Help for those moving to Bryan-College Station

If you are moving to Bryan-College Station (BCS), you probably have a ton of questions. Your "things-to-do" list is probably a mile long and you desperately need some help. Don’t worry as the Muslim community in Bryan/College Station is very welcoming and friendly. People like to know each other and help out as much as they can. Following are some of the resources that you can avail before and after you make the move.

Contact the Muslim community
If you are moving to College Station because you'll be attending school here, or you have a new job or business in town, or simply because you feel that Bryan/College Station is the place for you, first thing to do would be to get in touch with the Islamic Community of Bryan-College Station (ICBCS) or the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) at TAMU (both organizations work together). You can email the executive committee of ICBCS or MSA and let them know that you are on your way. You can ask them any particular questions that you may have and seek their assistance with any specific needs of yours. ICBCS and MSA try to help newcomers in a lot of different ways, mostly with housing and finding roommates.

Find housing and roommates
ICBCS and MSA generally setup a "reception" committee to assist newcomers to town. If you are single brother or sister coming to Bryan-College Station, the reception committee will try to find a local host for your temporary housing. In this time period, they will assist you in finding a permanent housing. Depending on your requirements and availability of other newcomers, the committee will also help you find a roommate. Just so that they have enough heads up, get in touch with them at least a month before you expect to arrive. You can email ICBCS or MSA with your housing preferences and requirements. It helps if you include information such as your date and place of arrival, range of rent that you are willing to pay, if you will be willing to share an apartment or not, and if so, whether you will be willing to share a room or not. Most of the brothers and sisters moving to College Station like to stay closer to the masjid, which is very close to the TAMU campus. Your chances of finding a roommate therefore increase if you stay in the neighboring area. Currently, rents for two-bedroom apartments range from $350 to $700 per month (with $550 being an average for a decent apartment) in the area close to the Masjid.

If you are a family moving to College Station or Bryan, it is generally very difficult to find hosts for temporary housing. You should plan on staying in a hotel for a short duration while you look for housing. If you will be renting an apartment, the reception committee can assist you find one. Otherwise if you are planning to rent a house or buy one, they can put you in touch with real estate locators.

Miscellaneous tasks
Once you are here, there may be several other tasks that you may need help with. The reception committee can help you with tasks such as opening up a bank account, taking you for groceries, laundry, etc. If you will be arriving at the College Station airport, they can also come pick you up.

Prayer information
Once you are here, you'll need to know the timings of the prayers. Please visit the official ICBCS website for current and more accurate prayer information. The direction of the kabah in Bryan-College Station is 44.65 degrees clockwise from North (i.e. North-East).

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