LystAP

After sending the cards, do you ask if they received them? Or just assume generally that the mail worked?

Read this article today (http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/rutgers-student-offers-1-000-data-stolen-laptop-100113953.html), immediately felt for him and.... uploaded my own research data on to Google Drive and a number of USB drives I have around. I already had my data on two USB drives I normally carry around, but perhaps redundancy is better when it comes to your life's work. It seems like common sense, but it doesn't really hit home until you see it happen. Anyone know other similar (and cheap) means of data storage? Here's the picture of the actual advertisement in the article.

They do say that the best way to learn something is to teach it.

Even now, I still really want to expand my horizons and Chicago offered the best opportunity for me to do that, as it was also home to the research center and the entity I wanted to research, in my previous post on the Decisions forum, replyers noted a bias towards UIC. However, that was when I presumed that the aid offer was similar; the opportunity is still there in Chicago, but I am agonizing over the choices presented. I could continue my research on my specific research topic at UCI, but most of the entities on which this topic involves are located in Chicago.

Well, it's not that I am particularly leaning towards California; it's just that I know a lot more about it due to experience. What Chicago offers is possibility from my perspective, a chance to redefine myself and to pursue a research topic I have become rather interested in, since it affirms some of my own beliefs. But then, I stll have to consider the risks involved, and at this point, they are considerable.

Thanks Zabius; I have since visited the second choice and program, and had some things clarified in regards to the choices. The second choice (University of Illinois at Chicago) would most likely require that I take on more debt, especially during the first year as I adjust to the new environment and before I can establish myself at the center (at start, the funding from UIC is almost half of what UCI would give me; which after speaking with my prospective adviser at UIC, is barely enough to live on in Chicago). It is not that the program does not want me, it's just that the program seems to just generally lack funding, many of the other students I spoke with either entered the university on a external scholarship or used their own funds to get established. This is a problem as I have already taken on a considerable amount of debt during my undergrad and masters (although not as large as some others). For the first choice (University of California, Irvine) as stated, I have established connections with many of the faculty there and do greatly admire many of them. In fact, while our research interests may differ at the moment, I have found that I share many similar opinions and perspectives with much of the faculty. For the second choice, I have found the research opportunities offered by the program, the center and the city of Chicago to be quite enticing and I have a positive impression from the faculty there during my visit, whom had also found themselves interested in the research topic that brought me to consider Chicago in the first place. Ultimately, my choice depends in large part on how large or small the gap is in regards to the landing space I have in order to establish myself. I posted an updated version of this (With the names of the universities and an additional implication) in the April 15th panic forum as well, as I found the forum's title appropriate for my current mental state.

I have been trying to decide between two programs but have as of yet been unable to decide between them. Both of them are fully funded for four years, although the amount of funding, location and environment are substantially different from each other. Earlier I had posted this in the Decisions forum; now, with April 15th only a week away, I felt posting here with a few changes and updates would be more ideal. The first is the very university (University of California, Irvine) I received my Master’s degree from, and it is a well-regarded school at that; it is considered a public ivy, rank-wise it is among the top 50 as an overall school and is a tier I university. I also already have positive connections with most of the faculty there, as well as have worked with my prospective adviser already for the past two years. One of the professors on my former Master’s thesis committee (not my adviser said that he is willing to put off retirement to until I finish. However, I have not cemented on precisely what I want to research here yet, although I do share many interests with my former and prospective adviser, whom I greatly admire, who often tethers between other fields. My perspectives are more in line with the faculty then with what I know about my second choice and I believe if I stay, I would eventually find something of interest or readapt my original ideas. The funding is better during the school year with health insurance, in contrast with my other choice; although there is a higher chance of TA responsibilities. This school is also only a few hours from my home, in Southern California and I have lived in the area before. The second is a university that is located near a place that I want to research and is also relatively well-known in its field (University of Illinois at Chicago) but not in overall university ranking, although in program ranking, both programs are side to side. I have contacted the faculty and I believe we share many similar interests. I am intrigued enough by the potential research offered by the area (it is one of the few places where the entity that first interested me in the field has starting up) that that I little doubt what I want to dedicate my time researching if I were to go to that school . There is a research center there that specializes on my desired research topic and they have expressed their own interest in me if I were to come. The research center has a variety of interesting projects, but they are mostly pending (in part due to a lack of funds from the state and public/private sponsors). The funding is less, but includes a summer package; although there is no health insurance, there is a possibility I can increase my funding above the first choice. However, at this point and after speaking with them, the odds are that the funding I would receive would be the bare minimum until I establish myself at the center (and depending on if the center is able to find sponsors for its projects). The package involves RAships and would also have me moving from Southern California, where I lived most of my life, to Chicago, Illinois, a place I have never been to. The first choice is significantly less riskier for me as I would be closer to my family and other means of support. I am also far more familiar with the faculty and the area; the faculty is also quite familiar with me; some of which heavily supported my wish to pursue a PhD. I have also taken many of their PhD prerequisites as a Masters and so I will have more room to maneuver class-wise, if not career-wise as well. Funding-wise it is also significantly less riskier as the offer is relatively stable and their offer includes an unconditional stipend for the first quarter to help me adjust, along with offers of support from my family. The second is far riskier, I basically cut off most of my safety net and enter an urban environment known for danger (urban Chicago), but I would have a more defined goal in my doctorate studies. While dangerous, the environment has been noted as a plus by one of my recommenders as it represents the very thing our field is supposed to be grounded in. I would also in my second choice have more variety in my academic resume; I went to school in Southern California for most of my life, although not at the same university for my undergrad and masters. Then again, the second choice would most likely require that I take on more debt, especially during the first year as I adjust to the new environment and before I can establish myself at the center (at start, the funding from UIC is almost half of what UCI would give me; which after speaking with my prospective adviser at UIC, is barely enough to live on in Chicago). This is a problem as I have already taken on a considerable amount of debt during my undergrad and masters (although not as large as some others).

