UnlikelyGrad

Math is a serious problem nowadays. I definitely saw this in my years as a tutor--for example, kids who were failing algebra because they'd never mastered fractions or multiplication. My PI (who teaches PChem) often goes on rants about how students who have taken three semesters of calculus (prerequisite for his class) who don't know the product rule [(uv)' = uv' + u'v], which is generally taught in the first month of Calculus I. And my sister, who is currently teaching a senior-level undergrad course in engineering, complained that she had to teach her students about Venn diagrams. (Her 12yo daughter was laughing as Sis wrote her lesson plans, because she understands Venn diagrams...) How do people get to higher math classes without understanding the basics? I tend to think that teachers don't want to do their students a "disservice" by holding them back. In reality, letting them move on without a solid foundation in basics is the real disservice. Having failed a number of classes myself, I've learned that everything is easier the second time around.

Sounds like it's confusing! Argh. I was inclined to pay on stipend only, and this is probably what I'll do. Of course, this is all a formality for me--with four children I get a fair amount of $ deductions and probably won't have to pay any taxes anyway--but I like to fill out my tax forms correctly.

I know that I'll have to pay taxes on my stipend. What I'm really wondering is if my tuition waiver is considered "taxable income" as well. Anyone know?

Is this a Texas law? My husband has been canned several times, and they've never given him more than 3 hours notice. :x The first time it happened, they had a company-wide meeting (smaller company, ~ 150 people) and said, "We are going to have a RIF. Will the following people remain behind when the meeting is over." It was...humiliating, to say the least. Poor hubby.

My SOP, had I written it as a haiku, would have read like this: My application may suck, but won't you admit me anyway, please?

My husband and I are swapping roles. He'll be the primary parent--homeschool teacher, chauffeur, etc.--while I am in grad school. It's going to be interesting. My sister handled grad school with two kids. (Both were born when she was a student.) If she were here I think she'd say that minimizing commute time--not just to school, but to daycare--is a huge factor in making it work.

My life never goes as planned.

Wow. Excellent article!

What, in particular, do you want to know about these cities? I'm pretty familiar with Seattle and have a moderately good feel for Chicago and Baltimore. But I don't know what you want to hear. The environment you choose depends so much on your personal preferences that I'm not sure anyone could help you without knowing a bit more about you. Like: what sort of weather do you prefer? Do you like big cities or small towns or something in between? What do you do in your spare time? Are you married or looking for someone?

That was my thought on my birthday (yesterday) as well...but it didn't happen. *sigh* Last month I said that if I hadn't heard by my birthday I would abandon all hope. Needless to say, it's getting hard to feel good about myself...

Alas, I had to vote 0. If my husband weren't allergic, I'm sure we'd have 2 or 3. I love going to visit my sisters so I can have the luxury of sitting with a cat in my lap. PURRRR....

All right, I'll jump in. I lived in Riverside for 14 years as a kid. I left in 1988 but have been back a few times to visit. (My parents moved in 1989 because they got sick of Riverside...though my dad continued to work there for another 15+ years.) My info is a bit dated, but I can answer some questions: There's the good ol' RTA. I don't know if it's changed at all but it was pretty pathetic 20 years ago. Yes--Metrolink (rail) My dad did a reverse commute into Riverside via Metrolink for many years. The Riverside line terminates at Union Station in L.A., where there are plenty of connections to various sorts of transit. http://www.metrolinktrains.com/stations/ Yes and no. Depends where you live in relation to campus. Riverside was already a spraaaaaaaawling town when I was in high school and it's become even worse in the last 20 years. My dad used to bike from where we lived (Alessandro & Central) all the way to downtown, but he was a bit of a bike maniac--it was 5 miles or so, and mostly uphill (sometimes steeply so) all the way home. The bike lanes were decent, though, If I remember correctly. He also did some work through UCR and generally biked there. Not as much of a grade in that direction... If I were you I'd live near the Canyon Crest Town Center. You'd have shopping nearby, be only a mile or so from campus, and be in a good neighborhood. It wouldn't be terrifically close to the Metrolink station, but then you don't want to live anywhere near there. Trust me. *shivers*

It's in the northwest corner, just south of the river. Look for "the oval". I will post what I know here: http://www.mountainline.com/ Bus Service. I like public transit so this was one of the first things I looked up. As a nice bonus, their downloadable route map is a great guide to the city: it not only has all the streets, but all the "attractions" (Southgate mall, Walmart, grocery stores) marked. I'm easy to please! :wink: There's no Missoula Craigslist: You have to go to the "Montana" forum, pick the category you want, and then search for "Missoula". How annoying is that? For rentals, try the Missoulian http://www.missoulian.com/rentals/. It's an annoying site though. I check real estate for sale on realtor.com instead. (We will probably rent until our house here sells, then buy.) I'm curious to know which neighborhoods are good and which I should avoid. GirlAtTheHelm: You are limited to owning six chickens. Isn't that sad? We may have to live outside city limits.

UM is the only school I've been accepted to (so far), so I'm eager to hear any advice/info people have about living in Missoula. I've done a bit of research online, but nothing takes the place of first-hand experience...

I don't think anyone's posted this one yet...good for a few laughs... http://engrishfunny.com/

I speak at homeschooling conferences on teaching science, and I always get loads of positive feedback afterwards. But despite this, EVERY SINGLE TIME I go to a conference, the "impostor syndrome" kicks in. I don't know as much as I think I do! They're going to see right through me! I'm doomed to fail! Keep in mind that some of my workshops I've done a dozen times or more (since 2004 when I started)...to glowing reviews every time. But I still can't kick the impostor syndrome... Oddly, though, I don't have impostor syndrome when it comes to going to grad school. Maybe because I haven't been admitted to a top-tier university yet. eta: Last year I was at a conference on the East Coast. I had an opportunity to chat with another speaker--a homeschool dad who's a professor at a SLAC--and the subject of impostor syndrome came up. He's done twice as many conferences as I have and he's never lost it. He also says he occasionally feels that way about teaching college classes...ugh...

I'm starting to think that the only way I'll get in is if one of you goes to visit and decides not to go after all. So hurry and visit.

Sigh. My parents moved to a townhouse when they retired. An incubator has been on my wish list for a long time. I wouldn't mind crossing some breeds, just for fun, to see how the chickens come out. (Our current chickens are 'mutts' that we got from a friend: half Cochin, half Silkie. They're very beautiful.) What do you do with 300 button quail? Sell them? (I can't imagine preparing that many birds for the table.) For that matter, how do you handle 100 chicks?

Great analogy!!! Sometimes I feel like they're drumming on my head.

Hope this true story makes you feel better: my sister finished her PhD somewhere around 36 or 37, did 3 years of post-doc, and got a tenure-track position at a top-10 school. She did say she encountered age discrimination in the job market though. She has gone through enough of the process now that she can confidently say she's got a 99% chance of getting tenure. Woohoo! I think of her often...if I do 3 years of post-doc, I expect to be 45 (!!!!) when I start looking for an academic position.

Alas, I'm not going to order chicks until after I move. My little guy is pestering me to order more--we love baby chicks (and, yes, grown hens as well). I do like thinking about what breeds I would order if I had room for 50 chickens, though. I think it's a trip how many chicks they squeeze into such a small box.

Amen.

Uh oh. I didn't show up in January, but then I didn't find this place until halfway through the month. Maybe if I can restrain myself I won't make the Feb. list...