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xamurai

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Everything posted by xamurai

  1. Great idea! Click on my link, please! http://db.tt/NkIcJyP
  2. I second a boo for an electric stove. It seems standard to not have a gas stove in the area though-- I just got an apartment off-campus for next year and apartments with a gas stove were so rare!! Anyone else living off-campus?
  3. I grew up in Southern California and then moved to NYC and lived there for 10 years. I was completely unprepared when I first got there having never owned anything warmer than a hoody. By the time I moved to Northern California almost 2 years ago, I had figured it out. I think the most important thing is to have a wind proof jacket. I never owned a down jacket but instead wore a fleece with a canvas knee length jacket over it and this kept out all the wind from the city windtunnels. Everyone always thought I was crazy because it looked so light, but it was a great way to not be completely weighed down and still be warm. I also strongly recommend a pair of Patagonia silkweight long undies to wear under pants. My now husband introduced me to them when we first started dating and this made all the difference. They aren't super skin tight to make you uncomfortable (like if you were to actually wear tights or leggings under pants) and were still lightweight so I wouldn't get too hot when I walked into a building. Honestly, I never complained about the weather after I figured this out. Between the jacket, scarves, hat, gloves, you won't look super fashionable, but you will be more happy if you are warm! Lastly, I completely agree with the other poster about not pulling out all your warmest gear on the first day it drops below 40. It will get much, much colder.
  4. I am completely relishing this time right now-- hanging out with friends, going on weekend trips, staying out late-- all things that I probably won't get to do once school starts!!!
  5. I went through this recently when I married in April 2008. I went through a slightly more complicated name change because I have always gone by my middle name so I viewed getting married as my opportunity to legally change my first name as well. Thus, I went from "Alison Jada Pinkett" to "Jada Pinkett Smith". I definitely viewed it important to take my husband's name because I believe in a "family" name, but it also helped that his last name is also Latino so it goes well with my (now) first name. While I have presented at conference under the original name, since my CV and future presentations still include my original middle name and original last name, you can still track who I am. And I will continue to publish/present with my full name (first, maiden, and last). I will tell you that since 2005 under the Bush administration, any name change that involves your first AND middle name involves a legal court order change of name. It's not as simple as just moving your names around and taking your husband's last name. I believe this was implemented in order to be able to track terrorists or suspect people in the event they start changing their names. It was a pain to change it and it wasn't cheap (about $350 in California plus the cost of any new documents), but for me, it was completely worth the hassle to finally have all my documents appear with a consistent name. I did not find any difficulties in having other agencies like Social Security be able to identify me. Once you get the legal change court order, you go to SSA and request a new social security card. Once you have that, then the rest of the process is simple. You basically need that in order to start changing your passport, DL, etc. In the case of credit cards and other accounts like frequent flyer miles, I have often shown a copy of the court order. The important thing is that the document needs to reflect your original name and your current name, as well as some other identifying piece of information like your DOB.
  6. Hi! Just accepted my offer-- I'll be in the PhD program at the School of Education. My husband and I will be looking for off-campus housing... we're willing to live up to a half hour away biking (we don't have a car), ideally along the Caltrain line. Any advice on neighboring communities that students choose to live in?
  7. On being carless: you can also join Zipcar. There are lots of cars around the Stanford campus. This would allow you to use a car and pay by the hour to do groceries, etc. and to get away for a day up in the mountains. I am also an avid proponent of riding a bike. I've heard a lot of people ride their bike around the Stanford campus. You'd be amazed at how much groceries you can pack into a backpack... just offering some suggestions.
  8. For those admitted to UCLA GSE&IS, I just learned that the Prospective Doctoral Students' Day is March 15th so save the date! I don't think anything formal has gone out yet; my potential advisor forwarded me an email because I asked her about it.
  9. I was admitted to PSE. Have you received anything formal? I received an email from the professor letting me know the good news. Do you know if there is an Open House or Recruitment weekend?
  10. I've also applied to different disciplines depending on the school, but I have heard back positively from education schools at UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Irvine. Don't know funding at any yet. I am still waiting on Harvard, Stanford and Northwestern.
  11. This is an incredibly helpful topic and I greatly encourage others to share. I feel very fortunate that I've already been accepted into 3 out of my 8 programs and have an interview at a 4th. My mind is already swimming as I try to weigh different factors. For me, location has a big say because I'll be bringing along my SO and I really need to factor in his future job/educational opportunities. For this reason I tried to apply to great programs with POIs with really good fits, but also in good locations. I must admit that in the end I did not 100% follow this rule. Now I'm faced with the possibilities of going to great programs in not so ideal locations-- locations that I have actually lived in or lived close by so am familiar with them. I will be visiting all programs to see what my "gut" tells me-- as others have strongly suggested. But I do think I'll start making a spreadsheet with all the factors others have posted about to weigh the pros and cons. After all, we will be moving because of a 5 year program I'm investing myself into...
  12. I was invited to interview at Georgetown's psychology department in a couple of weekends-- but I applied to the Human Development and Public Policy track. I believe the interview weekend is for both tracks though.
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