u/StupidlyIntellegent

I recently got accepted into a 2-year program at WashU (STEM), but I'm hesitant to commit for a couple of reasons. I'm a native Californian and honestly didn't think I'd get accepted. I wanted to stay in California to be closer to family and the weather, but the cycle has been rough and WashU is the only acceptance I've got for a program beyond just looking at industry work. I can of course come back to California, so I had some questions about living at Saint Louis and the campus:

1. How's housing? I've looked online at pricing and such but haven't visited so I can't get the full picture of how housing looks. I'd like to live close to campus, one bed/bath or studio, is that doable?
2. What's the cost of living like right now in Saint Louis?
3. How are the winters in Saint Louis? I'm not a huge fan of rain/snow (being from California), so just wanted to get an idea of how that's like
4. What's the social life like, especially for someone who's coming out of undergrad and will be in a grad program?

Would really appreciate any insight and if there's anyone from California who went to or is at WashU that'd be great