to what to do around town. They even have a hand drawn map with local eateries. The whole thing is very professional looking and super cool.
The financial aid office (love them. seriously.) has been working to get us our aid information. They’ve accommodated me and my ever changing mind without any hint of exasperation on their voices. As far as hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, well, I’m not without hesitation to sign my way into so much of it but I know it looks and sounds scarier than it really will be when I graduate. I’m not religious, but I guess what I feel likens to what Christians like to say “God will provide”.
Since I last wrote, I’ve moved into my apartment which is about a mile from school. I’m giving up my car and plan on commuting by bike. I’ve found myself a beautiful fixed gear on craigslist. It’s my first fixie and having taken it out for a spin to get used to the constant peddling, I’m excited to give it a try on the hills of Frisco - not on California Avenue though; I don’t think my knees would love me if I did. Anyone I’ve told this plan to has given me the disapproving, sucks-to-be-you looks but well, I’ll see if it really sucks to be me in a month. And I suppose even if it does, I’d be too proud to say anything anyways.
I don’t have internet access and I’m leaning towards not getting it as it’ll cost close to $50 every month. That and I won’t really get to use it since I’ll be in the dental school building except when I go home to sleep. I think that’s an expense I can spare at the moment. Nothing but emails and my social life on the web anyways and I know that’s going out of the window when school starts; I exaggerate, of course.
I have yet to furnish my apartment. I currently sleep on an aerobed and all my worldly possessions are lying on my floor except my new bike. That gets a nice spot in the hallway, with the six pairs of shoes I never wear but have out for show. This isn’t quite the way I envisioned finally living on my own but well, it’s only been a week.
Other than that, I’m incredibly grateful to have a place to live in SF. I’ve spent the past few months reflecting without the stresses of school looming over my head and I can’t help but think how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head and the opportunity to chase my dreams and accomplish my goals. And sometimes, as scary as it have to have school start, I’m excited for this new chapter in my life to begin. No rush though.
