kent shakespeare
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Posts posted by kent shakespeare
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Hello,
I'm starting my graduate degree at McGill this Fall, I'm a US citizen and I plan to move to Montreal together with my girlfriend. However, I'm a little confused as to how to apply for a Study Permit together with her, so she can get a resident permit and eventually a temporary working permit as well. The thing is, the information is very clear on the fact that I can apply for a Study Permit at the point of entry into Canada, but nowhere have I read what to do in order to apply together with your girlfriend (de facto spouse in legal terminology, since we have lived together many years).
Anyway, anybody out there can help? It'd be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
It sounds like a headache, actually, since Quebec has its own immigration policies and a different civil law than the rest of Canada.
In Quebec, even recognition of common law/de facto marriages is different. It may require an actual contract between the two of you before a notary in Quebec, before it is recognized. http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/choose-quebec/daily-life/family/marriage.html
Even getting recognized as your spouse, it will not be an easy ball of wax to get her a legal work permit. Even to get basic residency, you'll probably have to show that you have enough funds for both of you to live on. If she has specialized skills and speaks French, that's a help, but it's still a harder kettle of fish than you just getting a study permit. You may want to at least consult with an immigration lawyer.
here's another site to dig around in: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/temporary-workers/obtaining-authorizations/certificat-permit/applications-spouse.html.
and lastly...
another option (not the best, but it may be of some help): She might want to consider living in Plattsburgh, NY or even Burlington, VT, where she can work, and still be within an hour or so of you. Maye at least until she can get a work permit.
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you're hardly the only one to encounter this sort of situation; I'd be very surprised if UTSA is that inflexible.
Contact your PhD supervisor at UTSA, too, and get their input and assistance.
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dry hydrant
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A friend of mine was just accepted at CUNY Brooklyn (within the last 2 days).
He said their admissions were delayed because a key officer had been stuck in Europe during the volcano incident. Not sure if that was just Brooklyn, or CUNY-wide.
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Pink Panther
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Captain Kirk
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Sky Captain
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I'm 41, an finishing up my 2nd semester in an MA program.
I got an AAS in my 20s, but went back for a BA a couple years ago, and finished up last May. I really enjoyed being an older student, but there was a slight social distancing. I made friends, but certainly wasn't part of the usual social peer groups. As an older student, I was more focuses, more likely to ask questions/speak up, which made me appreciated by both profs and young students (thy often knew me even when I still couldn't tell them apart, especially those from larger classes).
Here in my MA cohort, of 17 of us, 1 is in her 50s, 2 are in our 40s, a couple are in their 30s, and the rest re 20-somethings; mostly at the older end of that range but a couple that have continued straight high school-BA-MA program without any interruption.
Of all of us at the older end of our spectrum, I'm the only single one; everyone else has family and pre-existing communities ties. I'm the only older student who moved here just for school, so I'm the one least connected socially. I do socialize a bit with the others (peers and younger), but I'm a bit of a 5th wheel at times.
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Hi everybody! Is anyone familiar with Albany? My partner and I were accepted to SUNY's English Ph.D program and we are considering it. I have lived on the West coast my whole life, so I am not familiar with the area. All I hear about it is the cold and snow!
Does anyone know what graduate student life is like in the area? Suggestions for neighborhoods to live in? Thanks!the western portion of Albany is very residential, and it is possible to be reasonably close to SUNY without being right in the student ghetto others have mentioned. Don't be too scared by all the talk of Arbor Hill; it is a rather small region and unless you're lining up a place blind, you will most likely avoid it entirely during your entire time in Albany.
You do get used to cold and snow, and it's only a few months of the year. At my last U in northern NY state, we had a lot of south Asian kids who were shivering in October but fully adapted by the January term. But good idea on not planning on having to drive in it; you do get used to that, too, but you might as well be prepped for alternative travel. Plenty of west coasters have adapted well to the area before you.
There are several buses that go to SUNY from various directions. Google CDTA to check out routes and frequency.
Carolina,
Waterworks Pub is the best-known gay bar. I've never been there, but friends really love it. There are other places, too.
One sees gay couples holding hands in public places, parks and the mall,s and I've never heard of problems.
Even though Albany is small by metropolitan standards, it still has plenty of offerings.
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Lots of people go through CCs and make their way to grad schools - including me.
No biggie.
Just try to build the best experience out of it (not just grade-wise, but experience-wise).
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I'm sorry, but your comment is really out of line and someone needs to call you on it. Some might even say it's bigoted. What if someone made a comment about a hilarious example of "minority people problems"? Wouldn't be very nice, would it?
Anyway, I really don't see how race is an issue at all with the OP's concern. Do you even know what race she is? Then why bring it up? Without your first paragraph your point would still have come across quite clearly.
I think the point was that this thread's original issue is small potatoes compared to people who have had to grapple with much tougher life situations.
Ethnicity-related comments aside (and I read the 'white' comment as a synonym for 'privilege,' rather than leaping to defensiveness), she does have a point; it'd be nice if questioning an optimistic partner was the biggest issue I had to face.
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also, a month or so in advance won't raise eyebrows - plenty of people do that. Especially to apartment-hunt.
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as long as you have your passport, letter of acceptance and award letter, and $ for your study permit, you should be fine.
anything extra, like additional funds available to you (bank/loan papers) are assets, but probably not even needed.
I brought a lot of extra stuff to be on the safe side, and didn't even need it.
