Grad. School Supplies?

[scarvesandcardigans]

On the topic of laptops: I know a lot of people just bring their laptop to school to bang out work but I can't stand trackpads for word processing--it slows me down like crazy.

 

Do you all deal with trackpads or do you bring a mouse along with you?

 

Sometimes I bring a mouse with me if I know I'm going to be doing a lot of editing. It's nice to have instead of wishing I had brought it.

[Sarochan]

Can anyone recommend a good, professional bag? My backpack is feeling a little old and maybe not quite up to the image I want to project. I'm thinking messenger bag-style, one that can be worn over a shoulder or carried by hand.

[esotericish]

Can anyone recommend a good, professional bag? My backpack is feeling a little old and maybe not quite up to the image I want to project. I'm thinking messenger bag-style, one that can be worn over a shoulder or carried by hand.

 

Amazon has a bunch of well-priced options. I'm a big fan of this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EF16AWW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3UPHD10R9GDPI&coliid=I1DXL3B1RSSU5E&psc=1

[CBclone]

I have an iMac (bought new last fall), and am debating what portable device to pair with it. I also have an iPhone (5c) and enjoy having everything connected. I've never owned an iPad (or any sort of tablet), but I used to have a Macbook (2006, used until I got the iMac last fall -- it still works, but is incredibly slow and I don't really know why I still have it).

 

Macbook Air? which one?

iPad and get one of the covers that has a keyboard (http://store.apple.com/us/product/HH5U2VC/A/logitech-type-keyboard-folio-case-for-ipad-air-2-black?fnode=776b12c6156dae813107e2ccc519080d2ea9417bbc3deabe18f6961e38854974ee234cefdc3dcc6dd0fd5b3ac32505a16e3f50977755cb0edec3d2186272b77736121de68011c3d6857ab7daa44a96c80547c00ca4aec475c24f18d19b8a6efef76be9a436d26fc6356c16fc6c8bf71c)? <-- do those work well?

 

I think the Macbook Pro is a little much for what I need. I plan on using whatever I get as a way to take my projects on campus (library, classroom, etc.) or to the park when I want to get work done. After the two years of school (and while traveling on breaks), hopefully use what I have when traveling for entertainment, internet, etc. Oddly enough, I got the iMac last fall instead of a laptop or tablet because I was at a point in life when I "didn't need the mobility". Then...I applied to school, got in, and now am reconsidering. I will still be keeping the iMac. And I travelled the last 3 weeks and trying to do everything I needed to for work and personal stuff on just my phone was rather trick!

 

Advice?

[Sigaba]

Can anyone recommend a good, professional bag? My backpack is feeling a little old and maybe not quite up to the image I want to project. I'm thinking messenger bag-style, one that can be worn over a shoulder or carried by hand.

Hey S,

If you do a Google search along the lines of "Backpack grad Cafe" you will get links to previous discussions of the topic on this BB. (I am in a bit of a rush and don't have time to get you started.)

You might also check out a blog called Carryology.

In any case, I do not recommend the Tom Bihn Synapse 25 and I recommend the Arcteryx Blade 21 if you can find one on eBay. The Arcteryx Blade 24 is more readily available and more stylish but one has to figure out the best way to pack it depending upon the load and one's schedule.

If a casual look is your goal, I recommend the Arcteryx Mantis and the Goruck GR0. If you have a ton of stuff to haul, I recommend the Arcteryx LEAF Khard 30.

#HTH

[Sarochan]

Amazon has a bunch of well-priced options. I'm a big fan of this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EF16AWW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3UPHD10R9GDPI&coliid=I1DXL3B1RSSU5E&psc=1

Thanks so much! That bag looks like exactly the kind of thing I was thinking, and it's cheaper than a lot of the ones I was looking at.

ETA: Whoops, didn't see your reply, Sigaba. Thank you for the direction to that thread, and your other recommendations. Gonna have a fun night checking out all the cool bag options!

Edited April 29, 2015 by Sarochan

[HoosierTarheel?]

Does anyone have advice on building a desktop? I'm seeing a lot of good advice about using the laptop+desktop combination but what websites or resources are useful for desktop parts etc.?

Also, has anyone thought about getting the "Intel Stick" computer thing? I don't know much about it but it's a small computer that works when you plug it into any hdmi input. Could be useful...

[Sarochan]

When my SO built his current computer, most of the parts came from Newegg, which sells computer hardware. While I was only minorly involved in the choosing of bits and pieces, we actually built the computer together and watched a lot of tutorials, unboxing videos, and the like. We just searched on YouTube for tutorial videos, and to see reviews. Various places have threads dedicated to helping people build PCs; typing in "build a PC" on Google turns up a lot of sites.

[RunnerGrad]

I have an iMac (bought new last fall), and am debating what portable device to pair with it. I also have an iPhone (5c) and enjoy having everything connected. I've never owned an iPad (or any sort of tablet), but I used to have a Macbook (2006, used until I got the iMac last fall -- it still works, but is incredibly slow and I don't really know why I still have it).