I have been trying to decide between two programs but have as of yet been unable to decide between them. Both of them are fully funded for four years and have excellent placement rates for their graduates, although their location and environment are substantially different from each other. The first is the very university I received my Master’s degree from, and it is a well-regarded school at that; it is considered a public ivy, rank-wise it is among the top 50 as an overall school and is a tier I university. I also already have positive connections with most of the faculty there, as well as have worked with my prospective advisor already for the past two years. One of the professors on my former Master’s thesis committee (not my advisor) said that he is willing to put off retirement to until I finish. However, I have not determined precisely what I want to research here precisely yet, although I do share interests with my former and prospective advisor who often tethers between other fields. My perspectives are more in line with the faculty then with what I know about my second choice and I believe if I stay, I would eventually find something of interest or readapt my original ideas. The funding is slightly better during the school year with health insurance, in contrast with my other choice; although there is a higher chance of TA responsibilities. This school is also only a few hours from my home, in Southern California and I have lived in the area before. The second is a university that is located near a place that I want to research and is also relatively well-known in its field but not in overall university ranking, like it is not even in the top 100, although in program ranking, both programs are side to side. So far I have only been in contact with the faculty and it seems that we share similar interests, although we really haven’t had time to discuss those yet. But I am intrigued enough by the potential research offered by the area (it is one of the few places where the entity that first interested me in the field has starting up) that that I little doubt what I want to dedicate my time researching if I were to go to that school . There is a research center there that specializes on my desired specialization and they have expressed their own interest in me if I were to come. However, from what I know of the department and from my emails with my prospective advisor, they have generally a different theoretical foundation than my first choice.The funding is less, but includes a summer package; although there is no health insurance, there is a possibility I can increase my funding above the first choice depending on how my discussions with the research center turns out. The package involves RAships and would also have me moving from Southern California, where I lived most of my life, to Illinois, a place I have never been to. The first choice is significantly less risker for me as I would be closer to my family and other means of support. I am also far more familiar with the faculty and the area; the faculty is also quite familiar with me. I have also taken many of their PhD prerequisites as a Masters and so I will have more room to maneuver class-wise. The second is far riskier, I basically cut off most of my safety net and enter an urban environment known for danger, but I would have a more defined goal in my doctorate studies. While dangerous, the environment has been noted as a plus by one of my recommenders as it represents the very thing our field is supposed to be grounded in.I would also in my second choice have more variety in my academic resume; I went to school in Southern California for most of my life, although not at the same university for my undergrad and masters.

If you were to choose the Master's program at Berkeley, I find that it may be a benefit if you were to apply for PhDs afterwards. I was in a Master's program at Irvine and I believe the connections I established while as a Master's student helped me get accepted into PhD programs this year, despite my low GRE scores among other things. That I undertook graduate research with one of the professors in my department also helped, both through experience and cementing possible research interests; it was also easier to find a supportive mentor through their connections. The program may not be well known, but I bet some of the professors are, especially in the more closed fields. Most schools see a Master's as a plus, as you have already demonstrated that you have a higher likelihood of succeeding in graduate studies based on precedence, than if you were to proceed directly from a undergraduate degree. Of course, this advice varies with a individual's experience in a program.