red_crayons

There is a waitlist. Judging from this forum, it's as long as the list of accepted people. Gosh, good luck everyone...

Yeah, exactly. And considering the prestige of people like Mike Lynch, Trevor Pinch, Steve Hilgartner... Yeah.

I really wish someone who got in would contribute here! What are your interests, twchristopher, moraurora, and ldh? I'm afraid I have to waffle on this on the public board, but I would be happy to share mine once my situation with regard to this department becomes clearer, or via private chat.

Huh, interesting. I'm at Cornell, and I take classes in the Science and Technology Studies department. My understanding is that HASTS is pretty similar, but maybe with more of an emphasis on the "history" piece. The first thing I think of when I think about STS/Sociology of Science is not so much field work, so that's an interesting approach. In STS here, and in the Anthro programs that some of the HASTS faculty come out of, the emphasis is on theory and criticism. I would look at the journal Social Studies of Science to get a better idea of what the STS side of that program is all about. I just noticed this because I'm peeking around here again to get more information on STS-y programs. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share about HASTS from your own experience, I'd love to hear it!

I'm a big tech nerd. Another caveat I didn't notice in this thread: NETWORKS. There are 2 kinds of cell networks in the states. Phones built for one don't work on the other. iPhones only work on ATT and T-Mobile. ATT: half-assed coverage, but everywhere T-Mobile: excellent coverage in most big cities, but leave downtown and you're stuck with no reception. AT ALL. Even in medium cities near the big city. You might have trouble convincing a carrier to let you use all your phone's features on their network. In the US, ATT has a stranglehold on iPhones, and controls what you can do on them, and would prefer to you off the network if your phone is unlocked. T-Mobile... I'm not sure how readily they accept customers with unlocked iPhones? Try one of the many online iPhone forums - maybe Apple Insider? - to find out how to deal with this. The iPhone is a very special case as far as carriers go in the US, so advice from someone with a similar experience will go a long way. You'll be required to have a data plan on ATT, just by virtue of the fact that you own an iPhone. I doubt that you would be able set up prepaid calling at all with ATT. I'm not sure about T-Mobile. You'll probably pay in the $80-$130 range per month, and voice/data will be bundled. Texting will be an extra $20 on top of your voice/data, but optional (but not really, who can live without texting?!?). Some universities have arrangements with certain carriers to off discounts on monthly service, which can help. Smartphone service is the US is subpar, restrictive, and expensive. Good luck...

Sounds like a scam, stay away! Or, so anal that they won't rent to grad students, anyway...

Yeah, I paid my bill late almost every semester as an undergrad because the financial aid billing was going through a lot of changes. I was always registered within a couple days of talking to someone, and it was fine!

If you don't pay your bursar bill, you can't register for classes, ride the bus, or officially participate in campus life at all. And they'll charge you interest once you're overdue for a certain amount of time. Of course, in practice, crying works to get deadlines pushed back... Teagle is really close to Upson and collegetown. You could just walk. If you really want to park, there's free after 5pm parking up at Helen Newman. To park near Teagle, you'd have to walk across the street to the parking garage, which I believe is also free after 5?

I've been saying for 3 years that when I started grad school I would shave my head. It wouldn't look any less professional than my uncontrollable semi-afro, so. Plus, given the town where I'm going to school, it would make me blend in more with the townsfolk and long-term grads that are already here. I'm not sure if I'm going to follow through... I should! I shouldn't. I should! I shouldn't.

You can walk to Helen Newman Hall any day of the year, pay for your gym fee by credit card or add it to your bursar bill. They will program your card then and there, AND give you a paper receipt so you can use the gyms immediately if, for some reason, your card isn't activated immediately. If you haven't opted to purchase the gym membership yet and you're strapped for cash, wait until you get here and go in person. But if you already opted in, and it's on your bursar bill... The gym you mention on the "far southwest" is probably Noyes? If so, it is tiny, meaning there's often no equipment free, filled with anorexics and dudes on sports teams, and in the middle of undergrad dorms. Not my favorite for those reasons. It is new and has big windows, which makes it worth trying. But it's also down a big hill. Teagle - near the baseball field and Barton - is close to Upson, easier to get to (less hill), parking closer in the evenings, and has a more pleasant atmosphere. Maps of campus are really deceptive because the hills change EVERYTHING. I'd be up for meeting up. I'll have to see how things work out. Lunch during the week will probably be easier than Sunday brunch, as at least 2, possibly 3, of my September weekends are spoken for (Philly, NYC)...

