Gaijin Punch

Instead of starting a new thread I'll just continue with this one. The Mac vs. PC debate doesn't come down to components anymore, it's just personal preference at this point in terms of OS as well as aesthetics/design. I had a Dell laptop for undergrad and after I finished school I passed it down to my mom and she is still using it (sure it's on its last legs now, but it is already 6 years old without any upgrades). I don't believe in the whole cutting corners thing, as long as the primary technical components are up to par you should be ok. EVERY manufacturer will have lemons, whether its Apple, Dell, Samsung, Asus, HP, etc. I just ordered a new Dell laptop yesterday to use for grad school, and it has the exact same processor, motherboard and on-board video card as the new Macbook Pro (Intel i5-2410 sandy bridge) but I paid $550 less than the Macbook Pro. I just couldn't justify spending almost double the price for a laptop where the most important components are the exact same. Is the Dell as fashionable and trendy as the Macbook Pro? Definitely not. But if it lasts me through grad school and a few years afterwords, I believe it will be money well spent. Plus with the price difference, I can buy a flat screen when I move

It's really interesting to see these types of numbers, and puts me at a bit of ease as a student who will just be entering their masters this fall. My biggest worry has not been the application process, or the stress of moving to a new city, but the tens of thousands of dollars of debt that I am about to incur. I had 0 debt coming out of undergrad so this will be foreign territory for me. My goal is come out with less than $25,000, that would be ideal and something I could realistically pay off. For those who have quite a bit of debt after finishing, do you feel in the end it was still worth getting your masters/phd even with the large amount of debt you are left with?

Make sure it's ok to use the school logo as it is a copyrighted image I would assume? I personally wouldn't put research interests on the card, I think the program you are in would be better. Best tip for a card is not to clog it with too much information, keep it simple and clean. If i was creating one for myself I would put school logo at top left, then below (around the middle of the card) my name followed by any current designations. Then below the name I would put the program or school I was currently in (example: Master of Planning or School of Planning). The on the right I would put address, then phone, email and finally a website/blog if you have one. But in the end you can do it how you would like, which is why all business cards have their own personal touch

I think you need to relax. You seem STRESSED.

Sorry if you have severe anxiety issues towards public speaking, but the original poster has noted that they have stood in for professors in the past and he/she is quite outspoken in many social settings and discussions. Your post seemed directed towards the original poster and offered advice of taking anti-anxiety medication, something that I doubt they need when you read their issue (maybe they do, who am I to say, but from the original post it sure doesn't seem like it). Do some people need to take this type of medication? Possibly, I'm not going to disagree with you there because I don't have enough knowledge to try and argue the facts. And from my personal standpoint (not directed at you), I don't understand how someone who has an extreme fear of public speaking could become a professor. That's like me saying I want to be a pilot but I'm scared of flying???

Lame. Not everything needs to be solved with medication, especially something as simple as public speaking. As others have said, just keep practicing. Also, if you know someone in the audience, keep your focus on them and pretend you are speaking to only them. I used to be terrified as a kid of public speaking, it was really bad. I wouldn't say I am the greatest even now, but my job includes speaking in front of groups of clients pretty often and it had definitely improved my public speaking abilities.

Very interesting info. My parents are Russian and I can understand the language pretty fluently, but am unable to speak it. Might be time to finally learn it.

In terms of mobile phones, all companies are basically the same in Canada, not much in the way of competitive pricing. Especially if you go on a data plan. Most people end up going with different carriers depending on the phone they want. I'm with Rogers, although expensive I have found their customer service to be well responsive compared to Bell (which was absolutely atrocious). My friend is on Wind Mobile and is pretty happy with their service, although it's only good if you stay in specific zones (or you end up paying large roaming fees). As for groceries, as others mentioned, I prefer Loblaw's because of their President's Choice house brand. Great selection of good and their Blue Menu line has some great products. If you are studying in BC, I would recommend Save-On-Foods. I find Safeway's pricing to be quite a bit higher than most other grocery stores.

Good call on networking with people older than you. They are the ones who have been in the industry for a while and know the ins and outs, as well as who to talk to, or can just give generally good advice for the most part. As for my name... Gaijin means foreigner or non-Japanese in the Japanese language. Name doesn't really mean much, just a web handle I've used for 10 or so years, no point changing it now I suppose.

