starofdawn

I would forgo the biology course - I don't think it will help. Here is the list of required courses for Chemical Engineering at my alma mater. You don't have to take them all, of course! - but taking a few of them will help your application. http://nanoengineering.ucsd.edu/undergrad-programs/degree/bs-chemical-engineering/major-req

"Second year blues" are starting to kick in... when is something going to go right?

There might be rolling admissions for some of the Cal States that would accept him in Spring, but many schools have already started.

Not taking any classes this next quarter, woohoo! So much has happened this past year! - Switched from an MS track to an MS/PhD track (something I never had the guts to do before); my advisor retired, so I joined a new lab; learned lots and lots of new things since my undergrad degree was in a different (yet related) field; ended an 8 year relationship; learned many new machines and techniques, even authorized to use a few; passed my comprehensive exams and now have an MS; moving into grad student housing; I have one paper under review, 2 more being typed up, and I'm almost ready to write my first first-author paper. I'm also much more confident in my ability to read and analyze papers, to synthesize new particles and to learn other techniques, to ask questions. I've even started teaching people how to use machines. I've grown so much in the past year, and I hope to grow more this year. I still haven't experienced the "I hate my life and want to quit" feelings that, I think, inevitably many students feel during their time... this year might be when I really start to push my limits. Summer has been pretty relaxed, and it's been good to recharge before the school year, since I'm expecting to come up against struggles.

There are some good discount/resale shops in Pacific Beach. There is also a Big Lots in Clairemont.The Goodwill in La Jolla doesn't sell furniture, just clothes (it's a very small Goodwill). The resale shop on campus also sells mostly clothes, dishware, trinkets, etc. Craigslist is your best bet.

Yes, I think it is. I was accepted to UC Irvine and my GRE scores were not as good as yours. I also graduated from a good school, but it wasn't the best school. I also did not have any research experience, but I had 4 years working experience. From my experience, I think you have a good chance.

It was a suspicion that my advisors preferred to be called by "Prof." rather than "Dr.", but no one ever corrected me when I addressed them as "Dr". A few months ago, I realized that becoming a professor is a major achievement on its own, and while my colleagues were passing their defenses and earning the "Dr." title, our advisors were still above them in stature. Therefore, I began switching to "Prof"... but was never sure if they cared, or even noticed. Anyways, my comment is getting off topic!

Academics prefer not to be addressed by Dr.?! Uh oh....

I just did a quick search and found some available seats for next month and September at the Laurel Springs location. Maybe you experienced a glitch earlier?

Did my undergrad studies at UCSD, and have returned as a graduate student, and have been following this thread... allow me to help! If you're coming from graduate student housing (One Miramar or Mesa), I can confirm the only way to cross the 5 is via Voight Dr or La Jolla Village Drive, but I highly recommend Voight Drive. La Jolla Village Drive is dangerous for cyclists(cars go very quickly and there is no bike lane). As a pedestrian, while there is a sidewalk, you would have to cross the on-ramp and the off-ramp to the 5... which can be risky, especially at night. Do you know about the Mesa Shuttle? It takes graduate students from grad housing to UCSD. It will drop you off in front of Mandeville Auditorium, which is also in Muir College.

Comp exams are coming up at the end of this academic year and I'm started to feel nervous! A friend took them last year, he said he studied 8 hours every day for 2 weeks. Combine that with juggling 3 projects and 2 classes, I'm starting to wonder how it's all going to fit together.

I have a friend in my program (Materials Science - ie, not Pharmacy or Med) and she lives in the Rita apartments.

Hey all, I've been doing some literary review and there is a paper that was published in 1969 that I would like to read (cue joke about going down the rabbit hole). If a paper is not available online for my viewing, what's my next step to getting a copy of the paper?

Hey all, I have been running experiments and using the same equipment that another PhD student is using for his experiments(let's call him M). Sometimes our experiments overlap and I have had to borrow another PhD's student equipment in the past (after asking the other student, of course. We'll call him S). Now I am in the same situation where M is running a 4-day experiment and I am without equipment to run mine. I have ordered more supplies to avoid this situation in the future, but I'm not sure when it'll get here. I could approach S, but I feel guilty for asking to borrow his supplies again. How often do you need to borrow someone else's equipment to complete your work? (Assuming that the equipment was not meant for public use). Is there an underlying protocol on how often you can borrow equipment, or this is a very common occurrence and my anxiety is unfounded? M, S and I are all in the same group.

There is no logical algorithm in admissions to say what is needed to guarantee an acceptance, but if you wanted to know my opinion... I think the SOP is a major player. I think writing a bad one can hurt your chances. Does this school do interviews? Is it possible they'll see the rest of the application and think, "What happened in the SOP? Let's invite him/her to an interview and find out"? It's an optimistic thought! Have you been in contact with any professors at the school?