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madamoiselle

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  1. Upvote
    madamoiselle got a reaction from mobsterdolphin_ in Ford Fellowship 2023   
    I got honorable mention for the dissertation!! Super happy with the award, and extra stoked for the people who won funding. I’m a bit confused, though, as I really only got one reviewer comment (even though it was very kind). 
  2. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Hannah K in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  3. Upvote
    madamoiselle got a reaction from CakeTea in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  4. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from duisk in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  5. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Milyd in Shit Foreign Language Majors Say   
    Just off the top of my head... (French) 
    "I will never understand québécois French in my entire life" 
    "Do you wanna go to a café this afternoon? I know a place, super cool, like... actual French coffee, not our American jus de chausettes."
    "Yeah, I saw the Mona Lisa. Total letdown. To really know Paris, you need to avoid the tourist areas. I hate the Eiffel Tower"
    "Are you applying to TAPIF?" 
    "Wait, you haven't read Sartre?" 
    "So what exactly is the difference in sound between ou and u?????" 
    "Oh no, we don't have to pronounce any of those letters at the end.... or the ones in the middle. Oh, sometimes, you also don't have to pronounce that first letter." 
    "Ok, so it's like... you have 20, right? And then multiply it by four, and then you have 80, and then you just add how much you would need to get the end number. So 98 would be 20 times 4 plus 18. Is that clear?" 
    "So they're older than me, but they're super cool, but they're also a teacher in a different department, but I've also met them before... Should I use tu or vous?"
     
  6. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Pnwonder in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  7. Upvote
    madamoiselle got a reaction from slptobe97 in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  8. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from GradAppl5 in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  9. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Jenny01 in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  10. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from ayay in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    @ayay CONGRATS ON THE BERKELEY OFFER! Hope to see you (and all you other potential Berkeleyans) in March!  
  11. Upvote
    madamoiselle reacted to frenchphd in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    Congratulations on the Berkeley offer! If I were you, I'd take it -- Karl Britto is one of the few people who works specifically on east asian francophone literature. It is unlikely that you will get into Yale. As I warned in the beginning of this season, Yale will only consider applications from future North African specialists. Any deviation and they will reject you, as the extraordinary Chris Miller is retiring (he is on phased retirement starting this semester). 
    Good luck with the rest of the interviews and applications, everyone! Feel free to PM me if you have questions about interviews. I interviewed at many of these schools a few years ago (and attended their visits). It's weird how Harvard did not interview you all before sending waiting list decisions. Harvard was rather unsuccessful with recruitment last year, so, if it happens again, you all will probably get in
  12. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from coucoumilou in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    @Beeba @cafesociety @coucoumilou @trotskor (YAY BERKELEY APPS!) 
    I just got an email from the grad head about participating in visiting days, so the ball should be rolling - our semester started super late this year, so that may be why they're a bit behind.
    If you get admitted, please reach out to me with any questions you might have! Good luck, go bears!!
  13. Upvote
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Beeba in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    @Beeba @cafesociety @coucoumilou @trotskor (YAY BERKELEY APPS!) 
    I just got an email from the grad head about participating in visiting days, so the ball should be rolling - our semester started super late this year, so that may be why they're a bit behind.
    If you get admitted, please reach out to me with any questions you might have! Good luck, go bears!!
  14. Upvote
    madamoiselle got a reaction from cafesociety in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    @Beeba @cafesociety @coucoumilou @trotskor (YAY BERKELEY APPS!) 
    I just got an email from the grad head about participating in visiting days, so the ball should be rolling - our semester started super late this year, so that may be why they're a bit behind.
    If you get admitted, please reach out to me with any questions you might have! Good luck, go bears!!
  15. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from tpcrd66 in Austin, TX   
    Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
    POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
    West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
    Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
    North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
    Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
    Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
    Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
    The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
    Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
    Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
    North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
    OTHER HINTS: 
    Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
    Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
    How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
    -------
    So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!
