PsychGirl1

Thanks!!

I love Google Reader, and use it to read tons of blogs on a lot of different topics. I'm starting grad school in the fall, and I'd love to add some research or psychology related blogs to my list. Anyone have any favorites? It can be about being a graduate student in general, graduate school in general, psychology, clinical psychology, even tangents like decision-making, behavioral economics, etc. Thanks!

Thanks kyjin!

Does anyone know how easy or hard it is to get spots in the parking lots along the commuter rail lines? Specifically Wayne, Radnor, Media or Elwyn? I'm trying to figure out my commute for the fall, and I've heard parking can be tough.Thanks!

Villanova gives a decent number of full and half stipends. Drexel gives some scholarships but it's like 1-10% of your tuition and fully merit-based. I haven't run into others on the east coast that give funding to master's students. BC might, but they only take 1 or 2 M.A. students a year, so it wasn't very clear on their website.

Villanova gives a decent number of full and half stipends. Drexel gives some scholarships but it's like 1-10% of your tuition and fully merit-based. I haven't run into others on the east coast that give funding to master's students. BC might, but they only take 1 or 2 M.A. students a year, so it wasn't very clear on their website.

If i'm starting grad school in September (M.S.) and plan to go onto my PhD, what organizations do you think it would be beneficial to join?

nextbus is free and I use it all the time, and it's always very accurate. I think MBTA has improved their real-time bus data over the past year.

In addition to people's opinions here, I would also ask the BU program coordinator to put you in touch with some current grad students, so you can email or talk on the phone with them. This has given me a great view into opinions, experience, what other people in their program go on doing, reputation, etc. I'd also talk to some professors in the 2 fields, or perhaps some professors who have research that combines the two areas. They will have differing opinions on the "right" path, but it will at least give you some extra viewpoints. I'd also go over your CV and research interests and think of where your weaknesses are, and where you are unsure about your interests. Would a counseling job, RA and a few night classes accomplish the same thing that a $40k program would? Are you trying to show you do graduate-level coursework AND figure out your research interests? Look through the program requirements- courses, professors, research opportunities- and put some time into thinking. Good luck!

I don't know of any package. Most areas have a monopoly (i.e. my apartment can only get Comcast, nothing else). If you live on campus, it's a different story. Off campus, you're stuck with whichever companies service your building.

I agree! If you looked at my resume, you'd probably be like 'WTF'... I've had so many different interests, research projects, etc. in things that are seemingly unrelated. In my opinion, it's a good thing- your knowledge of perception may come in handy some day, even in research that is more clinical-based! I've never met any person in academia who was mean about a change of interests. It's not being dishonest, it's figuring out what you're interested in- and they went through the same things themselves (and may still be going through the same thing!).Just let him know that you have really enjoyed working with him and learning about his research area, but that you think you are interested in Clinical Psych instead of perception, and would like to do this internships/volunteer thing as a way to figure out if it's what you're really interested in.

Check the school websites for masters. For PhD, it definitely is. For Masters, it's a gray area. Some schools, you are assigned 1 mentor/adviser (faculty member) and they have much more influence in your acceptance. For those schools, definitely put in their names. In other master's programs, you are more accepted to the general program and if you are assigned a professor (sometimes you're not at all), then it happens at the end of the 1st year. In those cases, I still emailed the faculty members (it was really helpful to talk to them) and I mentioned them in my essay but it was more like ("I'm interested in a variety of things, such as x's research") since the professors really have little influence on the admissions process. But you still want to show that you have knowledge about the program and the research done there. Good luck!

Stuff on campus is open later- 24 hours reading rooms, 24 hour libraries, 24 hour convenience stores in the student center, etc. But no, in general, coffee shops do not stay open til midnight. That concept seems weird to me (them being open at midnight), but maybe that's just cause I've lived here so long!

You can find maps on each provider's website of coverage. I had Cingular before it turned into Verizon, and now I have AT&T- never had major issues with either.

I emailed professors at all my schools and also mentioned them in my essays. One school was a 1-year more general program, and barely any of them replied. Professors at the 3 other schools I replied to replied quite enthusiastically. At some programs, they don't have a say in the admissions process, so they just told me about their research, asked me if I had any questions, and asked me to let them know if I got invited for an interview day (or if I got accepted). Some take students on during the 1st year, and remember the ones who contacted them early on as priority students. Other schools, the professors seemed to have much more influence. Overall, it definitely can't hurt, and is a good process to go through before you commit to a program. You get a great sense of how involved the professors are and how much they care. Include your CV with the article as well.

Sure, I'll PM you!

Ugh, personally I hate the Z Center (MIT)- the staff is horrendous and it's overpriced if you're not a student. That being said, it does have extended hours (more so than the other gyms in the area) and all gyms in Boston are overpriced. And they do have tons of equipment. So the Z center is a pretty good choice given your requirements. I workout at VIM, which is a few blocks from MIT (by the Shaw's), which has much shorter hours but is cheaper. It's a bit small, though. I've heard good things about Cambridge Athletic Club in Kendall (but only been there once) and FitCorp (never been there). There's also a YMCA that wasn't bad and cheap near the post office in Central. To be honest, great gyms (that are affordable) is something that Boston lacks.

