otherlevinas

I got a fulbright for graduate research for this upcoming year and have a question that isn't answered in the info they've sent me so far. The problem is that the archives I need to work in and the university with which I'll be affiliated are in different cities (same country and both specified in my project proposal). It would be easier and more productive to live near the archives and commute periodically to the university, but it's not clear whether being affiliated with a university requires that I live in the same city. Because I'm ABD I won't be taking classes (and thus won't need to be there every day), though I will be participating in events organized by a specific group of scholars working at the university. Has anyone encountered a similar situation or know whether there are additional guidelines beyond the short recommendations about finding housing abroad? I assume that we're fully responsible for our own projects and itineraries and can make decisions about our living arrangements according to the demands of our research. But I also want to be sure.

I will soon be visiting language departments and considering whether to attend. Not only is my language preparation limited, but it has been some time since I studied or spoke said-language, and even longer since I travelled in said-language-speaking countries. Some of the places I was accepted are incredibly competitive and I imagine they scrutinized my record closely (which reveals my limitations). I have more of an interest in said-language hermeneutics, art, and history than I do in teaching the language, but I worry that the visit will be conducted entirely in said-language, the department will be ashamed of having selected me, and I will lose favor before I ever accept. Do many people enter a language program without having a ton of preparation in that language? Is it common to be selected on topical rather than language based qualifications- and how well do those people fit in departments with a ton of native speakers? I know that there is a move towards a more theoretical approach in language departments - but how big has that move been?

Fat Sandwiches? Wait until I tell them what informed my decision. Thanks a lot. Maybe I'll have some extra time to visit New Brunswick when I visit in march.

That's really helpful. Do you know about how much the train costs, whether you can get monthly/weekly passes, how late it runs? It would also be good to know whether there are actually places that you can live that are affordable and more than just a bedroom in a bedroom community. Ideally (and I realize that this is a lofty goal) we would move to some place that is easy to get to by train from NYC and Princeton, has some character of its own, and doesn't have an insanely high cost of living. Since we will be splitting expenses we can afford a little more than if I were by myself, living on a humanities stipend.

I am seriously considering accepting an offer from Princeton University but I want to find out whether I can live somewhere besides Princeton. My girlfriend, who is saintly enough to move with me, works in publishing, and would likely be working in NYC. In fairness to her, I want to find out if there are places that we could live to make her commute easier without making my life a study of public transportation. We would like to get rid of our cars if possible (or least sell one of them) and primarily use trains/ buses. Maybe something just across the river from Manhattan(Jersey City)? New Brunswick? Any thoughts are appreciated. I'm in the woods here.