[If I feel like the quality of education and students in my program is poor, should I leave?]

This reminds me of a few master's seminars in my day doing an international relations/poli sci MA (social science).  

 

I find it difficult to issue a wholesale condemnation of a programme.  There are academics, students, and admins involved that all factor into the front-of-house product the student sees.  

 

You note that some of the students are "ignorant morons".  You're probably right on at least few of them.  I really hope that the number is 70%, but it could be.  Admission qualifications are heavily influenced (read: dictated) by admin looking to increase enrolment.  That leads to students from fluffy degrees/weak undergrad programmes sitting next to much stronger.  A senior academic confessed to me that were it up to the academics, admission standards would be markedly higher.  

 

If the academics don't seem to mind, it's a mixture of being purely jaded and "the better ones will learn in time".  

[How are you investing?]

I was fortunate to have been drilled on the stock market by my grandfather from a very young age.  Coupled with some intrinsic interest, I am not useless in picking.  It helps that my discipline helps with giving me macro trends (ie, coal is rapidly losing favour, maybe I shouldn't buy coal stocks/bonds; so...China....maybe should get on that one).  

 

My holdings are split between sector ETFs and individual stocks:

Alibaba - this will probably end up covering a lot of my grad school expenses, hehe

ASHR - ETF of class A shares of Chinese stocks

TAO - A Hong Kong real estate ETF

EWA - An ETF of Australian stocks

DFJ - Japan small cap ETF

Blackstone - An 'alternative asset' company.  Swings significantly, but grows over the long term + pays a 6% dividend.  

[Grad school attire?]

I'm in a "neat" department (Politics/IR) in the main commercial city (Auckland) of a casual country (NZ).

 

My wardrobe gets a disproportionate share of my discretionary spending (I'm gay, so it goes with the territory).   The somewhat British town-and-country take on preppy I've developed seems to go over well in academia.  It's presentable in the eyes of "important" people (department chair, admin), low maintenance (a few pieces per year dry cleaning at worst), I'm comfortable/at ease/confident with it, functional (cool is summer, snuggly in winter), and it isn't subject to the reverse snobbery heaped onto businesswear/suits.  

 

Yeah, I over-analyse.  

[Comparative Politics - More important: Program Rep or Region/Language Fit]

Basically what alphazeta has said is correct.

 

Earning a foreign PhD makes sense if you are comfortable with building a career wholly outside the US and have located potential supervisors that could boost your work/career.  If your future plans include a career/life in the US, stay in the US for your doctorate.  

 

Stay away from ANU.  The university's Politics and International Relations department is...a disaster.  Several of the best quit in disgust due to a toxic work atmosphere negatively reinforced by the chain of command up to the very top.   UQ or UMelb would be better options for overall ranking, while Griffiths has a strong Asia programme.  I'd be hesitant to recommend SOAS based on the commentary of friends who did graduate work there.  

 

Disclaimer: I chose the "go abroad" route for Chinese foreign affairs.

[stress eating and weight gaining]

For reference's sake, I'm a guy

 

18th birthday, high school: 220 pounds, size 44 trouser.

HS graduation: 190, size 38

Beginning of freshman year: 180, size 34

Spring break, freshman year: 155: size 31

Mom dies, Sept 2011: 180 size 33

UG graduation: 190, size 35

July 2013, master's degree: 220, size 39 (worst relapse)

Now (age 24)/beginning of PhD: 200, size 35.

 

My body composition has been in tremendous flux, but I finally have a handle on diet/exercise.  Basically, I can't have soda (made that mistake twice), and I need to lift weights for a long-term metabolism boost.   My goal is to hit 180 with a 6 pack.  

 

Edit:  I use trouser size as a crude proxy for bodyfat, because as you'll notice, even though I was 190 at my HS graduation, I had a larger trouser size/waist (more fat) at 190# than I do now at 200#.  

[Clean Eating as a food movement?]

"Clean eating" is "from scratch" re-branded for the upper-middle class.  With less white carbs.  

[Cars - What do the rest of you drive?]

that's why you move south son

 

 

ye ye ye yeauh

 

Sexy.  

 

But yeah, I can't imagine owning a bike with winter forcing it into storage 5 months a year.  My PhD destination (Auckland, NZ) has the perfect temperature range of 50-55 during the winter and 75 in the summer.  Not too hot or cold.  Traffic is extremely light compared to other cities/metro areas I have lives or spent significant time in (NYC, LA, London, Frankfurt, Brisbane, and Hong Kong).  

 

And since we're posting bike porn, I plan to buy one of these bitchin' boys (Royal Enfield bullet) before Christmas: 

[Things you do yourself to save time/money?]

Also as disgusting as this sounds, depending on where you live where water isn't free, skip showers.

 

10,000 gallons used over a 3 month period cost $40.  At 4/10 of one cent per gallon, water is cheap.  

[Cars - What do the rest of you drive?]

I intend to work on getting a motorcycle within 6-8 weeks of my arrival.  The climate suits year-round use, and the fun, lower purchase price/registration/insurance/fuel costs make it a slam-dunk.  

[what would you do if you found out your colleague attempted suicide?]

This person is in their own private hell.  Emphasis on "hell".  Person A's illness may prove to be "terminal" mental illness.

 

This person is under the care of mental health professionals.  Since you are uncomfortable around this person (not unreasonably), talk with your PI about trying to keep as much distance between yourself and Person A as possible.  

