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kh1264

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Everything posted by kh1264

  1. Anyone use online budgeting sites? Love the layout of Mint.com but I was reluctant to link all of my information (cards, bank account numbers, etc.) for them to track. Is it worth it? Maybe I should do it, since I tend to be quite negligent with money
  2. This thread has got me interested in a portable PDF reader! However, for that price, wouldn't a small netbook be a better bargain? Some sell for around $3-400. I know they're not as sleek and small as a Kindle, but you'd be getting more bang for your buck (mind you, you'll have to take the physical action of opening it up...ugh..haha). I guess if you really hate sitting at a computer reading articles then this post is useless :cry:
  3. Hey, I'll be moving from out of state too but am a former New Yorker and am familiar with the city. Since 25 Broadway is downtown, it would be fine if you found a place in Brooklyn if you wanted to be closer to Brooklyn College or if you liked the rent and locations there more than downtown Manhattan. You could probably get to your classes in 20 - 30 minutes via subway or bus (maybe even less). Finding a place to live in downtown Manhattan will be a struggle, but not impossible...especially if you're looking to live with roommates. However, Brooklyn is so close to downtown Manhattan that the commute shouldn't be too bad at all. If it's the commute that you're worried about, use something like HopStop.com or Google Maps to figure out how long it would take to get downtown from a certain area (of course, that is just an estimate). Also, if other neighborhoods suit your needs better and if you can stand a longer commute, don't rule them out. When I visited the Grad Center and talked to some students, it seemed like each student I talked to lived in a different borough...and some lived rather far out, in my opinion. Some people like spending 40 or so minutes one way on the train while others hate it. Whatever works for you. There are some good threads about commuting in NYC on the NYC message board over at City-data.com. Good luck!
  4. Hey, Ok, so I won't be at the School of Social Work but will be attending the Grad Center :wink: . Anyone else find it weird that registration for new students is only ten days before classes start? Isn't that a bit late to be getting books (especially if you want to buy them online)? Also, I hate that loans are disbursed after classes start...but I'm still SUPER excited to start at the Grad Center!!!
  5. I actually just signed up for a credit card with BoA (which is my current bank anyway) and they have this cool feature where you can chat with a customer service rep. online and ask questions about the card. I ended up getting a BoA Visa Signature Card, but the UPromise looks good as well. They were very helpful in the process though.
  6. I too buy paperback International Versions online, usually through Ebay or Amazon. They are significantly cheaper. I also like to use a price comparison site like allbookstores.com. Just type in the name or ISBN number and they will compare the prices over a range of online booksellers, from Ebay to Half.com to Amazon to A1Books and everything in-between. Wonderfully helpful site. By buying books online, sometimes even back editions, I have saved hundreds of dollars compared to classmates who feel they can't bother buying online. It really can save quite a bit of money, especially if you know you can use an older edition or if you know the prof won't really utilize the book that much.
  7. Yup. No summer job, stuck in a town full of people I don't know (since my family moved). I'm ready to get this party started. Can't wait to move to NY!!!!
  8. kh1264

