
bhr
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Everything posted by bhr
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I'm taking out the max year 1, though I likely won't need it. I just feel like I would be a better student without any financial worries, so I'm putting that money in the bank and hoping I don't have a need for it. If I had more savings, I wouldn't worry, but the move is cleaning me out completely. I'm thinking about putting part of it in an index fund. Fidelity is returning 25% right now on the Spartan 500, with over a 15% five year return rate. If I can return a conservative 10%, I'm breaking even on interest for the year while still having 1/2 available to spend. I already have a USAA account, and their SP500 fund is returning 20%.
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I would wait to see if there is anything scheduled for your department. I know my program has a picnic that first weekend, and I was told that there would be events the following week as well. If there isn't some event that you are either required or expected to attend than I don't see why you can't go. That said, I would make a short weekend of my trip, if I went. Go out Saturday, come back Sunday morning. The last thing you want to do is play catchup that early in the term.
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Ok folks. I move in a month and still need a place in East Lansing. The online reviews for everything in my price range (600ish) are awful. I'm just looking for someplace clean, quiet, with covered parking and either a w/d in unit or in the building (don't want to have to carry laundry in the snow, been there, done that.
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Experiences with these Comp/Rhetoric Programs?
bhr replied to Ambermoon24's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Part of the reason that I, and I think many others, recommend big national programs is that they 1) have funding available for MAs (unlike a lot of schools) and 2) They give you the pick of programs when you are applying for jobs. I find it hard to believe that an MA from a top 10 program will somehow leave you "overqualified" for a job. -
I have the old-model Equinox, and my only complaint is gas mileage. The newer model (2010 and later, I think) gets about 10 mpg better than the older model.
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Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope Do not buy from Enterprise. Rental cars are the absolute worst things to purchase, people treat those things like crap when they have them, and you still are paying a dealer premium. If you don't want to haggle, go to Carmax, buy the extended warranty (read the Jalopnik writeup on it, it's basically the only warranty they say is worth buying), and relax.
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Unranked liberal arts college to competitive grad school?
bhr replied to eva215's topic in Applications
If anything, you may have a step up. I've seen a sense of entitlement on here from many candidates from Ivy's or other top schools, who think they somehow deserve a spot in the program of their choice. You just need to be able to show that you have the ability to succeed at UMass, not that your college is on their level. -
I didn't do any of that. I downloaded a couple GRE apps, and spent 10-15 a day (waiting for class to start, whenever) practicing. If there was something that really gave me trouble I looked it up. That was for about a month or two before the test. Week before I took a practice test online, and reviewed my few misses.
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The key thing is to remember that people vacating in August usually have to give either 30 day notice or notice on July 1st, depending on contract and laws in your area. If you missed the signing window back in March or so (when most college-centric places tend to fill) your best bet for finding a place is after July 1. It's different in bigger cities as well, since there's going to be a constant turnover of housing compared to a college town where most folks rent for the school year.
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The problem with used cars is that cash for clunkers, even a few years out, really messed up the used car market. So many older cars came off the market that used car prices shot up, and still remain high compared to where they were before. Saving a few grand by going 2 years older isn't worth it to most people, especially when you are talking about still needing a 5-6 year loan and wanting that long term warranty. Rising_Star, you are comparing the old and new Civic, but I was comparing the current model Civic to the current model Fit. The Fit wins almost every interior measure except for rear hip (important if you want to fit five), but they are essentially the same size car. The Fit easily takes a car seat, btw. As to Amogh, you're probably in the wrong space if you want to know about buying a 50k+ car as a grad student, as most that I know simply couldn't afford something like that without parental help. Check out Edmunds and Jalopnik. That said, if I was to pay that much for a new vehicle (which I wouldn't, even when I was making good money), I would just get the SRT Jeep Cherokee, but that's just me.
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FYI: The Fit has more passenger room, more rear seat leg room, more rear seat should room and more cargo room. The Civic is slightly wider for hip room in the rear (4") but the Fit wins almost every other measure.
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The school won't care. Odds are, it will get a chuckle and the board will move on.
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Gifts for LOR writers - the best of the best
bhr replied to Vader Was Framed's topic in Letters of Recommendation
I got a cup full of chocolates for my department AA (who handled all my faxing, ect. and was just a great help). I wound up just doing booze for the others, well-appreciated. I did get one an autographed book I know he would appreciate, but that's because I knew his taste and we had spent a lot of time talking sports. -
What are the best admissions consulting companies?
bhr replied to IWillNotBow86's topic in Applications
I've been told over and over that they aren't worth the money. Go talk to your advisors and have them look over your paperwork. If your undergraduate or graduate program (I'm not sure which you are coming from) has a PhD program, go talk to someone on their panel. -
In a past life, before going back to school, I sold cars for a while, and I'll pass on my opinion. The Fit is a fantastic car for the price. My sister got hers about 3 years ago, and it's been the perfect vehicle for her (she wanted a Corolla at one point, I pushed her to the hatchback). The five-door has fold-down rear seats, which is great for someone who will likely be transitioning a few times in coming years, and great for long trips as well. The gas mileage is great, there's enough room for her 6'3 hubby to sit comfortably in the front, and even I (I'm a big fellow) can sit in the front or rear comfortably. She paid about 19k, but she got the model year just after it came out, with the sport package. My mother has a Prius C, and while the gas savings are great, the vehicle is just a little too small to be more than a commuter car for most people. Four can fit comfortably, but the trunk's smaller than the Fit and the ride isn't as smooth. Those will run you about 21k with the basic upgrades. Also look at the Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent HBs. The Kia starts under 14k, they both get something like 33-36 combined mpg, and the 10 or 7/100k mile warranties are great if you want to have fixed cost of ownership for a while. I've driven both (my dad has the accent hb) and I prefer the Accent, but both are smooth rides with enough pep for long highway hauls. I know people in this thread have really pushed buying beaters, but, if finances allow, I'm a big believer in buying new in this price range. You get a set payment, cost certainty (dealer warranties are a great thing) and the modern hatchbacks have fantastic gas mileage savings. For a five-year note, you'll be paying about $17-18/month per $1k financed with decent credit. At six years, drop that to $15-16/month
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Don't be intentionally difficult. Car parts fail or need to be replaced all the time. New cars come with a warranty, but, since most of us are going to be in school for years, it makes perfect sense to have an emergency fund for car repairs, tire replacements, ect.
