SublimePZ

I know them feels.
 
Talking to the professors that wrote my LORs (and thus am reasonably close with), they said that many grad students go through this, so I'm (and you! and the reader of this!) not alone. You just have to remember that you were chosen for a reason - these are not decisions that people make lightly, so you can be confident in your abilities!
 
One of the professors also gave me a bit of hilarious advice: Fake it till you make it. It seems oddly apt...

I use a backpack, but only because I don't own a messenger bag. I'd say it depends entirely how much "a lot of stuff" is. If you're prone to carrying a lot of books plus a laptop, definitely use a backpack. Otherwise, a messenger bag is definitely classier and more professional looking.
 
On a related note: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=176

You want a spider horror story? Approximately 2 nights ago:
 
I had just turned off the lights and slipped into bed, excited that I was going to get a whole 8 hours of sleep before work. My sleep habits are pretty awful (thanks college) and thus I usually don't get that much sleep. To celebrate, I decided to sing a song that's been stuck in my head recently - You and Me (but mostly me) from The Book of Mormon (I just saw it, would highly recommend!).
 
As I stared into the blackness singing about something "incredible" (listen to the song), I noticed a part of my eyesight that was *darker* than the surrounding area. As the words "what in the hell...?" came to my lips, I felt... wait... is that... A SPIDER ON MY LIPS?!?!
 
Commence Freak Out in 3...2...1...
Immediate Spitting Start.
 
I sprinted to the light switch, crammed my glasses onto my panicked face and went to survey the damage. Besides all the spit everywhere, I noticed not one... not two... but three giant ass spiders on my pillow + surrounding area. Based on this, I surmised that the three spiders were descending together, trying to land gracefully. One was positioned directly above my eye, another my mouth, and the third... I didn't care to find out.
 
Needless to say, I didn't feel very comfortable sleeping in that same spot and spent the next 30 minutes moving my bed to the middle of the room under solid ceiling.
How many hours of sleep did I get that night, you ask? Let's not talk about that...
 
I'm honestly not that afraid of spiders (I put the three spiders on a piece of paper and released them outside), but that legitimately scared the hell out of me.

You want a spider horror story? Approximately 2 nights ago:
 
I had just turned off the lights and slipped into bed, excited that I was going to get a whole 8 hours of sleep before work. My sleep habits are pretty awful (thanks college) and thus I usually don't get that much sleep. To celebrate, I decided to sing a song that's been stuck in my head recently - You and Me (but mostly me) from The Book of Mormon (I just saw it, would highly recommend!).
 
As I stared into the blackness singing about something "incredible" (listen to the song), I noticed a part of my eyesight that was *darker* than the surrounding area. As the words "what in the hell...?" came to my lips, I felt... wait... is that... A SPIDER ON MY LIPS?!?!
 
Commence Freak Out in 3...2...1...
Immediate Spitting Start.
 
I sprinted to the light switch, crammed my glasses onto my panicked face and went to survey the damage. Besides all the spit everywhere, I noticed not one... not two... but three giant ass spiders on my pillow + surrounding area. Based on this, I surmised that the three spiders were descending together, trying to land gracefully. One was positioned directly above my eye, another my mouth, and the third... I didn't care to find out.
 
Needless to say, I didn't feel very comfortable sleeping in that same spot and spent the next 30 minutes moving my bed to the middle of the room under solid ceiling.
How many hours of sleep did I get that night, you ask? Let's not talk about that...
 
I'm honestly not that afraid of spiders (I put the three spiders on a piece of paper and released them outside), but that legitimately scared the hell out of me.

You want a spider horror story? Approximately 2 nights ago:
 
I had just turned off the lights and slipped into bed, excited that I was going to get a whole 8 hours of sleep before work. My sleep habits are pretty awful (thanks college) and thus I usually don't get that much sleep. To celebrate, I decided to sing a song that's been stuck in my head recently - You and Me (but mostly me) from The Book of Mormon (I just saw it, would highly recommend!).
 
As I stared into the blackness singing about something "incredible" (listen to the song), I noticed a part of my eyesight that was *darker* than the surrounding area. As the words "what in the hell...?" came to my lips, I felt... wait... is that... A SPIDER ON MY LIPS?!?!
 
Commence Freak Out in 3...2...1...
Immediate Spitting Start.
 
I sprinted to the light switch, crammed my glasses onto my panicked face and went to survey the damage. Besides all the spit everywhere, I noticed not one... not two... but three giant ass spiders on my pillow + surrounding area. Based on this, I surmised that the three spiders were descending together, trying to land gracefully. One was positioned directly above my eye, another my mouth, and the third... I didn't care to find out.
 