    New York, NY

    Hey! I've never posted to this particular thread but love reading all the helpful advice for when I start my program in the city next month. Here's a practical question for you New Yorkers: How do you grocery shop? This sounds like a stupid question but I can't imagine lugging bags and bags of groceries for blocks or on the subway...is that the way you do it? I have also looked into having some heavier grocery items delivered via Freshdirect.com, which I've read different reviews about. I remember, when I studied abroad in a small city in England a while back, how torturous it was to go grocery shopping because the grocer was about 5 blocks away. My hands and arms would be SO sore from lugging chicken, milk, etc...all the heavy items. Any suggestions or any grocery stores that you favor? Thanks! ~kh1264
  9. Hey again, Just another thought...I just ordered a Grad School guide online and thought I would mention it. It's called "Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D." http://www.amazon.com/Getting-What-You- ... 228&sr=1-1 It got rave reviews on Amazon and someone recommended it on another grad school forum I was on, so I'm going to give it a shot. Good luck! ~kh1264
  10. Hey nini312, I'm an undergrad going on to get my PhD in the Fall, so I haven't been out of the schooling system yet and hope my tidbit of advice helps. 1) I usually use either a paper-filled binder or a laptop for notes. You will probably find a mix of note taking preferences in the classroom. Whatever works best for you, really. Obviously, make sure the prof isn't offended that you have a laptop with you in class (I'm sure most will be fine with it). I, personally, have never asked permission to bring one in but will be wary in grad school, just in case. I would switch back and forth between hand-written notes and typed notes and print out my typed notes if I didn't feel like staring at my computer screen to review them. Some of my profs made their Powerpoint presentations available online, so I would save them to my computer and take notes in the "notes" section of the slide while they lectured. Sometimes I would print out the small slides and take notes on that paper. Currently I use an HP Pavilion laptop, which I like very much...but obviously there are a whole host of great brands available. 2) If you really NEED perfect notes, then bring a mini voice recorder with you, or record the lecture using your laptop. Again, check to see if the prof is o.k. with you recording the lecture. 3) Since your program will likely involve a lot of reading, I will put this link down: http://gradschool.about.com/od/readingt ... tegies.htm It's an "About" page for grad school and has a host of tips for successful graduate reading strategies. Haven't used them, yet (since I haven't started yet), but I bookmarked this page, just in case. This website may also recommend some grad school survival guides. 4) Book buying: You can rely on your campus bookstore, but I prefer to buy textbooks online for three reasons...1) Saves money, 2)Saves money, and 3)Saves money. Seriously though, if can get a hold of a book list ahead of time, use Amazon, Half.com, Ebay...whatever you prefer, to buy cheaper textbooks. Then you can resell your books on the same website, if you like. Once I even made $10.00 on a book, which is something, I suspect, won't happen again...haha. Ok, I that's all I can think of right now that follows the questions you listed. Good luck and have fun! I considered Industrial-Organization Psychology for a while, so your program sounds very interesting to me
  11. Hey Lunasea, I will be moving to the city to attend a PhD program in the Fall and am scrambling for rent/food/book money as well. Luckily I've worked out a Plan A,B and C for myself since my school won't disburse Stafford checks until October and most private student loan lenders will not loan directly to the student. HOWEVER, in my quest, I did come across one lender who still lends to the student. Check out Wells Fargo Bank. They have two graduate student loans, one school-certified (which is not the one that will lend to the student directly) and another direct loan. The direct loan requires that you have a co-signer, though, so you would have to secure that. You can get approved with an income over $12,000 and good credit, as I was told when I spoke with a representative. Otherwise, their school certified loan may not require a co-signer and is disbursed to the school 2 weeks before classes begin (again, as I was told by a representative over the phone). So, there's one lender that you may want to call and discuss options with. As another poster suggested, talk not only to the financial aid office at Columbia, but to the program assistant or your future advisor to get some advice. I mean, they admitted you, which means they wanted you...so hopefully they can open your eyes to a few more options that were otherwise unknown to you. Good luck! ~kh1264
  12. kh1264