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Hi there,
I'm a French student who is starting the PhD program in philosophy at Cornell in the fall. I just came across a problem and I was wondering if someone had a solution. I wanted to post an ad on craigslist in order to find a room in Ithaca, but it turns out there is some kind of phone authentication involved, which requires a US phone number, something I don't have for obvious reasons. Does anyone know how to activate one's account when one's doesn't have a US phone number?
maybe your supervisor could lend their #?
or the department?
or the International students office?
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The only thing that comes to mind is http://www.ratemyprofessors.com
but it's more about undergrads noting whose classes are easy than grads rating supervisors.
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re: credit cards:
Avoid Capital One at all costs.
Ditto Providian or any of the spam you get in the mail.
Try to deal with a local bank rather than a big one.
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definitely McGill!
Great U in a great city! Even beyond funding, it's a great choice.
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My credit is worse than yours.
I rent from small-time landlords, with whom the impression you make matter most.
Most of mine haven't even bohered to check credit. Granted, this is might be more approporiate to smaller cities than DC.
in my experience, apartment complexes always check.
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One sunny day, a rabbit came out of her hole in the ground to enjoy the fine weather. The day was so nice that she became careless and a fox snuck up behind her and caught her.
"I am going to eat you for lunch!" said the fox. "Wait!" replied the rabbit," You should at least wait a few days."
"Oh yeah? Why should I wait?"
"Well, I am just finishing my dissertation on 'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'"
"Are you crazy? I should eat you right now! Everyone knows that a fox will always win over a rabbit."
"Not according to my research. If you like, you can come into my hole and read it for yourself. If you are not convinced, you can go ahead and eat me for lunch."
"You really are crazy!" said the fox, but since the fox was curious and had nothing to lose, it went into the hole with the rabbit.
The fox never came out.
A few days later, the rabbit was again taking a break from writing when a wolf came out of the bushes and was ready to set upon her.
"Wait!" yelled the rabbit," You can't eat me right now."
"And why might that be, my furry appetizer?" said the wolf.
"I am almost finished with my dissertation on 'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'"
The wolf laughed so hard he almost let go of the rabbit. "Maybe I shouldn't eat you--you really are sick in the head! You might have something contagious."
"Come and read it for yourself, you can eat me afterwards if you disagree with my conclusions."
So the wolf went down into the rabbit's hole...and never came out.
The rabbit finished her dissertation and was out celebrating in the local lettuce patch.
Another rabbit came along and asked, "What's up? You seem very happy."
"Yup, I just finished my dissertation."
"Congratulations! What's it about?"
"'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'"
"No way! That can't be right."
"Oh, but it is. Come and read it for yourself."
So the two rabbits went down into the rabbit hole. As they entered, the friend saw the typical graduate abode. A computer with the controversial work was in one corner surrounded by discarded papers. And on one side of the room there was a pile of fox bones, while on the other side there was a pile of wolf bones. And in the center, there was a large, well-fed lion.
The moral of the story:
The title of your dissertation doesn't matter. The subject doesn't matter. The research doesn't matter. All that matters is who your advisor is.
(from http://www.chat.carleton.ca/~jnoakes/grad.html, where you'll find many other gems)
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banjo
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I'm from a lower income background. My dad had an Associate's degree from a state-run correspondence school, and my mom didn't even get her HS degree until she was an empty-nester. I spent 9 years prt-time working on my own useless AAS while working full-time; I had serious money hang-ups and completely resisted the allure of the student loan. After years stuck in crappy jobs, I've taken the plunge and am up to debt to my eyeballs, but I finished my BA at age 40, summa cum laude at a decent state U. Now in an MA prog in Canada.
years ago, I largely stopped measuring myself against others. HS classmates of more middle-class families are now hotshot lawyers and the like. I've always had U classmates who flew here and there for spring break (my only SB trip was a grant-funded research trip for my senior thesis... to Edmonton, in wintery mid-March). C'est la vie. We all have our tracks in life. I struggle with depression and basic survival matters that my classmates have family to fall back on. I don't; I fly by the seat of my pants. That's life; I'm doing the best I can with it.
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as a lifelong northeasterner of 41 years, there have literally been roughly a dozen days per decade where it has been too cold to walk around, and I do lot of walking. Granted, my threshold for cold is greater than many.... but it can be done. At my current and previous U, there have been lots of international students from the tropics (Vietnam, southern India, etc) who were shivering in their first autumn here but by their second winter totally loved the cold.
I ditto the many comments about dressing in layers. Shoes/boots should have some grip to them, too. Warm hats and gloves are also a must.
Do NOT drive until you are used to the snow. And make sure you have all the necessities, once you do: snow tires, scrapers, a shovel, a bag of salt/cat litter (for when you're stuck and your wheels are spinning on ice), and maybe even chains (if you live near mountains, or near the Great Lakes).
It's a challenge, but it's also quite invigorating. And the change of seasons can truly be amazing.
Unless you're at the tiniest U in the tiniest town, there should be decent, practical bus service. The U is usually a major stop (and often with multiple stops).
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I'm currently in a terminal MA program, but UMich looks like a perfect fit for a PhD program.
What do you think of its History program? How insular is it, in terms of dealing with other departments? My field overlaps with Native studies.
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I think e-notifications is great - quicker the better. A formal, mailed acceptance letter is nice, certainly. A mailed rejection letter seems pointless unless it specifies reasons why, or encourages reapplication under different/future conditions.
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Posted · Edited by kent shakespeare
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