Needless to say, I didn't feel very comfortable sleeping in that same spot and spent the next 30 minutes moving my bed to the middle of the room under solid ceiling.
How many hours of sleep did I get that night, you ask? Let's not talk about that...
 
I'm honestly not that afraid of spiders (I put the three spiders on a piece of paper and released them outside), but that legitimately scared the hell out of me.

My mp3 player (yes I use one) is changing genres at breakneck speed:
 
Flobots - Handlebars
Tupac - Ambitionz az a Ridah
Avenged Sevenfold - Unholy Confessions
Queen - Radio Ga Ga
Jason Mraz - Sleep All Day

I agree with this point. Every single interview I went to had at least one interviewer who had not read my application before they met me. I assume this was done on purpose (not b/c the professor was too lazy) but after you get to the interview, no one cares about your paper stats, but rather who you are as a person and your passion/enthusiasm for not only being AT the school you're interviewing at, but also for the field in general.
 
Addressing acetycholine directly, I remember a thread earlier in the season where you rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and from that thread I formed an impression that you're very self-centered. Your first impression to the people you interviewed with may have come across in a negative light and it could be something to work on. As someone recommended earlier in the thread, it may be a good idea to schedule a mock interview with someone you don't know personally and get feedback from them. If you've been through 6 interviews and haven't gotten a single acceptance, then there is something about the interview that rubbed adcoms the wrong way.

One of the schools I declined had a specific box that said "Where will you be attending instead?". Tempted to put Hogwarts but that probably wouldn't go so well.

One of the schools I declined had a specific box that said "Where will you be attending instead?". Tempted to put Hogwarts but that probably wouldn't go so well.

Either the OP is not telling us everything, or is trolling. In either case though, there's really nothing else anyone here can say that hasn't been said already. This thread should be locked based on non-productivity.

My BS-detector just went off. I'm guessing either 1) you are naive enough to think that the world functions in black and white, and that additional information or altered circumstances do not change prior agreements all the time with no moral fault or ill intention, 2) you have not realized that you are one of countless incoming masters students that will be forgotten about by the school within a day, 3) you have failed to see that fully-funded PhD students and post docs have wrestled with similar decisions and lived to tell the tale, 4) there is another piece of the story that you have failed to tell us, or 5) you have the need to find someone to tell you whatever it is you want to hear.
 
There are people here still on waiting lists, and it annoys me that you would be selfish enough to stew in your own made-up drama for days instead of picking up the phone, declining the school you obviously want to decline, and perhaps making that spot at school A available for someone else. 

Agreed. The areas that surround Berkeley (including Albany, Emeryville, Oakland, El Cerrito, etc.) are generally cheaper than Berkeley proper but definitely has less stuff to do. Additionally, everything is more spread out in those areas, so not having a car is super inconvenient.
 
<$1000 per month is really only doable if you're willing to live with someone else and sacrifice space/distance. You're right though that food is more expensive in CA, but the trade-off is that it's usually fresher too.

Ah sorry, I should have made that more clear. I paid $700/month before utilities + internet. Most months the total was about $730.
 
It is certainly doable on a grad student budget (your proposed $2500/month), though keep in mind CA taxes are higher than the midwest - you'll likely have less than $2500/month.
 
When you get a bike definitely get a legit u-lock + industrial cord if you can, as bike thefts are pretty serious at Cal. The bus system also sucks on north side, as opposed to south/west side where the buses run very regularly.
 
Not sure how much you like partying/socializing/etc., but I personally would avoid Piedmont street South past the International House. The houses along that street (as you can see if you use Google Street View) are largely fraternity/sorority houses. Friday/Saturdays (especially on football game days) it becomes insanely crazy/rowdy. Not really my scene, but if you enjoy that, by all means look for an apartment there. I would also caution living too close to Telegraph Avenue. On the whole though, it's a really safe community (directly around campus, anyways) so there's nowhere I would absolutely avoid - just some places I would prefer not living near.

No problem. That is a very good idea. If you're really not hurting for a laptop anytime soon, you could even wait until the November (Black Friday) or December (Holiday) sales which are undoubtedly the cheapest of the year.

I know them feels.
 
Talking to the professors that wrote my LORs (and thus am reasonably close with), they said that many grad students go through this, so I'm (and you! and the reader of this!) not alone. You just have to remember that you were chosen for a reason - these are not decisions that people make lightly, so you can be confident in your abilities!
 
One of the professors also gave me a bit of hilarious advice: Fake it till you make it. It seems oddly apt...