[How do grad students dress?]

I would add that at the universities I've attended, the women have dressed better than the men (I'll alert the times).  Many of the men in the grad programs dressed as if they were $75 from abject poverty: aging jeans, t-shirt, converse shoes about to sport a hole, and a beard.  This also goes for the profs.  Women fall into the appearance "trap" that faces most working women.  Cue Jezebel magazine for an article that goes into greater detail.

[Which Countries Have You Travelled/Lived in?]

how expensive is a 2 week tour of Europe?

 

That varies immensely.  

 

I would argue that it's inefficient for someone who is 

 

A. Under 60

B. Not intimidated by solo travel

[How do grad students dress?]

I don't do denim, cargo anything, sandals, t-shirts, or sneakers (gym only, imo).  That means that I am fit for most anything that doesn't require a tie.  

[last minute decision making: LA or NYC?]

Not having a car in LA will dramatically (negatively) impact your quality of life.  

[Investing/Retirement while in grad school?]

Given the shoestring nature of grad student stipends, a standard brokerage account with a firm such as fidelity, schwab, e-trade etc will offer full trading as well as the ability to liquidate quickly in case life throws a (financial) curveball.  Further, if you have access to a firm's brick-and-mortar location, brokerage accounts with the firms I listed function like ordinary bank accounts: debit cards, credit cards, checking, bill-pay, etc.  Incidentally, if you are planning on travel, these accounts' debit cards are superb for foreign currency cash withdrawals.  

 

The tax benefits of holding money in an IRA account just aren't substantial enough when you're earning practically no earned income anyway.  The withdrawal penalties will sting if something goes wrong.  

 

Of course, if you have access to an unusual windfall (gifts, trust fund, inheritance), then my advice would be different.

 

Disclaimer: I am a Fidelity customer and (US citizen) overseas grad student.

[Which Countries Have You Travelled/Lived in?]

I'm a native of NY, and I did my bachelor's in the UK (St Andrews) and my master's in Australia (UQ, Brisbane).  With any luck, I'll hear about doing a PhD in New Zealand some time soon.

 

I've been to London, Edinburgh, Dublin (and much of Ireland), Frankfurt, Hamburg, Bremen, Passau, Freiburg, Strasbourg, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bali, much of Australia*, and Auckland.  I did some US domestic travel, but I don't find it particularly exciting.

 

*While I prefer cities, I did see much of the countryside in Australia via two train trips across the continent Sydney--->Perth and Darwin--->Adelaide.  

[What do MA students call their professors?]

I generally referred to them as "Exalted Magus".  

[Waiting on Oxbridge]

PhD (or DPhil, as you like) for Oxford and Cambridge in International Relations.  Still waiting on both.

 

The aforementioned waiting is killing me.

 

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th were red slaughter for political science applicants at Oxford, so I dearly would like to know when acceptances are going out.  My life for the day effectively ends at 1 PM EST, as that translates into the end of the business day in the UK, so I find myself excited from waking to lunch, then meandering thereafter through the day onto bed.  

[Sh*t people say when you are applying to grad school]

"What are you doing that for? Academia sucks."  Because the private sector is a highly remunerative blast.  A family friend/lawyer.

 

"Both of youse, all that education was just sh-- down the shorts" From my Grandmother, referring to my sister and me.  

 

"You can't run away from your feelings."  Another Grandma comment. Because studying overseas was purely an escapist fantasy.  Nevermind the hard work to network, keep a 4.0 GPA (equivalent), and do independent research.  Getting away from the stiflingly parochial and homophobic family was a bonus.  

 

Grandma: "What are you doing?" 

Me: "I am still waiting on my PhD application results..."  I applied to Oxford and Cambridge....a gargantuan gamble having only applied to those two, but I have the marks/recs/research to give me a fighting chance.  

"How long will that (the PhD) take?"

"Approximately three years."

"More school?! Sh--, I am going to hang up before I say anything else." Thanks Grandma

 

I should really get around to telling her that I am "queer" (read: bi or gay, depending on my mood) and have a tattoo.   That would really give her something to complain about. 

[which major has the smartest students?]

It seems that the entry barrier of departmental/university admission requirements are being forgotten.

 

As a US student expat, my experience with admissions are from foreign systems (UK and Australia), but from what I understand from back home, they translate well.  Here in Queensland, students take a test that functions similarly to the SAT, the Overall Position (OP) test.  The score is scaled from 1 to 25, with 1 being the highest number.  Law requires a 2.  Medicine and dentistry demand a 1.  Business and Architecture require a 7.  Social work or education will accept 13 and 12, respectively.  Those courses have the lowest entry barrier.  

 

If "hard science" departments lowered their entry requirements, I would imagine their graduates's average IQ would drop.  Consequently, if education aimed to accept only those with excellent credentials, average IQ of graduates would increase.  I believe Finland would be an example of the latter case.  

[Can specific research interests overcome non-traditional background]

If I were recruiting someone with a proposal looking at a political economy topic (ie you), I would not hold economics training against the candidate in the least.  I'd rather learn PoliSci as an econ grad rather than learn economics and a PoliSci grad.

 

Side note: It was hilarious watching politics/IR students fumble with extremely basic financial concepts in a class "International Political Economy."  I taught myself most of the basic concepts (equity, reserve banking, sovereign debt, FDI, capital flows, capital flight, bubble, etc) as part of learning to invest an inheritance I received, as well as comprehending the global financial crisis.