siem riep- living/studying life

all right guys,
i'll be studying in vietnam and cambodia next semester, living mostly in saigon but also siem riep. what can i expect? from the perspective of living there rather than just passing through, i'd love to hear any advice/horror stories/recommendations/exciting things...i'm grateful for any and all info. i can also be reached at fallow3@gmail.com for anything longer.
thanks so much,
j

Can only speak for Siem Reap.
Smallish city, main tourist attraction in Cambodia. Lots of places catering to foreigners, both tourists and a sizable group of expats in the town centre. Once outside the centre you're back in Cambodia, with lots of local eateries, shops and markets. Main markets are Psar Chas, Psar Kandal, Psar Leou and Psar Samaki, the latter two being on the eastern side of the Siem Reap River and catering mostly to locals.
Once you've stayed here for some time you'll know the popular places both the expats and the locals go to.
Living costs in SR will probably be slightly higher than in Saigon. I pay 60USD for my 6x4m room with attached bathroom and kitchen. Water is free, I pay 1000 Riel for 1kw of electricity and 2USD for cable tv. Simple meals can be had at one of the markets starting at 2000 Riels (a portion of rice soup with some vegetables and pork thrown in), up- market places are slightly outside the centre, e.g. Abacus, Alliance Cafe, Le Malraux, and usually offer European fare. Popular local spots for eating grilled 'everything' will charge you between 5000 Riel (a plate of grilled beef) to 12 000 Riel (a plate of grilled biggish tiger prawns), including a basket of raw vegetables and unlimited amounts of prahok with seasoning. A jug of beer at one of these places will set you back 7000 Riel.
1USD= 4000 Riel.
Siem Reap has good bus connections to Phnom Penh and Battambong. Boats are available as well. Both Jetstar and Air Asia (low cost airlines) fly to REP airport from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
It's not a bad place to stay, I like it.