I think there's a lot of over-thinking going on in this thread. Grad students at my undergrad/future grad dress worse than the undergrads. Frumpy, nothing fits, old things from the 90s when we were freshmen in high school. I think anyone who's worried enough to still be reading Grad Cafe will be juuuuuust fine. Plus, remember how so many of the posters on this forum showed up to campus visits wwaaaaaaayyyyyyyy overdressed? We'll all be fiiiine. Last year, I got a couple pairs of skinny, non-jean pants (Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, and Old Navy). Now I just wear those with tunic/belt/sweater, or with hipster blouses, or with a fitted and/or embellished t-shirt. Think the cheaper side of Anthropologie (same shapes, but not as much silk/expensive prints). It works for my casual university jobs, and I'm SURE it will work for grad school. I was middle-of-the-pack dressed up at my department visit weekend, and more dressed up than the grads normally dressed (...I took a class in their building). So my advice would be to go a step up with your pants/skirts and see how you fit in. You'll instantly feel more adult, and you'll probably realize you're fiiine.

I checked on this. August 23rd was the answer I got. That's the day of registration. Danya

My $0.02 on this: - Cornell Card. I had it as an undergrad. It shows up on your bursar bill, but it's billed separately, and gets finance charges applied separately and, I think, at a higher rate. My parents flaked out on helping me pay it, I rolled it over from semester to semester, and eventually spent over a year paying it back. Boo. It's a credit card that's semi-attached to your bursar bill. You can use it many places on campus. You can use Cornell card and Big Red Bucks (prepaid food account) at dining halls, campus cafes, and for food in campus stores. You can't use BRB for NON-food, so Cornell card would kick in for buying books, medication, etc. Except at Gannett, the health center, where you can charge things directly to your bursar bill. I'm not doing Cornell card again. I have a regular credit card if I want to put off paying for things, and it has a lower interest rate, too. Meh. - Gyms at Cornell are like the libraries: There are several small niche ones, and a couple big ones with all kinds of people. One of the bigger gyms (Helen Newman) has very limited free parking after 5pm. Another (Teagle) has a parking garage pretty close by, which is I believe also free after 5pm. Luckily Teagle is also very close to Upson, and close to collegetown, and it's the biggest gym, too. I LOVE the gym system. None of them are perfect, but there's so many, and they're open all the time. It's very convenient. And it's wonderful to have a cheap way to stay active during the long, long winter. The nice private gym in town is $50/month for students. - Parking. Don't bother registering if you're not getting a parking pass. It's just so they know where to send the tickets! As staff, I can buy packets of 10 day parking passes. You can do that as a grad student, too. I'm not buying a parking pass, but I'll buy packets of 10 as I need them. I live downtown and drive to campus about once a week, when I'm running late or have extra stuff to drag along. It helps that one of the zones that those work for is literally 10 feet from my office door... - Payment. I know nothing about this. I am really getting pissed with all the super shady emails. Cornell Bursar signature, meaningless Sallie Mae subject line, and all text? It couldn't possibly look more like a scam. I refuse to use it, and I'm going to continue dealing with all money issues in person, in Day Hall, at the Bursar's office. Thanks, but no thanks, Cornell. Cornell's billing practices are the worst part of the university, IMHO. They nickel and dime you, and they have high turnover in financial aid/bursar so no one can answer complex questions, and now they have this horrible, sketchy payment system. Signing up for NetPay right now is making me feel really paranoid. But mostly... I'm SO EXCITED. Yay being a student again! Edit: OH MY GOSH. I can't even express how much I hate the way they apply credits to your bill!!! They bill in early July, but don't apply credits until sometime in August, leaving the next 3 weeks for me to worry about funding mysteriously being pulled and not being able to pay my bill. ARGH. Their billing system does no favors for those of us who tend toward paranoia and panic.

Tough. Landlords aren't very nice about letting people out of leases around here, so good luck... I would ask ASAP so you know what your options are. I second posting to your department's listserv. I got a roommate through the housing listserv pretty quickly, but that was months ago. Also, try posting to the shared apartments on Craigslist. As for ID cards... They can take your picture when you get there. They say they can't to speed things up by having most of them done ahead of time. They might charge you the day of, too? Most of the orientation programs are run by department, or MAYBE by college. University-wide, it looks like there's only a 3.5 hour pick up your ID and paperwork time on Monday the 23rd. So really, just listen to your department. Also: undergrad check in might be on August 20th. But grad school is the 23rd. You'll want to stay far away from campus when undergrads are checking in.