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06 Equinox that I bought in 07 with about 25k on it. I'm still only at about 75k, which isn't bad at all. Gas mileage isn't the best, at about 19/20 mpg, but it's got a lot of room for moving stuff, fits five incredibly comfortably, and I've got a tow hitch installed which will save some moving cost.
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So far this summer I've finished the final season of Burn Notice and Breaking Bad, and am working my way through the entire run of Sons of Anarchy. I only about 1/2 watch while I write, but I'm glad to catch up.
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Ha! You all get an extra week or two off. I have to report on the 18th for TA training (though I don't know what I'm teaching yet). It looks like I'm the only one in my incoming group (MA) that's much over 21, but the PhD group seems pretty friendly.
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Experiences with these Comp/Rhetoric Programs?
bhr replied to Ambermoon24's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
One of the reason that top programs are top programs is that they place such a high percentage of their graduates in tenure track jobs. Those jobs aren't always at R1s, however, as those graduates still are left to the vagaries of the job market, but they also get more choice in where they wind up. My small state school where I did my BS, for example, has made four Comp/Rhet hires in recent years. They came from Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Wright State, but all chose our school over other options. Don't get me wrong, you've got a decent program in-state at OSU, and it would be wise to apply there as well, but limiting yourself to state schools doesn't make you a better candidate for in-state jobs. Now, I will say that your concern about in-state tuition is slightly valid. I had one program that offered me "full funding" but not in-state tuition, as that was the best they could do for their MA. That isn't usually the case, however, as, if you get funded, you usually get the in-state waiver as well. One thing to consider, especially if you are looking to work at a 2-year school, is to get your MA from the best program you can get into, they see about finding a teaching job while working on your PhD remotely at UT-A or ODU. -
First, let me make sure that you understand that I mean no offense by what I'm writing here. While this is a pretty friendly community, and one I am grateful for as it got me through the stress of the application season, I'm not sure that we, as a group, are going to be much help for a creative writer. Almost everyone in this particular forum is either Lit/English/CompRhet, at least as far as I can tell, so our experiences with MFA programs only extend as far as knowing people who applied, for the most part. That said, there is a forum on this very site dedicated to Creative Writing. http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/80-literary/ It's under The Arts, subset Literary, and is where you will probably find the best advice for what you are looking for.
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While I agree that, in this case, a PhD may look better than an MA/MFA, that isn't always the case. I know, in my case, that I used a prof with an MFA in creative writing for my rhet/comp applications. I had him as a professor multiple times, he like me (quite a bit) and had recently earned tenure. Asking for LoRs in the middle of senior year, when I still hadn't taken a bulk of my departmental classes, was a challenge. I wound up only using one professor who was an r/c specialist (though the MFA taught both of the journalism classes that I needed for my concentration). I think the most important thing, more than their reputation, or title, or anything, is how they can speak to your work and dedication as a student. I was fortunate that my writers all sent me copies of their letters after my first submission, and I was frankly shocked by how kind and complimentary they were. Unless the professor has a connection to the school, is a "big name", or (in my case with one school) has someone at the school who hates them, I don't think that the name and title on the LoR means all that much. Yes, it was great that one of my profs was able to put 10 titles/jobs after his name, and that may have impressed someone, but the content was far more important. ***One bit of feedback that I received from schools was that getting my WPA to write a separate letter was a huge boon to my chances. I didn't ask her for a rec for grad school, she had never seen me as a student, but I asked her to write something for the TA/GA positions I was applying for, as she had seen me work with FYC classes as part of a practicum. WPAs and Writing Center directors carry some weight, since that's how you are going to be funding your program.
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In my mid 30s and just starting an MA this fall (my field doesn't seem to really do straight to phd admits). I just finished my BS last month, and, while I wanted to go to grad school, the idea was a bit daunting. I dropped out of my UG a decade earlier, and just went back full time for three semesters to finish up. It was very isolating, as I was in a small town, a decade older than all of my classmates, and without much of a local support system (my best friend is in the area, which helped when the loneliness got bad). It was weird, trying to connect to these 19-22 year olds as a peer in the classroom, but knowing that going out with them, or whatever, was just bizarre. Entering my MA, I am worried that most of my classmates will be in that 22-24 range as well (a viable concern, considering that 1/2 my courses are actually 400 levels with a master's variant (extra paper) so I will be in class with undergrads and grad students). Thankfully, I was able to meet a number of the PhD students at a conference recently, and discovered thatm while I'm still older than all of them, I don't think it will be so bad. That said, I'm hoping to get into at least one or two outside activities where I can meet people my own age. While I don't have children or a spouse, I find that it's easier to relate to people who do, and have lived lives outside the academy, than my fellow students who haven't had much in the way of life experience. With six years of schooling left (I'll finish in my early 40s), I want to make sure that I'm happy and healthy, along with succeeding in the classroom.