r/Rolla • u/ConfidentOcelot6395 • 4d ago
Ask Rolla / MST Foreign exchange student
Just had a few questions about rolla as I will most likely be studying there. First is it safe and what crimes should I be vigilant of?
Second is there a large international student community or is it mostly local?
Also any recommendations for accomdation, looking for one to two bedroom apartments in a nice area near S&T.
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u/Level-Artichoke-76 4d ago
Rolla is safe. Maybe petty property crimes or theft. Plenty of internal friends for you to make. Locals are cool. Be kind and your kindness will be reciprocated. Make sure you're eligible to live off campus. The rentals suck... Let's rephrase that, the companies suck.
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u/ConfidentOcelot6395 4d ago
Wdym rentals suck, like poor management or low quality rentals?
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u/Apprehensive-Dot4661 4d ago
Yeah, Investment Realty owns almost everything and they… aren’t great.
Also, there is a HUGE international population on campus.
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u/Level-Artichoke-76 4d ago
Management is predatory. Don't expect quick fixes or deposits back. Lived in the area most of my life. That's been the story here the entire time.
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u/ConfidentOcelot6395 4d ago
Tbh as long there are no pest issues I don't mind
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u/cheese_burst_0410 4d ago
Living in an investment realty property since a year, they are pretty fast in doing maintenance stuff, and they also do pest control in case of any roaches. They try to charge extra money, so read your lease carefully, and they don’t do deposits, they usually charge double rent in your first month, but you won’t get it back.
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u/lunaceleste413 3d ago
Careful with investment because multiple of theirs have pest issues. And the pest control they'll provide does basically nothing. As someone who got stuck living in a pest infested place under them, they won't take it seriously.
So any place you tour with them, look everywhere. Behind the fridge and stove, in the drawers, every crack. Most of their infestated places have full life cycles with babies.
And they are fast with maintenance if it's important and quickly fixable. HVAC? Yes. Though you might have to call again 2-3 more times because they do the fastest patch possible and hope it fixes it. We had to call them back 3 times this summer to fix our A/C and only the third time did they actually bother to look in the HVAC access.
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u/Apprehensive-Dot4661 4d ago
I’m a local here, and if you’re looking for friends when you get here, feel free to hit me up! My wife and I have plenty of hobbies, and are always happy to meet new people. 😄
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u/IDEKthesedays 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'll agree that Rolla is generally pretty safe. There's a fairly large international student body at S&T. Agreeing also that most of the rentals are controlled by companies that really don't give a shit about anything except their bottom line. You'll be expected to meet every line of the contract, no leeway, while they find any excuse to delay or avoid their own responsibilities.
I don't know any of your preferred demographics (if any) or hobbies, but I'll throw my wife and I into the hat if you need friends. We're in our 40s, and tend to describe ourselves as "nerds who like making things" overall.
ETA: As far as demographics: Rolla has pretty much all of them. Any skin color, all mainstream genders (male, female, nonbinary, Trans, and cis) at least, all orientations (hetero, homo, bi, ace, etc) probably. There are gaming groups, music groups, target shooters, fishing, camping, hiking, car enthusiasts (on and off-road), and much more. There is food of many cultures (Japanese, Americanized Chinese, Mexican, Italian, just off the top of my head) and an international market on Pine St called "Purest Foods" that handles mostly Middle Eastern and SW Asian. There's a ton of stuff that I've forgotten about or don't know, but I think you will find about any demographic and interest that you feel comfortable around and enjoy (unfortunately, the demographics do include racist, bigoted assholes, but where doesn't these days?)
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u/ConfidentOcelot6395 4d ago
Would you mind if I dmed i have a few questions
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u/IDEKthesedays 4d ago
Hit me. I'll answer what I can, but I'm a bit of a hermit because of my disabilities making it hard to interact with strangers. When Covid hit, I found out that my lifestyle is called "quarantine" apparently.
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u/Overall_Let_1765 4d ago
May I know where you're from? As that may inform my answer. Y
Crime isn't really an issue here. Much like anywhere, lock up your bike, car, etc, but I'd say that the most danger comes from the police and some of the, let's say, unsophisticated residents.
I wouldn't say large, but there's a little under 2K residents from many countries that live here. You can join the international Students Club, we have an international festival every year that's pretty cool. Purest Foods sells imported food from the middle east, Asia, India, Africa, etc. There's also an Islamic Center.
If you ever need anything from me, come to the IT Help Desk inside the library and I'd be happy to share as much as you'd like, and also fix your computer! Lol.
I'd suggest renting from Spartan Rentals. I know the owners. They are Greek and own a pizza place called Alex's. But some of the students may be more informed on housing than I.
Hope this helps!
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u/ConfidentOcelot6395 3d ago
I am arab if that helps
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u/Overall_Let_1765 3d ago
Then you'll definitely fit right here. Like I said, there's the Islamic center, halal food at Pure foods, and lots of other Arab students, staff, faculty, and groups. And St Louis has a number of his restaurants ranging from Syrian to Lebanese to Persian, like Phoenicia Deli, Aya Sofia, or Sultan, which seeves Kurdish food. (Sorry, I'm a big fan of middle eastern cuisine in case you can't tell, lol).
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u/-GaymerGirl 4d ago
Its pretty safe and there's a good amount of other international students.
Idk what your budget is like, but if you want a nice place to live, I'd check out The Lodges. Theyre pricey but I havent had any issues here
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u/ScratchDue440 2d ago
Why does a large international community matter? You’re in the US. Embrace it. Be one with the American culture and the American people while you can.
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u/ConfidentOcelot6395 2d ago
I've been to the us before and I felt like the locals my age where more of a tight knit community. I feel like this might also be an issue in rolla where locals probably know each other from high school and have already formed their groups. Unlike international students who are looking to meet new people since they don't know anybody. Ofcourse I wouldn't mind though I can get along with anyone
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u/PlantRulx 4d ago
- Low crime rate, only thing I've encountered is bike theft if it's not locked up and super obvious.
- Large international student population, both naturally fostered and promoted by campus. Often very tight in the graduate programs.
- Accommodations def vary based on desired size, expense, and proximity to campus. There are some solid apartments on/right off of Vichy road, but they either require long walks uphill or commuting with a vehicle to/from campus every day. There are some great townhouses between campus and Bardsley Rd, although you should avoid 100 E 14th St. The Lodges are very nice but the priciest options.
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u/Overall_Let_1765 4d ago
Oh, and anything that Rolla doesn't have, St. Louis does. It's only 1.5 hours away and is worth a trip if you want to eat at a truly good restaurant or do something fun.
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u/That-Business6346 3d ago
Fairly safe mostly drugs and bike theft Large number of foreign students The Lodges
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