  16. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from awhiterussian in French PhD applications - Fall 2019   
    Also willing to give advice if any of you all are thinking of coming to sunny CA I'm in final paper mode, but after this Monday, I'll be free to discuss anything in general. @Carly Rae Jepsen, @HomewardBound @awhiterussian happy to see y'all around here again, hope you all are doing well!
    Best of luck to everybody ❤️
  17. Like
    madamoiselle reacted to renea in RANT: In terms of applications, what we wish schools did better.   
    There's a difference between the *intended* reasoning behind fees in a hope that it leads to more tailored applicants (this is the optimistic reasoning which we hope programs have) and the reality--which is that those with money generally have more resources and time to apply to far more programs thus increasing their chances of being accepted and increasing competition for those who can't afford more than a handful.
     
    We should also recognize that fit does not always mean research interests. There are many individuals who do not have the privilege of applying to just a handful of programs that are the best fit. Some applicants are
    limited geographically (perhaps limiting them to schools that even though aren't a perfect fit they would still thrive in), they have partners who they are applying with (thus narrowing their choices and simultaneously adding in another factor- both partners being accepted to the same school), they might have a weaker portion of their application such as spotty grades from when they were younger, gaps in their school due to family problems, health issues, or financial reasons, they may be unable to take a subject gre test (or even the regular gre) due to money or work schedules.  they might have niche research interests that don't have a clear "fit"  They might not have the resources, support, or mentorship at their undergrad to help them figure out what a good fit would be Applications are complicated. They take time and require a myriad of factors. When money is an issue or one of the above situations factor in, individuals would benefit from having lower application costs, because they'd be able to apply to more programs. My husband and I are both applying to programs. Of course I applied to programs that were a good fit for me, but some schools were a compromise (good fits, but not the best) because we both had to like the program. We also had to reduce the amount we applied to because of $$$. Had applications cost less, we could have afforded to throw one or two programs in that we loved, but didn't know if we were competitive enough for. Let's face it, there are programs we are great fits for, but on paper many institutions throw candidates out due to good, but not amazing GRE scores. I wanted to apply to Purdue so bad, but my husband's gre scores were not at their recommended score. Sure we could have risked it and applied as a reach school (a good fit, but not a sure thing), but we're barely could afford the schools we did apply to. We saved for months for these apps, and we didn't want to waste the money. Let's stop using fit and labor as an excuse for gatekeeping policies. 
     
  18. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Carly Rae Jepsen in How Often Do Grad Students Get Paid?   
    Typically monthly -- ask your department student advisor and they should give you the date of your first paycheck. Most people I know (myself included) get it around August 15th, or within the first week of classes!
  19. Like
    madamoiselle reacted to dr. t in Does anyone else feel "impostor syndrome" about getting into grad school?   
    This is not even unique to graduate school.
    I've said this before; it's still true: 
    You're not good enough to be in graduate school. No one is good enough to be in graduate school. There is no great platonic abstract of "good enough" which, if obtained, opens the path to tenure with a choir of angels. Everyone's a failure. Everyone is faking it. No one knows what they're doing. Usually, we call this "adulthood". Being shit at something is a necessary first step towards being good at something. "Talent" and "natural ability" are bullshit terms that mask the absurd amounts of hard work and/or social conditioning of people assumed to have them. 
  20. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Green.Mango in Fall 2018 French   
    @Carly Rae Jepsen that's a fantastic idea! For future applicants I would say: 
    1. RESEARCH your programs. Do not listen to NRC rankings because French is too small and they don't make a whole lot of sense. Get a feel for humanities departments as a whole, and speak to your advisors about certain program fits -- they will know the field the best! Looking back, I applied to some programs where I had super weak fit, just because they were "good." Save your money, don't fall for it! 
    2. On a whole, undergrad and grad school admissions are two completely separate beasts. One of the best pieces of advice I got from a professor is that grad school admissions are more like a job application than a college application. Think about the education, of course, but also think about the professional you will become. Think about the TAship opportunities and the academic/professor you want to be (or industry, if you're going into industry/translation/IR). 