Coming from a "prestigious undergrad", I'd have to vote for it over a mediocre school. Yeah, your GPA may suffer a bit and your ego will get a bit bruised, but there is nothing like being in an environment of motivated, smart people. Keep in mind that college can be an exhausting 4 years, filled with personal growth, highs and lows, and life changes. If the people around you are motivated and smart, it's easier to stay on track (in my opinion). You don't want to go to class and lose motivation cause everybody makes stupid questions and your professors have low expectations. If you want to learn the most, it's best to go to the place with the best learning opportunities. Like someone else mentioned, the more prestigious school is more likely to have prestigious faculty. Also, I feel like at some of the "smarter" colleges, there is more of a sense of meritocracy- the faculty is used to undergrads walking up to them and asking for opportunities, and doing well when given an opportunity. And while it seems callous, a prestigious undergrad can get you invited to some interviews that you might not otherwise get (both for grad school and the real world). That being said, I think there are other factors to consider when choosing a college. Life plans change. I went into college on one clear path, with one clear major, and jumped in headfirst. A semester later, I realized I hated my major. I flopped around for awhile before I found something else I really enjoyed and worked in the field for 1-2 years. Now, I'm going to grad school for something unrelated. My school had a very strong science and math core that everybody was required to take, and all of the majors had a strong analytical focus. This let me flop around a bit in majors/careers- because I had a strong foundation that crossed barriers (math, data, science). Also, once I decided that engineering wasn't for me, there were other departments that were equally as prestigious that I could switch to. So I'd consider foundation and options as very important. No matter how convinced you are that psychology is for you, there is a good chance you will find other things that interest you more in the next 4 years. Also- the ability to switch majors/schools (apparently at other colleges it is difficult- it wasn't at mine) is something to consider. So I guess that's about it: foundation, options, culture (meritocracy, research, professor attitude), and the other students (fit with your personality, drive, etc.). Those are all very important when choosing an undergrad and will affect your career path. Good luck!

Congrats!!! I've decided to enroll at Drexel- I just really liked the program when I visited, whereas when I visited Nova, ti just didn't vibe with me (not sure exactly why, I know it's a great program). Good luck!! :-)

50-50. I've never done it, but some of my friends have. Most people I know who have subletted have had some big issues (them refusing to pay a month's rent for various reasons, broke things and didn't call to get it fixed for months, etc. etc. ) with the subletters... since they are there for only a few months and don't have a contract, I don't think they (especially younger students) care about the place or about you, or about being fair. So keep in mind there are always risks with subletting. Also, Boston is a LOT quieter in the summer. You might get some people coming for the summer for internships or something, but tons of people who live in Boston (esp near the universities) are only here Sept-May. In my experience, housing demand is down a lot in the summer- you may have trouble finding someone to sublease, or at least sublease at 100% of your rent, if it's on the high end. In addition, some leases don't let you sublet. My lease specifically states I cannot. If I went to my landlord and talked to him about it, maybe let him run a credit check on them, etc. then MAYBE he'd be okay with it, but I'm not really sure since he's a bit particular. That being said, my landlord is pretty hands-on, many other buildings in the area aren't like that. So, I'd keep in mind that you might run into some problems, and I'd make sure you had the ability (money) to cover summer rent if you need to. But it's probably doable.

A broker usually charges 1/2-1 months rent. Pretty standard.

I did my undergrad at MIT, not my grad. However, a lot of grad students live in off-campus housing and it can be cheaper, depending where you live (that being said, I live in a 600 sq ft apartment in Central Square on Mass Ave and pay $1575... some of my friends have 4-5 roommates and pay $600-700- no apartments here are cheap). I can say that MIT maintains their buildings really well and is always responsive to issues. You won't have to pay utilities, your commute will be easier, and you'll have a lot less to worry about and maintain (which will be good since you'll prob be studying the whole time). Also, a lot of the grad dorms are near Shaw's, the only large grocery store in the area. I remember Ashdown being pretty nice (it's more on campus than the others), but I think it might still be under construction. I would definitely consider it, especially since you don't know the area and won't know the best places to look in Boston.

Cambridge! But I'm biased (I live in Central and I've always lived in Cambridge). You will find great beer places/pubs in Central. There's also a whole foods and a harvest co-op in central, and a bus ride away there is trader joe's. (Towards MIT, there is a shaw's, but it's rally expensive). There's also some vegan-oriented restaurants (Life Alive, Clear Conscience Cafe) and vegan pizza Peace o Pie delivers to Central as well. It is a bit pricier, but if you're willing to live off of Mass Ave and with a roomie, it's definitely doable. I'm not a huge fan of Allston or JP, but that's just my opinion. I'd start looking for apartments at least 2-3 months ahead of time. (I think you're required to give landlord at least 2-3 months notice, I'm not sure about that, but basically, it doesn't hurt to start earlier).

I have an interview for a Masters program and I was intending to go somewhere between "business casual" and "borderline formal." Luckily, I emailed the contact person and asked about dress code- she strongly suggested a suit, and at a minimum, pants and blazer. And comfortable shoes. So I'd go ahead and email- better to send one email than to be embarrassed either way (too dressy or not dressy enough).

Congrats!! I was wondering... do you (or anyone else) have any thoughts on the quality/respect of the Villanova masters vs the Drexel masters? Both are M.S. degrees, and both offer research with professors and general coursework.