I moved from Chicago to Berkeley for undergrad, so I think I should be able to give you some tips. I'm not sure of the exact prices, but I do know that grad housing is really expensive for not that many amenities (see here: http://housing2.berkeley.edu/graduate).I do know that most grad students live in non-campus housing (apartments, co-ops, etc.)
 
I split a one-bedroom apartment with a friend for $1400 a month, utilities and internet not included. It was one block away from campus on north side with a washer/dryer in-house. When I first started renting there, it was above average, but by the time I graduated (May 2014) it was a little below average. I would say try to find something of comparable price, but beware that living directly in Berkeley is crazy expensive (especially closer to campus). If you're ok with taking buses and/or biking to Latimer or Stanley Hall, which is on the east side of campus at the top of a hill (I see your program is chem, so that's probably where you'll spend most of your time), then I would suggest living at the bottom of the hill somewhere off of Oxford or Shattuck.
 
Berkeley's living situation is split into three parts - North, West, and South side. West side is comprised of Shattuck and is essentially the downtown part of Berkeley, with a lot of restaurants/cafes/stores. South side is where the majority of the undergrads live - it has stores and retaurants (chipotle, subway, etc.) but is a bit more college-y. This includes the majority of undergrad housing in addition to the fraternities. It is usually much rowdier there, especially during parties (Friday/Saturday nights, etc.). North side is, in my opinion, the quietest area - there are a lot of non-students that live there in houses, with only one real street that has anything (Euclid St. - pizza, burritos, sandwiches, cafes, etc.). The co-ops are also mostly on north side (though a few on south side too), but I don't recommend living there for your first year (http://www.bsc.coop).
 
My suggestion? Try to find an apartment to split with someone on North Side near the LeRoy/LaLoma/LeConte/Ridge area. It's extremely close and quiet, and provided you have a car, parking is plentiful (compared to South side where there is usually no street parking available). It's unfortunately more expensive than south side, but worth it to me. Alternatively, finding an apartment further down College Avenue (away from campus) on South Side is a good option too - much cheaper than North Side, plus you get to a really nice area of Berkeley/Oakland.

It was definitely the coyotes.

It was definitely the coyotes.

It was definitely the coyotes.

It was definitely the coyotes.

So you're expressing dislike of people considering opinions from others that may or may not be relevant when making one of the biggest life choices ever by...expecting these people to consider your opinion that may or may not be relevant...

Okay.

"Dream school" =/= right choice. They aren't gross, selfish, or awful by carefully considering their opinions instead of pouncing on an acceptance out of emotion/excitement.

Don't know too much about differences, but a cursory search says battery life is a concern for the Flex 2 (manufacturer says 7 hrs, but tests say ~3 hrs) as well as weight for both is a bit hefty (or sturdy, if you'd prefer). For both laptops though, it seems the wireless card is rather weak.
 
If you're looking to compare a deal for the Lenovo Flex 2, try checking out this deal (and others on the site): 
 
http://slickdeals.net/f/7786555-lenovo-flex-2-touch-screen-laptop-i7-4510u-8gb-ddr3-500gb-hdd-8gb-sshd-14-1920x1080-led-touch-549-with-free-shipping?v=1
or:
http://slickdeals.net/f/7786583-lenovo-refurbished-flex-2-touchscreen-laptop-i5-4210-6gb-ddr3-15-6-1080p-led-500gb-375-or-1tb-402?v=1
 
If you only anticipate your parents using Skype, this is fine. It's a bit pricey for what you're getting, I would try to see if you can get a deal on this or a similar model.
I would recommend a chromebook for just day-to-day activities + Skype, as they are much cheaper (often <$200) and are long-lasting as well.

On the baby topic, I feel like my viewpoint has changed dramatically. Coming out of undergrad I couldn't even imagine having a kid or settling down in any fashion (not being in a relationship notwithstanding...).
After working in a company for a year and being surrounded by people either settling down or having babies (sometimes second babies!), I can feel my opinion about it changing. I see how happy having a child and a settled, committed relationship has made them, and I feel more than a little jealous. Obviously I don't see the 4 am wake-up to a crying baby or the fresh brown trout in a child's Huggies every morning, but everyone that i've talked to says that having a child has changed their entire lives for the better.
 
Now, this isn't to say that I'm going to jump into a relationship with the explicit intention to have a child (baby steps, people.), but I can definitely feel myself changing my opinion about having a child, settling down, etc.
 
Maybe... just maybe... is this what they call growing up?!?!?! Just kidding (...I think).

The salt is so real. How the hell does a horoscope tell you what school you should apply to?

2.85 uGPA, Q:165,V:161, AW:5.0 with 3 internships in industry, working at a biotech company during my gap year. Accepted to 2 biomedical science PhD programs. There's always hope, people!