Jae B.

Most students I've known are healthy and somewhat athletic. I got enough exercise walking and running late everywhere and to everything. But I'm hoping I'll actually use my school's athletic facilities this time around!

I saw someone using an iPad on the bus yesterday. It looked like they just stared at and jiggled icons for over half an hour. ...Distraction!

Yes, that would be fine! I submitted a letter from an internship supervisor with both of my grad school apps.

Yeeesssss.

Wow, good luck! Nice you have someone to crash with after that big a move. Time has flown. My orientation is on the 19th and 20th. I register for classes on the 5th! ...Time to get my summer homework done!

Sooner is always better for options, but you an still find a safe place...especially as summer schoolers move. Don't worry too much. It's mostly about how nice of a safe place you'll get. An awesome friend of mine has a great room available in an excellent location in Oakland, if you're starting to look. (She bikes everywhere and good transit options are nearby.) Let me know if you'd like her contact info.

Just signed up. Thanks!

Definitely start consulting professors now first and foremost, visit the school's career and grad center as a back-up resource (they might have more up-to-date information and student application experiences than professors), and research grad programs to find out what they specifically expect. Look closely at admit profiles if available. There's probably useful information online. Sophomore year is a great time to start, but junior year probably wouldn't be too late, either, if she doesn't get everything figured out right away -- but has some projects she's proud enough to put on an application. Good luck!

I've never encountered that for a place I hadn't even been in yet. The most I've been asked for is an important card or something they can hold on to, if they give me the keys to go look by myself! Otherwise, most landlords seem pretty relaxed about showing their places.

class pass

happy home

man's world

Makes sense. I actually put my "fit" paragraph first, feeling it'd get the adcoms attention. It seemed like a natural way to launch into my motivations (directly connects to why I want their school) and goals from the start, how (why) I developed these interests, and finally -- probably the majority of my paper -- how I've prepared with all these things in mind, as well as the general realities of my chosen field. Just another way.

What this example most confirms for me: it's all a matter of taste. And program. And luck.

home made

man's man

All the coffee places close too early for me...please report if you find a good one! Moffitt & the Main Stacks are traditionally open 24 hours during finals, plus the café, and that's a lifesaver every year! I also think that, in my department at least, grad students can enter our building and work all night if they wish...maybe this is a back-up option for your department, too? Definitely not as nice as a café, but I'm really happy to know I can stay on campus if I get absorbed in a project and can't make it home. Unfortunately, no one can really tell you your odds in that area at night (or day, really). Weird, random stuff happens -- I've seen people try crap in broad daylight within a crowd, so walkers need always be on guard. Best advice is not to stay out late unless you can take a bus almost directly to your place. Or have someone walk you or drop you off. That's my policy for most of Oakland, for South, Downtown & westward Berkeley, and all of Richmond after dark. It's worked out so far and hasn't been too difficult. Just be mindful of the bus schedule, especially what time you can catch the last bus to your apartment. If you're living alone and worried, you can master the bus schedule and vary the times and ways you get home -- sometimes I feel safer when I'm not as predictable. And definitely bond with people at your building, find nearby buddies, make friends on your route, etc. Personally, I wouldn't let the location stop me from living there. There will be other students to make you feel at home, but it is funky, there will be characters, and I bet sometimes you'll see things that will make you uncomfortable -- that's the way it is from the South-side on -- but usually it'll be harmless or people hurting themselves. Mostly, that area just makes me sad sometimes! Otherwise, it's pretty cool. I like Telegraph Ave. locations because (as you probably know) you can take the 1 or 1R from Cal to get to them pretty easily, which is a hell of a lot safer than places you actually have to walk to. I've always chosen work locations off of Telegraph for this reason. Right now I work on 40th near Telegraph.

hand made

man up

screw ball

off-hand

low ball

clap off

I'm guessing she can revise -- but what is there really to revise, if her financial info is correct, and her enrollment just didn't come through? Her financial info should be good for the whole year, and the school should be able to access it as-is, as long as they're listed on her form. At least in undergrad, it was possible to technically not qualify for aid one semester and make corrections for the next, as long as there was proven need present all year. In fact, I was able to revise for the whole year and receive aid for the semester before I "qualified" as well as the current. Might be trickier for your friend, but it'd be worth asking to school to make up for denying first semester aid since she was accepted and she's going to be fully enrolled with a year's worth of units. If this is about loan eligibility, that's between both the school and the FAFSA people -- it's a matter of how they handle it. If it's about qualifying for need-based scholarship or grant aid, that's really up to the school regardless of the FAFSA, and they might be able to reconsider using other financial documentation and special program consideration. Good luck!

I can't agree with this more. Definitely go to the Apple Store and try 'em both out. In my case, being interested in big visual designs, viewing art and graphics-intense gaming, the 15 inch MBP would be more appropriate. Compared to the light and bright 13 in. white MacBooks (that I'm most used to), I found the 13 in. MBP screen -- while more beautiful -- actually feels even smaller and more boxed-in because of the big black border around it. Even though I'd rather not lug around a larger computer (or pay more for it). But the 13 in. would be fine for heavy reading, writing, and normal web surfing. So it should be about finding what you're most comfortable with looking at and carrying around everyday.