fernandes

Make sure to check this thread, there are tons of useful advice and suggestions on buying school supplies:

Oh alright. I know people from several areas who use R and say that it's really important for data analysis, so maybe one day I'll need to learn it. I have also looked into Data Analysing tools like MapReduce, but I'm still unsure if I would use it for research in the future. Do you know anything about it? And yep, I liked that joke haha. Exactly how it feels like sometimes.

Exactly. And no, not really. I just really think that programming and web developing are really neat skills that I want to have in the future. And I also catch myself thinking how I could automate boring stuff I do with programming. Is it a necessary skill in your area of study?

I got some sweet funding from Rice already, thanks for trying to help! I was just wishing they had small fellowships that I could apply to for some possible extra funding. Thanks though

Don't worry, you have done a great job. Thanks for sharing some info with me. I'll work on my programming skills so I can maybe work on something similar in the future. I've been learning python, but I know so little about web frameworks and programming languages for the web.

Good job mate! Did you use Python for doing it? Also, I have a suggestion: it would be nice to narrow/approximate the average calculated value to two decimals only.

Yep! It's like throwing 100 dollars out

...send the SoP to school A with the school B's name on it. (just trying to create a trend here)

Hey Fossey, I'm also starting this upcoming fall, so I know how excited you must be! I will be working as a TA for 10 hours/week during my first semester and my school requires me to TA/RA for 6 semesters during the PhD program, so maybe you'll want to check that with your department. Doesn't your decision on working as a TA or not this semester affects your financial situation? If it doesn't, I don't think you need to rush and apply on this first semester.

@ShogunT I wish Rice had those small endowed fellowships to incoming grad students, being awarded one of those would be terrific!

I have no experience on this topic and really can't help you out, but I wanted to send you a message to wish you the best. I hope other users can give you some advice.

Yeah, that makes sense. I will try to find some engineering-related books!

I guess I made the right decision to choose the University's Graduate Apartments for my first year... am I right?

That's really interesting. Maybe I'll start doing that, although it might be more difficult to find exciting fiction books about engineering. Well, I've read The Martian, so I guess it kind of matches my academic interests.

Are you guys talking about books to read for fun or for work?

Maybe you can cook like Walter White does, it might work!

I am entering graduate school in the fall and I have also been looking into housing options. In the school I am going to study at there are separate dorms for graduate students called Graduate Student Apartments (GSA). At the GSA there are several apartment options depending on if you want to live by yourself or with other students, and, of course, it's cheaper if you share your apartment with other students. I have decided to apply to the GSA for three main reasons: 1. It will allow me to meet other students and create a wide network of professional relationships that could be really valuable in the future; 2. Since the GSA already come with furniture, appliances, internet and water bills paid, it's basically the same price of renting another off-campus apartment; 3. I feel like it is the best way to start graduate school in a more comfortable way, since almost all of the "trouble" of renting and paying bills will be solved. I intend to move to another apartment after my first year though. I think that you should check with the school you're going to what is included in the rent and if the price is worth it considering how much you'd have to pay to live off campus.

I have also seen the saying "burning bridges" being used when a PhD student decides to drop the program without reasonable reasons, especially after obtaining a MS degree within the PhD program. I believe that when you "burn bridges" you should not expect to count on your adviser for writing you a great recommendation letter that could help you finding a job, for example.

It won't be really easy to find a cheap laptop that matches your needs, unless that you call a MacBook inexpensive. As rising_star said, the MS Surface could be a great option as well as a MacBook Air, though they are not inexpensive. The other important thing to consider is that high-performance computers tend to have shorter battery life. In my opinion the only laptop manufacturer that can couple both characteristics well is Apple. There are inexpensive options among brands such as ASUS, Lenovo and Dell. I had an ASUS and I loved it. Here are a few options: ASUS ZenBook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMERZJ6/ref=twister_B0142V5YHG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 ASUS K501UX: http://www.amazon.com/K501LX-Laptop-GeForce-Upgrade-Windows/dp/B00YR6BMS2 The most inexpensive laptop I have seen might be Chromebooks, as they usually have a price range from 150 to 300 dollars. They are light-weight and usually have really good battery life, though they are not high-performance computers. Here are some options: ASUS Chromebook: http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Chromebook-Gigabit-Storage-Light/dp/B015ZD6ZH8/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1461530881&sr=1-5&keywords=chromebook Lenovo Chromebook: http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-100s-11-6-Inch-Chromebook-80QN0009US/dp/B014MIBQXA/ref=sr_1_17?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1461530881&sr=1-17&keywords=chromebook

Wow, great catch!

I have an idea: www.gofund.me

Are you considering that you also might need to take the TOEFL?

Hi @everest14, I don't like to be the bearer of the bad news, but the GRE fee is just a small amount of all the fees you might encounter during your application process. You might want to find a sponsor who can fund you and help you with all the necessary fees.

Just one quick tip about one American airline in specific. Don't be amazed about the prices offered by SpiritAirlines, they're usually the cheapest in the west side of the US, but they will charge you fees for having hand or checked bags, so just be aware of that. They also charge for water during the flight and the seats are not the most comfortable. TL;DR If you're flying with SpiritAirlines, just expect to get what you've paid for.

I'm the first in my entire family joining a PhD program, good luck to me.