My biggest caution is on the ground floor apartment. Watch out for mold. Even if you don't see it. Musty, old smell? "Stuffy" feeling? RUN. It's not hard to develop a mold allergy which results in always having a "cold", or developing asthma, or getting bronchitis a lot. This happened to me and it's had long-lasting effects. Several co-workers have also had this problem. Ithaca is humid, and then it's cold, and that's how you get mold. State and Stewart sounds nice. A lot of old houses have too-powerful heat. Plus, heat rises, so the top floor will probably be the warmest. State and Stewart has a bus stop TO campus right in front. It's walkable to downtown. There are no grocery stores nearby, but you can take a bus from downtown. There's also a Carshare car at that intersection that you could rent hourly for errands. I did Carshare for a while and it was GREAT.

It shouldn't be a problem. You might have to pay an additional connection fee of $20-40 - I did with Verizon, when I was in a similar situation. Good news is that a phone account will build your credit history. It helped me when I got a car loan recently that I've had a phone in my name for 5+ years, although I've only had a credit card (that I don't really use) for about 2.

The only places that have AC were built in the 80s, carpeted, ugly, and in inconvenient places. It's hot, it's humid, there's often no breeze, unless it's raining, which just makes it more humid... but it's only for 2-3 months, so really, it's a nice change of pace! Other summers, like 2009, it never gets above 70 and you hope and pray for a sunny day when you can leave the house. That's about 1of every 4 summers. The others are hot and humid.

Excellent questions! I'll give you my perspective... That's HILARIOUS that people are calling that second area Fall Creek. The Fall Creek neighborhood is named for a small stream - Fall Creek - that runs through it. The creek does indeed begin on north campus, near Thurston Court. But that area is more properly called North Campus (=mix of grads and undergrads, architects, and fraternities), or Cayuga Heights if you go farther north and a little west). With the listserv, I would say, go ahead and post that you're LOOKING for a place! A friend just did that with lots of success and found a great place to share with 1 other (continuing) grad student. With OCHO, a lot of the listings are from major property managers that do have pictures on their websites, etc. Contact some of the people on there and ask if they have pictures, or if they would be wiling to take pictures. But beware of pictures: I've seen a new trend of landlords photoshopping pictures of apartments to make them look brighter (and thus bigger...) on Craigslist this year! Also, if you need to make apartment decisions from afar, beware of anything that is "garden apartment" or "basement". It is very humid here and there is generally no AC and you WILL have mold and mildew problems living in a basement. Trust me. Been there, done that, came out of it with permanent mold allergies. Like I said, $400-600 should absolutely doable with 1-2 roommates. It'll be $650-900 for a 1 bedroom in Fall Creek though. Whether you think the apartments are nice depends on where you come from. Coming from Brooklyn, you may be pleasantly surprised. Coming from DC or south, you'll be horrified and how small and old they are. You will indeed walk uphill both ways, even if you take the bus to campus, whenever you go between buildings, pretty much. Tons of buses go through campus. 10 will by FAR be most convenient for CIPA because of certain bus stop closures due to construction. It would let you off extremely close to Sibley. Or wait - IS CIPA based in Sibley, or... Uris? Other buses through campus include 21, 30, 31, 51, 70/72 on the weekends, and many, many more. All of those will let you off at a stop about 7 or 8 minutes' walk from Sibley. Cornell Dining. If you spend long days on campus and aren't a picky eater, it would be nice. But the two best places to eat are NOT Cornell Dining - Temple of Zeus (cheap, independent, centrally-located), Manndible (mostly organic and local, delicious burritos, accommodates various diets) - and thus not on meal plan. I am a bit of a foodie and have too many food sensitivities, so I don't/can't do Cornell Dining - too much Romain lettuce and too many unlisted food additives. To-go ood is generic pre-made cafeteria sandwiches and salads. It totally depends on you, whether that's worthwhile. HOWEVER, no matter what your preferences are, food is expensive through Cornell Dining. Really, really overpriced for the quality. They charge Manhattan bakery prices for pre-made generic cafeteria food. Again, whether it's worth it depends on your priorities. Also, the on-campus Moosewood - the other exciting food option, which IS Cornell dining - is, in my experience, not so great. Depends on the person. Snow makes wheels impractical. I've been using wheely bags for work for a couple years, and it's REALLY hard. It depends on how much you need to go between buildings during the day, though. I hate carrying books with me because I can't read on campus, so I'll be using an oversized purse/shoulder bag/tote.

Same story for me! Actually, I came to undergrad with a printer, but it died sophomore year, just when I started to have a lot of papers to write... I got myself a printer last winter. It was $120 for an HP color/b&w, print/copy/fax dealie, and it connects to all computers in my house via my wireless network! It's pretty sweet, and much less than I expected, since I hadn't bought much computer equipment in a few years. One suggestion I would have for a printer is to find one where the color cartridges are separate (blue/magenta/yellow, as opposed to one big cartridge). Then you can replace individual colors as needed, and not waste blue ink just because you've run out of yellow. It'll cost an extra $10-$15, but you'll make it up by the second time you buy ink!