    3. ^ When you're picking schools, do not get opinions from non-academics, especially those who have no insight in your field. This sounds kind of snobby, but trust me; they will have a very undergraduate way of looking at it. 
    4. This sounds so much easier said than done, but enjoy it! You are going to be putting yourself out there and asking for 5+ years of funding and knowledge (albeit accompanied by really hard work) in a field you love and have a passion for. Get excited! Keep the spark going as much as you can. The process is exhausting, but even in the event that grad school doesn't work out, you have so many options in the U.S., in France, in academia, in industry... I can't tell you how many people I met during this process that did TAPIF/had some really amazing jobs abroad/worked in think tanks, etc. Relish it! I
    5. This is something I don't tell people much, but I had a sub-3.4 coming out of undergrad, and was certain I wouldn't get anywhere. I almost didn't apply this cycle because I felt so dumb, but I got 4 funded offers out of 7, including my dream program (where I am going :)). Strengthen as much of your application as you can, and NEVER sell yourself short. 
    6. On a sadder note, rejection. It is more than likely going to happen, and you do not 100% know what other programs are looking for. They don't publish (a) exactly which researchers they're seeking, (b) if certain advisors are leaving or (c) if they have any funding issues, all of which are huge steps in the decision-making process on their end. If you don't get in, it is likely that one of these reasons is a catalyst, and you have no control over that. Don't take it too personally, and enjoy the options you have! I knew people who only ended up with 1 option, and it was a reciprocal appreciation that ended up being the best possible situation in the end. 
    7. Once you get invited to visit days, ask questions, be confident and have fun! Meet the other people matriculating with you; even if they don't pick your school, they will be your camarades, and they will be indispensable networks (and friends) in the future!
    8. Always remember that French is very special. It's small, intimate and a very strong community where everybody just about knows everybody. You may not realize this specialness just yet, but you will if you speak to bigger departments like English, History, or the sciences. People who study French love French, and being in that environment for 5+ years should be exciting. Although the market is rough, French is also one of the more stable job market prospects. Finally, you are also in one of the few fields that funds and encourages their students to frequently leave, travel, research in multiple countries and do fellowships/teach abroad. Wild! 
    Of course, I'm not trying to sugar coat everything; naturally, this is a stressful process. If you are reading this for the 2019 app cycle, you may be having a nervous breakdown, and that's ok. Breathe. You know yourself, your French capacities, and your intelligence better than anybody else. Put it all on paper, and SELL yourself and your abilities to those programs. Hope for the best, and the universe will work out as it should. You will learn a lot of important truths about yourself through this cycle, so don't buy into sunk cost fallacies or negativities. No matter the outcome, the amount of work you put in will lead to great intrapersonal growth and reflection. Profitez!!!! 
  21. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from Green.Mango in Fall 2018 French   
    @Frenchlady Here is my mega essay on how I ended up with my final decision! It was a super difficult decision, and I'm about to type a lot, but bear with me. ALSO, the things I found important may not be important to you. Everybody is different and everybody has different needs. I am single, female, and just turned 23 after a gap year; I would have different needs from somebody with a family, somebody with a boyfriend, someone who is 21, somebody fresh out of undergrad, or somebody who is 40. 
    I'm lucky in that the schools I was accepted to all had pretty similar funding in the end (even though the cost of the bay area is gross, I'm trying to make it work!) So with that said, funding was pretty moot at the beginning, but is typically a large consideration for people. Always consider the cost of living where you are looking, as well. 20k will be ok in Bloomington, but scrape the barely survivable level at, say, Berkeley or CUNY. 
