the_sheath

I got my funding info 12-24 hours after my acceptances. Though I did get something about an NSF fellowship roughly 2 weeks after an initial funding offer.

I thought unfunded meant no money at all. No TAship, no fellowship, no tuition waivers, no health insurance, no passing GO, and no colecting $200. And while I can imagine individual projects getting funded, I always thought "funding" on this forum referred to funding that went directly to the students.

I think it means the applicant was going to send the department poop from Hell.

Yeahp.So I am probably heading to UCSD and I am considering off-campus apartments. Problem is that I do not drive. Carless transportation info would be great. I... think there are free bus services for UCSD students? What's a bus-ride away, and how reliable and frequent is the service? Has commuting been bothersome at all? Would you have used a car if you could? Oh, and @StarofDawn and beccamayworth: Do you have any recommendations for taxi services there? There's about 3 miles between the train station and where I need to check in for the visit days (in a few days), and I would rather not walk it.

Hmmm... You may want to get in touch with a Rubeus Hagrid or a Charlie Weasley. I think one of them is in Romania. They should know how to care for dragons, if that issue comes up. Though since it's likely that neither of them can use a phone, I wouldn't know how you'd go about contacting them. An owl, maybe?

I was given to understand that degree titles didn't matter so much as your actual skill set in the real world. Then again, I'm also told employers would take a shine to my undergrad degree title because it "sounds smart". I mean, sure, an employer could look at the degree title and think "well this sounds like a better fit for the job" as opposed to not (especially considering the degree title sounds more relevant), but I find it more likely they'd at least take a look at the rest of your application (and a lot of good that title would do you if your credentials don't seem up to par). And if they did judge you solely on the specific title of your degree instead of things that are easily more relevant, would you really want to work for someone with such a massive oversight? Any idea which program is more suited to your goals/more well known? I mean if the degree title does actually correlate to what you want to do (i.e. if the versatility in the title implies a more comprehensive program), then sure, I'd go there. But I wouldn't put so much weight on a name. ... What's in a name? That which we call a masters in I/O psychology by any other name is just as skilled.

Okay, so first off, I'm gonna say my entire process of applying to grad school was... well, it was poorly planned and poorly executed. I find it to be a miracle I was accepted anywhere at all, let alone offered funding (and some very nice funding at that). I hadn't, for example, contacted POIs prior to applying. Which brings me to my problem: In the next few days, I'll be visiting my prospective schools and meeting with potential POIs, and I'm...actually not sure what to expect. What do I ask? What do I tell them? So far, I'd imagine asking them things like what they would expect of me, things about the program (eg I'm interested in the computing specialization, what can they tell me about it), how funding looks after the first four years of guaranteed funding, and their research. I can only imagine that last one would fly way over my head. I'm not really good with the whole talking thing, so my mind's drawing a blank from there. What would you ask them? What have you already asked them?

Well I'm a virgin, so there's that.

An email informs: An NSF fellowship. I get more money

Ordered double

My uncle on going to grad school: "When you're done, the vaginas will start lining up!" As fond as I am of my family, I really must question them sometimes.

Dump him on the roadside

*disclaimer: I used the word "several" very loosely--I.e. to mean "a lot of". I was thinking until May, but wow, really? July?

limit inferior

Awhile (couple days to several weeks), and by definition yes

Limit exists

Deterministic chaos

Game theory

Tell them you lied about all your publications and grades and that you are actually a squirrel.

Well, yeah, for a movie made by grad student volunteers, it's pretty good and does reflect what I'd imagine grad student life to be like, but objectively the movie is blah.

Yeah the acting is terrible, and I only really enjoyed like the last 10-15 minutes, but it IS a movie about grad school!

Deductive reasoning

birthday paradox

The PhD movie?

symplectic filling