It's been almost 4 years for me since finishing undergrad. I think if I went to grad school straight out of undergrad I would not have been prepared from a maturity standpoint. I've been working in the planning/consulting industry for the entire 4 year stretch and it has allowed me to grow as a person and gain valuable experience. Now I am almost 27 and ready to move onto the next phase of my life. I believe most grad students are in and around their late 20's, so it seems to be a good time for me to go. Plus, I will be done and hopefully back to work before I turn 30! I feel a bit nervous going back to school, not in a sense of the workload or from a social standpoint, but from an academic view. Academia is very different than the working world, in terms of communication with professors, writing papers, reading theory, etc. I think for the first few weeks, it will be a tough transition for myself, but I should be able to get back into the swing of things.

Good topic. Moving from Vancouver to Toronto. I'll be working at my job until the end of July so I will be super busy until then, but in between the daily grind: - Go camping on Canada Day long weekend - Eat as much sushi and fresh seafood as possible - Get my car ready for storage in my parents garage - Go in early August to Toronto to find a place to live - See as many Whitecaps FC games as possible - Hang out with close friends and family as much as I can - Develop a workout regime that I can continue when I move - Visit Kits beach / Spanish Banks a few times during the summer

This is great advice. Most employers do not care about your GPA, and for the most part, any part of your schooling aside from what type of degree you have (BA, BSC, Masters, etc.). What they care most is your ability to learn things quickly, how well you can adapt in the job, how personable you are (I'm talking about the professional industry for the most part, not sure how other industries are). The most important thing is to network, network, network. Create as many connections, because you never know when you will need someone. I know lots of people who I went to undergrad with who were geniuses and had 4.0's, but didn't have the social skills to apply themselves in the working world. Smarts can only get you so far.

Any future Ryerson Grads out there? I can't be the only one can I? Will be entering the Master of Planning program this fall.

Hmmm did not see this thread earlier. Was accepted to Ryerson and SFU in February, but still waiting on Dalhousie to make my final decision on which school I want to go to. I'm leaning heavily on Ryerson at the moment because they have the exact program I want, however if Dalhousie provides a lot of funding I would give it some consideration.

First off, sorry that you didn't get into the grad school that you wanted. But You sort of brought this depression on yourself by convincing yourself for an entire year that only one school was the right fit for you . You can't pin all your hopes and dreams to one school, one certain job, one of anything. Life doesn't always work the way we want it, but you have to roll with the punches. You should feel excited and lucky that there are schools out there that want to you enough to offer you a scholarship. And if you applied to these other schools, they obviously have programs that still interest you. Like other posters said, things happen for a reason. Instead of moping around and crying, go to the gym and get out some frustration.

I wont miss: - Working Monday to Friday - Conference calls - Writing meeting agendas for my boss - 20 to 30 emails waiting for me in my inbox - Driving 30 km. each way for work - Paying ridiculous amounts of money for gas I will miss: - Steady income - My family and friends - My home gym - My big screen TV and HDTV - Vancouver Canucks hockey - Fresh seafood + great sushi - Mild winters - Traveling for work I feel that I'm leaving a lot behind by going from Vancouver to Toronto. Hopefully chasing my dream is worth it in the end!

Seems that this topic is overwhelmingly filled with U of T grad students. I was recently accepted to Ryerson for grad studies beginning in the fall. Never been to Toronto, have had a few friends who have attended both Ryerson and U of T, but would like to get people's opinions on here as well. I'm not sure if I have a need to live right downtown, north of Bloor is fine, I was looking at maybe the Davisville or St Clair neighborhoods. Proximity to subway would be great for me as it would be my primary mode of transport to and from school. Looking to spend about $850-$950 (or $1000 maximum all inclusive) for a 1 bedroom. Looked around Craigslist and saw some decent renovated stuff, a lot of the rentals seem quite old though. Would prefer a more modern place. Opinions? Any other places I should look? I noticed someone mentioned Roncesvalles (sp?) earlier in the thread. Any other neighborhoods?