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socgrad

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  • Location
    Chicago
  • Application Season
    Not Applicable
  • Program
    Sociology

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  1. After taking out loans to pursue a grad program in the field I love, I encourage you to look for programs that can provide you some funding to offset your loans. I was completely unfunded my first year and received half the amount I needed to live on in funding in my second year. Think about whether you want to pay $400-500 a month for your grad degree.
  2. It depends on if you are funded or not. Funding for sociology grad students is incredibly difficult to come by, and it may influence the department's commitment to you and willingness to invest resources in you (such as prime research assistantships). If you are unfunded, it likely won't affect you as much. Either way, be prepared to prevent an intensely compelling reason, or it looks like you just back peddled on your decision to go to their school/grad school.
  3. socgrad

    Chicago, IL

    A studio in Rogers Park/Edgewater is running closer to $800 a month now for units that include heat and water. However, you shouldn't need to spend money on cabs to return home from class or the library after dark if you opt to living within the bounds of Loyola's 8-RIDE service. It doesn't operate in the summer time, but it's stays light fairly late then anyway. The service is for all students, including grad students, and runs fairly late. The winters here can be very brutal, so that's worth considering when looking at how far you want to live from campus too if you'll mostly take public transportation or walk. The wind off the lake creates some dangerous situations in the winter, but on the upside, it's a little cooler up here in the summer for it. I've seen 2-bedroom apartments for about $1200-1400 right now, but the electricity costs in the summer tend to be higher if you have only window unit air conditioning and want to keep the entire place cool. If you run a window unit in a studio on a low setting nearly every day, you can expect the bill to about double. The area immediately surrounding the campus is mostly fine, but I'd avoid the Kenmore/Winthrop corridor (especially the pocket right around the Thorndale redline stop). Uptown isn't the worst, but it's well outside the bounds of 8-RIDE and Loyola's campus police. Personally, I completely avoid that neighborhood after dark, particularly in the summer. I've found access to beaches, grocers, restaurants/cafes, and drugstores better around the university than in Uptown. There are tons of runners in Chicago, and you'll see many students jogging around the campus as well as other residents. It is as safe as doing anything else, but keep in mind that muggings do tend to happen in the early mornings, so it's a good idea to keep your hearing unobstructed. A few tips: -Keep your smartphone/tablet away while you're out. These are big targets for muggers as they're valuable and signal that you're distracted. This seems obvious, but I see a lot of Loyola students who've let their guard down. -Be careful if you're carrying your wallet or other valuables in a backpack. It's easy for someone to grab an item and exit a train or bus without you even noticing. -Unless you're taking out the garbage, avoid the alleys completely. -Get familiar with the area and where places are quickly. You're less a target if you look like you know where you're going. -Live closer to the main thoroughfares such as Sheridan, Broadway, and Devon if you can. Think Jane Jacobs' "eyes on the street." -Make friends! It's best if people local to you are aware of your comings and goings. -Get renters insurance and not just in case of burglaries. A lot of buildings here are very old, and when you have so many people living in such close quarters, all bets are off.
  4. I am from Michiana and live in Chicago now. I take the South Shore commuter train to visit family often. It's fairly reliable as far as timing, but I would hate to take it every week. While there are many who take it on a daily basis to travel to and from work in Chicago, it's a fairly cramped and loud situation. You don't even have guaranteed seating as with Amtrak. It's quite a bit worse on game days and when they are doing maintenance (example, they recently did work that required a bus between Chicago and Michigan City, then the train between Michigan City and South Bend). I doubt anyone used to Chicago's frequent and expansive CTA would be happy with the busses in South Bend. Try it a couple times before committing. As stated above, it might not be worth it outside of a compelling reason.
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