    CUNY

    Just found this CUNY post... I'll be going for PhD in Developmental Psychology! Most of my classes should be at the Graduate Center. I'm moving to the city so I'm currently trying to get money together for housing and such. The one frustrating thing is that the Stafford Loan won't be disbursed at the Graduate Center until October so I'm working on finding private loans for initial rent/cost of living expenses until the Stafford comes through. Grrr...anyone else having this problem? Or is anyone else attending CUNY in the Fall??
  13. Since I don't think I will be able to adequately address this, let me point you to another forum. Forums.studentdoctor.net...click on Psychology and then Clinical Psychology and there is a wonderful active thread about School Psychology going on now. I think, many times, programs stress the importance of having the majority of the LORs come from Psych professors. I would definitely apply to conduct research with a Psych prof and see what happens. Other than that, could you do a Senior Thesis and conduct your own research? Have you taken an Experimental or Research Methods course that allowed you to conduct a small study that you can talk about as well? You can also try to find a hospital, research lab or clinic to do an internship with and see if you can do research through them? I think research experience is very important to be a competitive candidate, but it is, afterall, just one piece of the whole puzzle. I don't think most School Psych programs require the subject GRE BUT every school is different, so check the websites to find out for sure. I think you could strengthen your resume more if you applied for the Fall 2011 term. You could possibly commit to a research project, study for the GREs for a longer period of time, and attend those interviews you might get invited to. Some schools are rather particular about students showing up for interviews, so it might be in your best interest to wait? I know this advice probably isn't desirable but showing up for interviews increases your chances of being accepted. Hmm, this is a tough one! Some people have kids during grad school, others feel it is simply too overwhelming. Only you know the level of stress you can handle. Personally, I would say try to go to school and then have kids closer to the end of your years and (obviously) discuss this with your husband because you're going to need his 100% support. Again, only you know how much you can juggle at once.
  14. Developmental Psych Ph.D. @ City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center
  15. haha...i've been slacking off all night despite needing to write three mini papers. isn't senior year fun??
  16. Sorry to change topic, but I just turned down my offer for Fordham's School Psych program today. That was my only School Psych application...but tuition was too pricey for me. I'll be in the City University of New York's Developmental Psych PhD. Good luck to everyone! *back to the question about Duquesne*
  17. Is anyone still waiting on George Washington?? grrr... I called and was told I would find out (whatever their decision was) THIS WEEK (as in, by this past Friday) and still, no word. I have checked my mail and email everyday this week and received nothing. I wonder if they received my application?? My online status says everything was received. What does this mean?? Well, I have to know by April 1st, so maybe I should stick it out. However, I want to accept at another school but still would like to know where I stand with GWU. *Rant over*
  18. Hey, I am not yet a grad student (will be in the Fall), but I talked with a grad Psych student from an Ivy League school (in their Developmental Ph.D. program) who felt the same way. She was in a wonderful, top-notch program but apparently had the coldest professors. The working environment was not at all healthy and pleasant for her, and so she transferred to a school that embraced positive student-professor relationships in her second year. The school is not nearly as well ranked as this Ivy school, but it's a consortium school so most of the professors have taught at Ivies and top-ranked public universities, have done stellar work, continue to do stellar work and have wonderful connections. This was just a better situation for her and she seems to have made an improvement when she decided to transfer. Obviously the choice is yours and I hope your situation turns around. It may very well change as you know your advisor better over the years, or perhaps you can change advisors, but don't be afraid to seek out other options if you're not feeling hopeful about your current program. I would recommend talking with other profs, deans, students....anyone whose advice you can trust. Definitely get some opinions before you make a decision. Best of luck! ~kh1264
  19. To reiterate, funding is one of my major concerns, although I am coming from undergrad with a small amount of loans. Funding and cost of living, since most of my top places I applied to are located in major cities (which ties in with my research interests). Aside from that, I think visiting the school and interacting with faculty and students has definitely helped me in the decision process. Also, knowing about internship placements and opportunities in the area, faculty connections and reputation, job placements after graduation and the time it takes to graduate all plays in. So, when it comes down to choosing one place, it will come down to money and opportunities, for me.
  20. Hey, I've been lurking on this thread trying to see if anyone has heard from George Washington's Applied Social Psych Ph.D. program??? I called and the secretary told me that they do not usually extend interview invites for this particular program (which I did not realize) and she seemed unsure if they had completely filled the cohort for this program yet. In fact, she seemed quite reluctant to offer any info that wasn't about the Clinical program. So....has anyone heard anything?
  21. Ahh!! Congrats and good luck to you too!!
  22. Just received an email invite to Fordham this morning! Interview is for Feb 18th. They must be sending out invites this weekend and probably early this week. Yea!!
  23. Re: Fordham Yeah, I'm waiting on Fordham as well!! I think they're probably just behind on processing those apps (...or maybe I'm trying to make myself feel better). Anyway, the members over at the Student Doctor Network forums suggested the same thing...that Fordham was behind because no one else has posted about hearing from them as well. Hopefully next week someone will have some news regarding that program! ....They must realize how nerve racking it is when they give a date for interview invites but then do not actually extend those invites!
  24. I am also applying to Fordham GSE's School Psych Ph.D. program (and NC State's Psychology in the Public Interest program, waitingwaiting) and was wondering if anyone had info about interview dates, typical funding offered, etc??? Also, is it normal for School Psych PhD programs to take about 7 yrs average to graduate? That's the stat that I read on the Fordham site. Good luck to everyone!
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