KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / BACK TO SCHOOL
LIVING
Avoid headaches with 10 tips for after move-in
BY SHANNA LARSON editor@kansan.com
Finding a house or an apartment, signing a lease and moving in is exhausting. Although it is important to read your lease before signing it, it is also important to complete a checklist after moving in.
1. Once you have moved in, have a meeting with your room-mates to re-read the lease and make a list of important dates throughout your lease. It is important to know what day rent is due every month, when day you are expected to be moved out, and if there is a date you need to notify your property owner before moving out. Carrie George, a senior from Topeka, said she was charged more than $400 before she moved out.
"In the fine print of our lease it said we had to notify them 60 days before we moved out, even though our lease was up," George said.
2. Most places require a security deposit, and most students don't get that money back. Find out what the policy is for getting a deposit back and when reimbursement takes place. It may be helpful to research your landlord or leasing company
to find out how strict they'll be with damages and deposit money.
3. Having a pet in an apartment or house usually depends on the owner or leasing company. Before you adopt a pet, check the
guests should park to avoid being towed. Not knowing the rules can lead to trouble.
"I had just been at my apartment for a week and my car was towed because I parked in the wrong number," said John Harris, a junior from Fort Collins, Colo.
4. It is important to know if parking is included in the lease and where parking is permitted. Check the lease to find if there are assigned spots for the tenants and where
policy for pets. If they are allowed you may have to pay an extra one-time deposit or a monthly fee. There also may be restrictions on the size of your pet, and some owners or leasing companies may prohibit specific breeds. Legends Place; 4101 W. 24th Place, allows pets weighing less than 50 pounds and requires an extra deposit and additional "pet rent," according to its website. It doesn't allow "exotic pets" or "aggressive" dog breeds, including chow chows, rottweilers, doberman pinschers, pit bulls and German shepherds.
6. Accidents happen and things break. Find out if repairs are included in the lease and whether the owner or leasing company provides maintenance. Some places will do everything, including change light bulbs, and others will expect the tenant to repair anything that doesn't work or is broken before moving out.
5. Find out exactly what you are paying for in your lease. Some places include water and electricity in the rent and others do not. Find out how much you will be paying on top of rent if they are not included. Some places offer a fitness center and a community center that is already included in the monthly rent.
7. Before throwing a party or playing loud music, find out if there is a way for neighbors to submit noise complaints. Some places will add a fine to the lease if there are frequent complaints. Know what kind of environment your new location
Protect yourself in your new apartment by checking leasing rules on pets, repairs and noise complaints.
8. Before moving out, ask for a checklist of what they expect to be cleaned or replaced before moving out. This will be an important step in out.
is in, and adjust accordingly.
getting the deposit back. Some places expect the carpets to be shampooed and other places just expect it to be vacuumed.
9. Referrals are an easy way to save some money off your rent. Some places reduce the rent if tenants refer someone to their apartment or house. Make sure friends who move into the same place tell management they were referred. The lease should have the amount and guidelines for referrals stated.
10. If there is a pool or fitness center, check the lease to find hours and the rules about guests. Some places allow guests to use the pool and fitness center if accompanied by a tenant, while others don't.
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For having grown up with the onset of the Internet, our generation may not be all that Web savvy when it comes to researching, a study by the International Journal of Communication suggests.
The study, written and conducted by professors at Northwestern University, found that students often only chose websites that appeared at the top of Google searches to complete tasks or perform research. Eszter Hargitta; associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern and one of the study's authors, said that most mistakes in the Web research process occur before students even click "Search."
M. D. Rezaiekhaligh/KANSAN
"I think part of it is not so much necessarily what else they can be using." Hargittai said. "I think a big part of it is being more critical and careful about what they are already using."
Hargittai said that search results aren't necessarily ranked in terms of credibility. More sophisticated queries are also needed to glean credible sources from popular search engines.
University of Kansas students have nearly 400 databases at their fingertips, with information on every subject at the University that is not usually found through Google searches.
Tami Albin, undergraduate instruction and outreach librarian, often helps students interested in improving their ability to navigate the library's extensive online resources. She said that whether a student is using Google or a library database, a level of skill is needed to effectively complete a desired task online.
"The research process, you know, it's like anything else," Albin said. "You learn how to do something well over time. With new technologies, you have to learn how to do research different ways. A student who jumps online and pulls three articles off of the Internet and then writes a paper on it and hands it in the next day is not going to get really, really good grades."
Albin said that students are welcome to bring assignments to the library to review with a librarian and seek the proper avenue for research.
"Librarians love to find stuff, so we're really good at it." Albin said.
While Alec Rothman, a sophomore from Boston, is an exception to the rule, Thea Glassman, a sophomore from New York City, affirms the study's results.
"We can find ways to access the things they need."
Rothman said he most often uses the library's databases or news sources such as The New York Times when working on a project. Rothman analyzes the assignment and considers what research will be necessary before logging on. He said that these skills were instilled during a freshman English course.
"My English teacher last year actually looked at our bibliographies before he read our papers to see how valid our sources were," Rothman said. "And once he saw
SEE RESEARCH ON PAGE 6A
employees to get direct deposit
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ
mholtz@kansan.com
Two separate policies require students and University of Kansas employees to sign up for direct deposit to receive refunds and paychecks electronically.
According to an announcement that the Bursar's Office posted online, the new refund policy allows students to receive refunds faster and more safely than they would if the University distributed them as checks.
"We've been trying for years to encourage staff and employees to utilize direct deposit," said Diane Goddard, vice provost for
The second policy is a state mandate requiring direct deposited paychecks for all state employees, which includes University employees. The employees have until Oct. 1 to comply with the new policy.
"The advantage to the University is better business efficiencies," said Katrina Yoakum, comptroller for the University. "We spend a lot of time following up with checks that are not picked up."
Though the state's deadline for direct deposit enrollment is Oct. 1, the goal of the Bursars Office is to have 100 percent enrollment by the beginning of September. Yoakum said more than 95 percent of University employees have already signed up.
administration and finance. "We ramped it up to the 80 percent level pretty quickly. Getting from 80 to 95 percent has been more difficult."
Employees who do not have an account at a financial institution will receive a Skylight Financial account, an ATM-based bank, and a Skylight pay card. Employees must sign up for this service at the Payroll Office.
Kelsey Smith, a junior from Council Grove, signed up for direct deposit when she started work for KU Libraries three years ago. She said shed recommend other students to sign up for it as well.
Though University officials have recommended refund direct deposit for at least five years, they was unable to mandate the policy until a federal law changed. The
"I think it's easier that way," Smith said. "You don't have to worry about getting a new check deposited in the bank."
policy has been in effect since last November.
Yoakum said direct deposited refunds will save the University $10,000 annually.
The Bursar's Office most recently notified students of the refund policy in an e-mail sent Aug. 2. The e-mail included instructions explaining how to set up direct deposit online or by completing a direct deposit authorization form.
It's also much quicker. Goddard said students signed up for direct deposit will receive refunds at least a day faster than they would otherwise.
"Having everyone on direct deposit means there are fewer people who handle that transaction," Goddard said. "It's just more efficient and much more accurate."
Edited by David Cawthon
For more information on refunds, please contact the Bursar's Office.
(785)864-3322
bursar@ku.edu
For more information on paychecks, please contact the Payroll Office. (785)864-4385 payroll@ku.edu
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