    From me, personally, here was my ranking process:
    1) Intellectual/Academic Fit: This was CRUCIAL. All of the programs had, no doubt, brilliant students and fantastic professors that I enjoyed talking to. But I paid a lot of attention to how fluid and energized my research topics were supported. If I felt myself having to really bend my interests, lose confidence in my pitch (cause nobody seemed too interested) or silently nod in unenthusiastic agreement (lol), then that was more of a red flag. I also plan to sway my research a little more towards modern postcolonial/banlieue studies. Berkeley had a fantastic foundation in what I already studied (feminism, philosophies, critical theory), but they also have people in Urban Studies and multiple people in MODERN Francophonie studies. I could have talked for days at Berkeley, and am still continuing conversations with professors that I had on visiting days a few weeks back. The classes excited me so much, and I cannot wait to start. Also, look at resources the university provides humanities grad students! Townsend was one of the big reasons I chose Cal. Are there reading groups? Working groups? Affiliate centers or minors/designated courses you can add to your CV and help you round out your dissertation? 
    2 Tie) Personality: I am an extrovert. Cal was a school that I could tell had a pretty nice balance of extroverts, but it wasn't wild/messy. Just very energetic!! There's a lot of hugging, very casual dress, and a lot of exclamation points/smiley faces in emails (which I heard was characteristic of West Coast schools, haha). Some people might dislike this, and prefer a more traditional/conservative environment, and that's absolutely okay! I love discussing theory, and I could talk to the students about way "out there" ideas. Some people, especially in linguistics, prefer empiricism. I went through a really negative interaction in undergrad with a potential advising professor because our personalities were on totally different pages. I try to avoid that as much as possible. These people are your colleagues for years, you might as well like them. If you prefer to be more isolated or away from people, this may be less of a consideration and that may also be a factor when choosing. 
    2 Tie) School Location: Grad students have a startling rate of depression. I'm very pro-therapy, pro-self care, and know what environments I thrive best in. It came down to the fact that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder very badly, and I know this about myself (I almost dropped out of TAPIF because I was so miserable and depressed in the Parisian winter). For my health and wellness, I looked around at the surrounding communities and tried to see what was best for my self care and which environment had the most opportunities for my hobbies and side-activities. Grad school is going to be hectic and I don't expect to be hiking the wine country every weekend, but I did want an environment where I could go on long walks/walk to campus, unwind near water, and read outside -- all activities that make me happy and keep me sane. 
    3) Time to completion/Length of Funding: I was told to steer clear of programs that get ya in and push you out within 4/5 years. When asking about applying to Post-Docs, I was told that students in for 6/7 years or even more tend to do better. You teach more classes and have a more concise dissertation. Given the state of academia, you will be on the market for a while, and being stranded without funding or a job is a nightmare. I would personally prefer longer financial aid packages, or a package that is renewable. Graduate school is a marathon, not a race! 
    On prestige: When evaluating my offers, "prestige" of the program was closer to the bottom of my list. DO NOT LISTEN TO UNDERGRADUATE OPINIONS, and do not ask every Peter, Paul and Mary for their opinion. If you're concerned with prestige and reputation, ask advisors. The school I chose is a prestigious public school, but it was recommended to me as a great program with a great strength in my interests. In the realm of French Departmental prestige, there is no clear measure. The 2010 NRC rankings don't make any sense, in my opinion, and my advisors all told me to steer clear of it since it's rather outdated and ridiculously subjective. Therefore, I personally feel like prestige shouldn't be as important in French, since it's such a small and idiosyncratic field where every school has it's own ~flavor~. Certain departments may carry more prestige in a certain subfield, but it's hard to even standardize that measure. It's going to come down to the people you want to work with amongst all of the factors listed above. If anything, look into placement and retention. These things are definitely important considerations. 
    Hope this wall of text somewhat helps!
    If it comes down to it, widdle it down to two schools and flip a coin. You may find yourself wishing for a certain outcome  
  22. Like
    madamoiselle reacted to Averroes MD in Intensive Summer Italian   
    Middlebury
  23. Like
    madamoiselle reacted to Aesthetics Always in Sex Worker turned scholar- expelled?   
    I think that would definitely count as discrimination to expel someone for that? I currently know quite a few sex workers who are in graduate school and some of which are even about their line of work, however those that are open about it are both in fields that it makes sense for them to be more open minded (one in art school pursuing an MFA and one working towards a PhD in Women's Studies). Regardless, without a doubt, to punish a student and scholar for sex work would be extremely unethical, however the social backlash is a very real fear that keeps many people from being open about that. 