This and this. Also, most apartments require 1 month security plus one to two more months' rent up front. It's stupid expensive to get an apartment here. I'll be paying $450 for half of a two bedroom this year, which is a STEAL for my part of downtown. Figure on $400-$600 per person living near a reliable bus route for a 2-3 bedroom. You'll pay less with more people, but getting down to $300 would be really, really tough without a car. With a car, you could do it, but like matcha said, parking is $600+ per year on campus, plus you'd be paying for a car... so you might as well pay the $400-$500 a month for an apartment at that point. There are also many days when it will be impossible to drive to campus because of snow. And, if you like to drink or go out at all, would you really be comfortable drunk driving in the snow on windy, hilly country roads to save a bit of money? That's a personal calculation, but something to consider. Housing in Ithaca is really, really expensive compared to the size of the town. Period. Good luck!

Catching up on this thread... There is a laundromat at Community Corners, a 10 minute drive from Belle Sherman with lots of parking (and the best bakery in town is next door to that laundromat...). There are a couple places in c-town, but parking would indeed be horrible, and it's kinda far and very hilly, so walking would probably be unpleasant. There's probably a laundry option in East Hill, too. There's also groceries, a wine store, a bakery/cafe, a drug store, and banks in East Hill, and it's adjacent to the Belle Sherman area. And there are many options for laundry downtown, as well. I like the Fall Creek laundromat personally - by far the least sketchy - but there are a couple near the commons and one down by Wegmans/other shopping.

I got my Mac through the Cornell Store last fall. You can do it in the store, or online, I THNK. Cornell discount is, I think, 9% versus normal 5% educational discount. http://store.cornell.edu/tc/tcordering.html#Apple You want the first option, Using the Apple Store at Cornell University, for the special pricing. Just follow the directions on that page. The second option gives you the regular educational prices of only 5% off. It's a $40 difference on the standard MacBook, and more for more expensive models.

Spoken like a true northerner. I moved from Maine to upstate New York for undergrad. NY seems balmy compared to my childhood. I cope with the cold in a similar way to timuralp, except I wear wool coats instead of down (I'm allergic), and leather boots instead of sneakers (for fashion's sake, and with the right treatment they're relatively waterproof). I really hate wearing winter clothes, so I wear as little as necessary to prevent death when going from point A to point B, and just spend a minimal time going to the library/socializing/doing anything, especially after dark. Lots of video games and books are consumed inside January-March. Also, I'm getting a car for grad school (still in upstate NY) so I'll have less outside walking to do to go shopping or to the movies in the winter next year. I really hate the cold, but refuse to go back to big LL Beam boots that hurt my ankles and turn walking into an Olympic sport. But if you are going that route, LL Bean is key. Spend the premium to get something super high-tech and built for hunting in Canada or working on a fishing ship.. Oh, another tip: in the northEAST at least winter doesn't really get going until January. It might be below freezing for a few days in December, and maybe there will be a token snowstorm around Christmas, but it will keep getting colder until early-mid January. Then it gets warm in the 3rd week of January; this is NOT spring, it is the evil January Thaw, which tricks you into thinking winter might be shorter than normal. If you're north of New York City, you still have true winter until mid-to-late-March, with a chance of frost and snow until... Well, mid-May, judging by this week's weather antics.

I also highly recommend the housing listserv that so47 recommended. I found my roommate for next year on there.

I wanted to start this thread because there are many, many elements of my life right now which are constantly aggravating. I'll be happy to leave them behind when I start grad school. I'm sure we all have these things. So let's list them so we can leave them joyfully behind in a few short months. Number one on my list? WINDOWS COMPUTERS. Never again will I suffer (as I am now) as a (quite new!) Dell Windows laptop tries to figure out how to copy and paste a PDF back onto another sector of its own hard drive. Never again will I have to wade through meaningless programs in the task manager to terminate the one process that is locking up my whole computer. Never again will I have to deal with desktop keyboards which are too big for my hands and take too much force to use, causing repetitive stress injuries. No more Excel 2007 that refuses to open files in any rational way, no more struggling to work for the first hour at my desk every day because Symantec is doing a virus scan, no more ugly industrial design offending my sensibilities, no more bosses telling me that the Dell from 2004 cost $3000 back then so I should be grateful I get to use it, no more 10 year old Windows XP operating system. Just my own, beautiful Mac that works how it's supposed to and that I'll use every day while I'm in grad school! What's driving you crazy as you wait for the days to creep by until you can start school? What are you excited to leave behind, whether it's at your current job, school, or city?