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stevn7

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Everything posted by stevn7

  1. stevn7

    Newark, NJ

    I'm thinking like that too, looking at those same areas. Hoboken is getting kinda expensive though, so I wouldn't be keen on that. Jersey City, so far, seems like the best choice to me - it's a bit safer than Newark and it's really close to NYC, which is great. Getting to Rutgers from Jersey City isn't that bad, whether you're taking the PATH or driving. I've still got a few months until I officially start apartment hunting though so I've got time to do more research on it.
  2. So I basically have a choice right now between pursuing a Masters in Geology (University of Tennessee) or Environmental Geology (Rutgers University)... however I have some doubts about Environmental Geology. I'd originally applied because I heard good things about Rutgers and I thought my potential advisor's research was interesting, but now that I'm doing more in-depth research on this I'm having a hard time finding much info on how exactly Environmental Geology differs from "regular" Geology, and what my career prospects would be with that degree. So far it seems to me like Env. Geology is more specifically related to remediation and stuff like that, so my concern is that it would be more limiting in terms of career prospects. Can anyone give me some feedback on this?
  3. stevn7

    Newark, NJ

    Gonna bring this thread back from the dead.... I might be going to Rutgers in Newark. Can anyone recommend good neighborhoods to look for an apartment (studio or 1-bedroom)? When is a good time to make the move? Someone here said end of July (what I was planning on) but that comment is from 4 years ago... Also, does anyone have any general comments about Newark? I've only been there once before, to visit the school. The area around it seemed okay but other than that I have no firsthand experience with the city.
  4. So I'm about to start writing some admissions essays (very last minute, I know..) and I was wondering: do people usually give their essay a title? Do you at least write "personal statement" on the top? or do you just skip the title completely and get right into the actual essay? I know it's a minor detail but none of the advice articles I've read say anything about this and I just want to be sure before I submit an essay.
  5. Yeah you're right. I actually just got a reply from a POI and she's asking me for more specifics, ironically. I'm gonna read some more papers and stuff like that to try and narrow down what I would be more specifically interested in. My undergrad education was relatively broad so that makes it a bit tougher.
  6. Thanks for the replies, guys. Very helpful... @dat_nerd: You're right. I wasn't quite sure how to phrase it when I wrote my emails, but now that you mention it I do think that's a better way of asking. @flyingewe: Yeah, I did get off to a late start here.. I hadn't realized quite how extensive this process is, and for a while I also wasn't sure if I wanted to even go to grad school. But now I am decided and I've just gotta try and make up for lost time. One of my professors suggested making phone calls too, I thought that might be a bit too intrusive but if you say it worked for you then I think I'll give it a try... I also heard that it was better not to attach anything to the emails, especially since my resume isn't too impressive. My GPA and GRE scores are decent though (3.4 GPA, GRE: 156 quantitative and 160 VR), maybe I'll find a way to mention that. @shadowclaw: I try not to be too specific with research interests, since I have a somewhat broad range of interests and my experience is limited. I also feel like being too specific might limit my options (e.g. if I say I'm interested in researching something specific like "microbial communities in groundwater" a professor might turn me down because he's not doing any of that research right now or has enough people for it - but he might've had an opening for something else that I would've been interested in).
  7. Hey guys, I've recently started emailing professors for grad school since I'm going to start applying soon. I've emailed three so far (and will email more, ofc) but no replies.. maybe they're just too busy or maybe I'm doing it wrong? I start off saying I recently graduated with a BS and that I'm thinking of applying to their school, then I mention that I looked at some of their work online and found it interesting and then I state that I am interested in joining their research group, if possible. I also briefly mention that I have some research experience as an intern, and I finish saying I'd love to discuss this further if they are interested. 5-6 sentences total, I start with "Dear Dr. Whoever" and end with "Best Regards, My Name". I send the emails in the afternoon, during business hours. Is this a good approach or should I change it up before sending more emails?
  8. Thanks for the link, and the advice.. I definitely wish I'd taken a GIS class as an undergrad (my school had it but I don't think it was offered while I was there), software skills are important and it took me too long to really notice that. I am looking at the Geoscience programs, although so far it seems like many of those are purely geology-based material which I'm not too interested in.
  9. Thanks for the suggestion.. I'd actually looked at Columbia earlier but didn't find that on their website (some of these sites can be tricky to navigate). The M.S. in Earth and Environmental Engineering (the water one) interests me, although I'm worried about my GRE scores being slightly below what Columbia usually accepts. Thanks for the suggestion, although Caltech is really expensive. Even if I get a RA or TA stipend idk if it'd pay enough.. Your suggestion about seminars is good, I'm gonna keep that in mind from now on.
  10. I'm looking for schools with good environmental-related programs for graduate study, preferably something that involves research. I'm not 100% sure what I am specializing in yet, but I am inclined towards hydrology or something water-related. The only schools I've seen (online, I haven't actually visited any) so far that seem to put a good deal of attention towards their environmental departments are University of Colorado and University of Delaware (their water science program in particular has me interested). I'd appreciate any advice about schools and/or specific programs that I should look at.
  11. I didn't have a clear focus, I went for a relatively varied selection of courses (although this also had to do with course availability and whatnot) as an undergrad. I took one environmental microbiology class but I suppose I'd consider it my focus because I spent about 8 months working in my env. microbiology professor's lab so I got some hands-on knowledge. Some of that did involve water quality (e.g. we took water and air samples at various sites in NYC to examine the link between aquatic and aerobic microbes), and I also took another class where I read much peer-reviewed literature about the water cycle (mostly in relation to plants and soil). Other than that I took classes related more to climatology and geology, as well as the usual bio, chem, and physics. For math I've done stats and calculus (one class for each). As for my actual questions, I'd like to know what specializations (hydrology, climatology, etc.) have the best outlook in terms of employment. I've found a bit of data on this but I also like to hear from people in the field. Also, what are some good schools for environmental programs (I think I'll make a separate thread for this topic)? I've noticed several that just have an MA or MS in environmental science and don't seem to give much attention to the subject.. the only ones I've seen that really interest me so far are University of Delaware and University of Colorado (I heard Rutgers was good but the deadline is too soon).
  12. The Kardashians... I'm so tired of seeing Kim's picture everywhere these past few days...
  13. Thanks for your answers guys. I have thought about waiting until Spring 2016, but due to some personal circumstances - and the fact that I've found it hard to get a job with just a B.S. and little experience - I really want to go in 2015, for an MS program. I've been doing some research and am feeling inclined towards studying water; I actually read a good deal of scientific literature on the topic as an undergrad, and water conservation/management will almost certainly be a big thing in the future. I think it's a good balance of practicality and my interests. However, I want to talk to some people in my field before proceeding. I've looked at some programs and I see that some of them have the deadline in early February, so yeah I definitely should have started sooner but I think it is still do-able.
  14. Hey everyone, I'm a recent graduate (May 2014) with a B.S. in Environmental Science from Queens College in NYC. I'm about to start applying to grad school for next Fall but I'm not totally sure what to specialize in and I want some advice. I'm slightly inclined towards environmental microbiology or something related (like soil science) since I have a bit of experience in that, but what I really need to know is where the jobs are. Based on my job hunting it seems to me like anything related to environmental policy or water science/hydrology is marketable for employment, but I want to hear some other opinions on this. As far as what type of work I'm seeking, I'm not very picky (you can't be, nowadays), but I would much prefer to do some actual hard science as opposed to policy. I don't mind lab work or field work at all. P.S. It's my first time posting on this site, if I should have posted this in another sub-forum then please just let me know and I'll change it.
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