  24. Like
    madamoiselle got a reaction from HomewardBound in Fall 2018 French   
    @Carly Rae Jepsen that's a fantastic idea! For future applicants I would say: 
    1. RESEARCH your programs. Do not listen to NRC rankings because French is too small and they don't make a whole lot of sense. Get a feel for humanities departments as a whole, and speak to your advisors about certain program fits -- they will know the field the best! Looking back, I applied to some programs where I had super weak fit, just because they were "good." Save your money, don't fall for it! 
    2. On a whole, undergrad and grad school admissions are two completely separate beasts. One of the best pieces of advice I got from a professor is that grad school admissions are more like a job application than a college application. Think about the education, of course, but also think about the professional you will become. Think about the TAship opportunities and the academic/professor you want to be (or industry, if you're going into industry/translation/IR). 
    3. ^ When you're picking schools, do not get opinions from non-academics, especially those who have no insight in your field. This sounds kind of snobby, but trust me; they will have a very undergraduate way of looking at it. 
    4. This sounds so much easier said than done, but enjoy it! You are going to be putting yourself out there and asking for 5+ years of funding and knowledge (albeit accompanied by really hard work) in a field you love and have a passion for. Get excited! Keep the spark going as much as you can. The process is exhausting, but even in the event that grad school doesn't work out, you have so many options in the U.S., in France, in academia, in industry... I can't tell you how many people I met during this process that did TAPIF/had some really amazing jobs abroad/worked in think tanks, etc. Relish it! I
    5. This is something I don't tell people much, but I had a sub-3.4 coming out of undergrad, and was certain I wouldn't get anywhere. I almost didn't apply this cycle because I felt so dumb, but I got 4 funded offers out of 7, including my dream program (where I am going :)). Strengthen as much of your application as you can, and NEVER sell yourself short. 
    6. On a sadder note, rejection. It is more than likely going to happen, and you do not 100% know what other programs are looking for. They don't publish (a) exactly which researchers they're seeking, (b) if certain advisors are leaving or (c) if they have any funding issues, all of which are huge steps in the decision-making process on their end. If you don't get in, it is likely that one of these reasons is a catalyst, and you have no control over that. Don't take it too personally, and enjoy the options you have! I knew people who only ended up with 1 option, and it was a reciprocal appreciation that ended up being the best possible situation in the end. 
    7. Once you get invited to visit days, ask questions, be confident and have fun! Meet the other people matriculating with you; even if they don't pick your school, they will be your camarades, and they will be indispensable networks (and friends) in the future!
    8. Always remember that French is very special. It's small, intimate and a very strong community where everybody just about knows everybody. You may not realize this specialness just yet, but you will if you speak to bigger departments like English, History, or the sciences. People who study French love French, and being in that environment for 5+ years should be exciting. Although the market is rough, French is also one of the more stable job market prospects. Finally, you are also in one of the few fields that funds and encourages their students to frequently leave, travel, research in multiple countries and do fellowships/teach abroad. Wild! 
    Of course, I'm not trying to sugar coat everything; naturally, this is a stressful process. If you are reading this for the 2019 app cycle, you may be having a nervous breakdown, and that's ok. Breathe. You know yourself, your French capacities, and your intelligence better than anybody else. Put it all on paper, and SELL yourself and your abilities to those programs. Hope for the best, and the universe will work out as it should. You will learn a lot of important truths about yourself through this cycle, so don't buy into sunk cost fallacies or negativities. No matter the outcome, the amount of work you put in will lead to great intrapersonal growth and reflection. Profitez!!!! 
  25. Upvote
    madamoiselle reacted to snoves in Is declining my only option crazy?   
    Honestly? If I felt like I couldn't afford a program, I wouldn't go! It's important to consider how long it's going to take you to pay this degree off. Unless the program is offering you something specialized that you wouldn't get anywhere else I would rescind or see if I could defer my acceptance.
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