TyKohn

Haha, that is exactly what I mean .

Hello everyone, thank you for your replies! Just want to let everyone know that I am definitely going to relax, I'm only talking about spending an hour or so a day reading and working on math. I won't have anything else major to do during the next four months, so I'll have plenty of free time. I was only part-time my last term as I finished up and took a year off earlier as an undergrad, so its not like I haven't had a break. And I am planning on taking a trip later this summer, which should be nice. I am just trying to get a head-start so I do not get overwhelmed once I am in the program. In particular, I have not really had to use any math as an undergrad since my freshman year courses in Calc, Stat, and Research Methods, and I have forgotten a lot of it in the years since. My GRE scores were way lower in Quantitative than Verbal and Writing, not low enough to hurt me apparently, but I still viewed it as a red flag. So if it is going to take me extra effort to understand the methods courses I am taking, I'd rather do some of that now while I'm laying around the house watching sports than later when I will already have plenty to do. --- Ty

Hello everyone, I just finished my undergraduate studies last week and am accepted into a PhD program in the fall. I have the next four months off to prepare, and I want to use that time wisely. My plan as of now is to work a little every day on my skills in math and foreign language, as well as to begin reading the major academic journals. For math help, I got a couple of books on algebra, calculus and statistics for social scientists as well as a book on introductory econometrics. For my foreign language skills, I am just reading foreign newspapers online. While I'd appreciate any advice on working with math and foreign languages for grad school, my real concern is with how to tackle the academic journals. There are so many journals, with such deep archives of material, that I find it a little daunting to just jump right into them. How would you all suggest I approach this? Where should I begin? Keep in mind that I am working with these academic journals not just to familiarize myself with formal academic research in PoliSci, but also too help me narrow my research focus going forward. My research interests as an undergrad were in Conflict (particularly Democratic Peace Theory) and IPE (looking at the Eurozone crisis and the differing policy opinions of EU member-states). What are considered to be the major journals related to these subfields and my interests in particular? Thank you in advance for all of your help! --- Ty

honourbal, I am sorry to say I know little of the apartment buildings you are asking about. You would be better of talking to Pitt students who are NOT locals, as I am currently commuting in from my family home and have not had to research housing. What I can tell you from browsing Meyers Management site is that the four apartment complexes you mention are located in Shadyside. Its a neighboring area to Oakland, where Pitt is located. Shadyside is historically home to many of Pittsburgh's steel magnates, and is currently a mix of upper-middle class families, young professional types, and grad students. The major business streets in Shadyside are Walnut Street (upscale dining and boutiques), S. Highland Avenue and Ellsworth Avenue (both less expensive than Walnut). All these streets are pretty close to one another, so if you are anywhere near those streets, access to shopping should not be an issue. And all the apartment buildings you mentioned say they are on the bus line. From Shadyside, a bus ride into Oakland takes 15 minutes at most. As iamjacksgoat said, Squirrel Hill is quite nice too. It also borders Oakland (as well as Shadyside) and the business district there is located along Forbes and Murray. Again, its a very nice middle class neighborhood, known historically as the home of Pittsburgh's Jewish community, and is also located with a 15 minute bus ride of Pitt. Both it and Shadyside are far nicer than other places students live in like South Oakland, which while very close to campus is essentially a student ghetto, and South Side, which is more crowded and dirty and home to Pittsburgh's major center of nightlife in Carson Street (and all the loud drunks that brings with it).

Hi all! I am entering Pitt's PHD program for Political Science in the Fall (geitost, send me a PM if you want to talk shop). I am a current Pitt student (graduate this Sunday ) and a native of Pittsburgh, so if anyone has questions I'd be more than willing to help.

You mention that your low GPA is due to bad study habits over your first two years in college. Does this mean then that your GPA was significantly higher over the last two years of your studies? If so, this could make a big difference and should be mentioned if you decide to apply. My GPA was only a 3.40 overall, yet I was recently accepted into a program. I think it helped that my GPA in my junior and senior years was 3.80, and that my GPA within my PoliSci major was 3.75. Similarly, highlight any relevant coursework you may have done well in. For me, this was pointing out that I had taken and gotten A's in upper-level courses designed for PoliSci students considering graduate school. For you, perhaps you will need to emphasize whatever class you wrote your thesis on Hong Kong politics in. Anything that can show the admissions people that your GPA is not reflective of what you are capable of should be included.

I have just been accepted into a fully-funded Phd program in my hometown as well and I plan to live with my parents for the foreseeable future. I will be able to put a lot of my stipend towards student loans from undergrad, and may even have them all paid off by the time I finish up my degree. For me, this is worth the drawbacks. Plus I get to spend more time with my kid brother, which is always nice. Whether its "lame" or not is up to your tastes. Most people around my age go to the bar now instead of throwing house parties so that shouldn't be a big problem. Dating can become complicated I suppose, but the best thing about living with your parents is that there are no strings attached. You are free to move out if it starts to stifle your personal life. If you are worried about it appearing as regressing, remember, you aren't unemployed, you are working towards a Phd and you have your own money. And with something like 45% of recent college grads moving back in with their parents in the current economy, its more normal than ever.

Hello all. I just got my official letter from Pitt today in the mail, after also having received notice in late January. So no worries, your letter should be there soon I would imagine.