rdsull89

I have to take some issue with certain things that have been said here. First, in relation to Riverside being dangerous: it's a huge place, there are some horrible parts, and there are some beautiful parts. It's impossible to make blanket statements, and different areas are practically different cities. The area around the university (canyon crest) is generally very safe and would be a good place to live. I can't speak to schools, but we can certainly get you in touch with a grad student with children if you would like to ask questions. 
 
Though, if you are willing to commute 15 minutes, Redlands has some very well ranked schools and a very, very good private school. 
 
In terms of commuting: I've commuted in the area for 6 years. I've been late to a class once. It's not an issue. Traffic can be bad at peak rush hour if you're commuting to/from LA, and is generally pretty bad on the 91 after 3, but other than that it's very manageable and never that bad. I come from a similar direction as Lake Elsinore, and you won't have much problem at all. 

We have a Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies designated emphasis at UC Riverside--it's a huge thing here, and Sherryl Vint is pretty big in the field.

We've got quite a bit of literature and medicine studies going on at UC Riverside right now, particularly in the area of addiction studies. 

Great to hear! I'll mention that to HBH because we're always nervous about being a bit overzealous. We're very excited to meet all of the new admits too. 

Anyone else coming to open house who hasn't posted yet? 
 
We're very excited to meet everyone!

Hi all,
 
UC Riverside is really competitive, and increasing its profile constantly. We just hired Fred Moten and David Lloyd, we hired Sherryl Vint and Robb Hernandez the previous year, and we're hiring another professor this year in Pre-1900 American lit. . Erica Edwards just won an MLA book award, and a number of our faculty hold huge grants at the moment. If you're interested in critical theory and gender studies--Jennifer Doyle is an amazing person to consider.
 
That said, Riverside isn't the nicest place to live. It's a decent town, but it has its faults, but everywhere does. It certainly shouldn't be cause to rule out a school. 
 
If anyone has any questions regarding the program at UCR please feel free to respond or PM me!

We have a Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies designated emphasis at UC Riverside--it's a huge thing here, and Sherryl Vint is pretty big in the field.

I think the ones on the website are from last year? What's the date on them? 
 
We don't have an open search at the moment--there are two targeted positions that might be cooperative or part time with English (one in queer chicano and one in LGBS/Trans studies) but those are still up in the air. The department is putting together proposals for new hires. UCR has a goal of hiring 300 professors in the next 3 years with some magic money from somewhere, so there is an expectation to get a few more soon, but the actual positions/fields are still a ways off from being determined. That said, for the past 3 years, we've had 2 hires a year, so it's a pretty healthy growth. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!

The big thing about LAX is (beyond the actual airport) traffic around it is pretty horrid at most times. If you want to save some money, I think the 1-day car rental is a good idea--we do have grad students who can probably give rides from/to the airport or to campus etc. so you don't absolutely need a car the whole time, if you want to save expenses that way. 
 
And yeah, the cost of living can seem a bit high--you may also want to look at Moreno Valley. It's pretty much part of Riverside, and the section North of the 60 freeway and east of the 215 is fairly nice/good for families. It tends to be a bit cheaper and it's still only a few miles from campus. I don't know personally, but I have heard some not so great things about the family housing options through UCR (mostly regarding the area). 

In regards to travel, DEFINITELY come to Ontario, not LAX. LAX is a nightmare, and Ontario is only about 15 minutes away. If you don't want a rental car, typically a grad student pick up is always an option. I'm sure Prof. Brayman Hackel will work that out soon. 
 
If you do need to get here early and need any advice about places to go, or want any company, feel free to e-mail. 
 
Yes--things are a little hectic right now. Our open house has always been almost a month later, so there's some transitioning; also, open house has typically been 1 day, but now they are making tons of changes and turning it into a 2 day event. But, it should be really useful (and hopefully fun!). 
 
As far as notifications, I'm sure they will be on that as soon as possible. We did just have a job search (last week was the last visit) so that has taken up a lot of time, and I'm sure they will get too it as soon as possible. 

Hello and congrats to both of you! 
 
Good questions--so, regarding apartments and places to live with families: generally, I'd say the "Canyon Crest" area is your best bet (around Canyon Crest and Central there are a lot of apartment complexes--a lot of grad students live there, but not many undergrads).  It's not too expensive, it's definitely walking/biking distance from campus (there's also a bus), and there are a lot of grad students that live there. It's generally pretty safe, and one of the nicer parts of Riverside (it's fairly big and spread out, so it is very different in many different areas). I wish I could say more about schools, but I can't think of any students who have school-age children who live in Riverside...I would say there are probably better options closer to campus than further away though. 
 
As far as hearing back--if you haven't heard from Tina or HBH recently, maybe just send a nice reminder e-mail. Or, alternately, you could call Tina--she's there Tues-Friday and would be happy to answer questions, I'm sure. 
 
But if there's anything else I can answer or address, please feel free to ask away or PM me! 
 
Excited to see you both at open house! 

I also wanted to add, here, based on your posts in the other Riverside thread, the teaching load is always 1 class per quarter.

Hi all,
 
I just wanted to make a thread for UCR admits to say hello and ask questions. I'm a current grad student and would be happy to answer any questions you may have (and, feel free to PM me if you'd prefer). 
 
Look forward to talking to/ meeting you all!

Ryan

PM me?

@perpetual - public transportation isn't bad--but there are many shopping centers with a variety of stores and restaurants close by.
 
@arober - Yes, the first 1/3 of the stipend comes the first official day of the quarter (which is usually the last week of September). It can be a painful wait. 

Hm. There isn't a mall near campus... There is a shopping center at Canyon Crest, but it has a grocery store, half a dozen restaurants (a very popular/hip sandwich shop, a tapas restaurant, a taco shop, etc) and things like that. There are bars, restaurants, and some more night-life things "downtown" which is about 2-3 miles from campus/canyon crest. Realistically, you can live there without a car, but it could get a bit frustrating. There are a decent number of things that are biking distance though. I do know grad students who don't have cars, the usual work around is getting close to people who do have cars. 

Yep! I will definitely be at open house in some capacity--and for sure at the grad student dinner on night 2. 

Feel free! 

I have to take some issue with certain things that have been said here. First, in relation to Riverside being dangerous: it's a huge place, there are some horrible parts, and there are some beautiful parts. It's impossible to make blanket statements, and different areas are practically different cities. The area around the university (canyon crest) is generally very safe and would be a good place to live. I can't speak to schools, but we can certainly get you in touch with a grad student with children if you would like to ask questions. 
 
Though, if you are willing to commute 15 minutes, Redlands has some very well ranked schools and a very, very good private school. 
 
In terms of commuting: I've commuted in the area for 6 years. I've been late to a class once. It's not an issue. Traffic can be bad at peak rush hour if you're commuting to/from LA, and is generally pretty bad on the 91 after 3, but other than that it's very manageable and never that bad. I come from a similar direction as Lake Elsinore, and you won't have much problem at all. 

I'm right there with you all--anxiety overload! Waiting on UCI, here, and they seem to be trickling in at an excruciating pace.

Thanks for this--I live twenty minutes from my wait list school, so I may just do that. Not entirely sure how to approach it though. Useful advice!

Right there with you. They were at the top of my list--perfect fit, would love to work with Virginia Jackson. But I think my GRE is probably a little low, since they seem to value that more than some others.

Definitely anxious to hear more.

You are awesome.