 

Macbook Air? which one?

iPad and get one of the covers that has a keyboard (http://store.apple.com/us/product/HH5U2VC/A/logitech-type-keyboard-folio-case-for-ipad-air-2-black?fnode=776b12c6156dae813107e2ccc519080d2ea9417bbc3deabe18f6961e38854974ee234cefdc3dcc6dd0fd5b3ac32505a16e3f50977755cb0edec3d2186272b77736121de68011c3d6857ab7daa44a96c80547c00ca4aec475c24f18d19b8a6efef76be9a436d26fc6356c16fc6c8bf71c)? <-- do those work well?

 

I think the Macbook Pro is a little much for what I need. I plan on using whatever I get as a way to take my projects on campus (library, classroom, etc.) or to the park when I want to get work done. After the two years of school (and while traveling on breaks), hopefully use what I have when traveling for entertainment, internet, etc. Oddly enough, I got the iMac last fall instead of a laptop or tablet because I was at a point in life when I "didn't need the mobility". Then...I applied to school, got in, and now am reconsidering. I will still be keeping the iMac. And I travelled the last 3 weeks and trying to do everything I needed to for work and personal stuff on just my phone was rather trick!

 

Advice?

 

I have an iMac at home and I have an iPad that I bring with me to university.  I don't take notes on my iPad though - I'm old fashioned and prefer to take notes by hand.  I use the iPad mainly for my readings (so I don't have to lug around a gazillion print-outs), to access my class portal (Blackboard) and to surf the web and answer emails.  I do know people who takes notes on their iPad, however, either with a bluetooth keyboard, or with a stylus and an app like Noteability.  A stylus like the Jot Script will work with an iPad.

[esotericish]

Does anyone have advice on building a desktop? I'm seeing a lot of good advice about using the laptop+desktop combination but what websites or resources are useful for desktop parts etc.?

Also, has anyone thought about getting the "Intel Stick" computer thing? I don't know much about it but it's a small computer that works when you plug it into any hdmi input. Could be useful...

 

I built a desktop for the first time about a year and a half ago. It is surprisingly easy. There're a bunch of good video tutorials and then when you actually start building it you can always find a youtube video of a particular part or step in the process. PCPartPicker.com is a good resource to find the best prices on stuff. The reddit community /r/buildapc is also fantastic.

[kaswing]

Ask your advisor about computer requirements!!

I emailed my professor to see what kind of software is need to run, and whether the lab was Mac or PC. She had lots of useful information, the most useful of which is that **they have funding for graduate students' computers!** I tell them what I want (up to $1500 for computer and peripherals) and they will buy it. I return it when I leave, but hey, it's definitely worth it. All the graduate students I know (social science FWIW) had their lab buy their computers.

In sum, I don't recommend buying your own computer without a least testing the waters with your advisor.

This is such a great thread: so much I haven't thought about yet. I need to find an apartment!!

[artsy16]

kaswing - what do they do with the returned laptops? If they're going to buy everyone one up to a certain dollar amt, I don't see why they don't just let you keep it.

[FantasticalDevPsych]

Ask your advisor about computer requirements!!

I emailed my professor to see what kind of software is need to run, and whether the lab was Mac or PC. She had lots of useful information, the most useful of which is that **they have funding for graduate students' computers!** I tell them what I want (up to $1500 for computer and peripherals) and they will buy it. I return it when I leave, but hey, it's definitely worth it. All the graduate students I know (social science FWIW) had their lab buy their computers.

In sum, I don't recommend buying your own computer without a least testing the waters with your advisor.

This is such a great thread: so much I haven't thought about yet. I need to find an apartment!!

Seconded! I didn't know until I accepted the offer that all first year students in my program (also social science) have the option of having the department purchasing a computer for us. We get to keep it after we pass quals! The only downside is we don't get to pick the computer (and now this Mac user needs to learn how to use a PC again).

There's so much good advice on this thread (thank you everyone) and I'd also suggest the printer (saved me during undergrad so I'm certainly sure it will during grad) and someone to vent to (I wouldn't have an offer without this person supporting me).

[kaswing]

kaswing - what do they do with the returned laptops? If they're going to buy everyone one up to a certain dollar amt, I don't see why they don't just let you keep it.

I would tend to agree! I suppose it's a way to adjust incentives and avoid people who drop out after a few months making off with $1500? Perhaps they sell it or use it for parts in the engineering dept? When I did experiments in psych, we ran the "game" on a very very old machine. Perhaps that's where they go. Knowing universities, though, it probably sits in storage somewhere.

[rising_star]

kaswing - what do they do with the returned laptops? If they're going to buy everyone one up to a certain dollar amt, I don't see why they don't just let you keep it.

This is a thing at pretty much all colleges and universities and it holds true for faculty members too. But really it's because if they're buying it with a federal grant, the money goes through the school so everything bought is school property. Same for start-up funds when you're a faculty member. If you buy computers or fancy equipment with the university's money, then that stuff is their property, not yours, so you don't get to keep it when you leave. 

 

As for what they do with it, that really varies. At one of my grad institutions, those computers were later used in computer labs for students who couldn't afford to bring their own computer to campus. At another, they went to grad students whose advisors/labs couldn't afford to buy new computers for each incoming student.

[maelia8]

I know that we've talked about dressing it up a bit when you start to teach at earlier points in this thread (such as upping it to business casual), but I am searching for some concrete advice on how to go about acquiring this sort of wardrobe. I have rarely worked office jobs, and my only experience of dressing up professionally comes from high school debate team attire, where kids basically dress to the nines in suits and pearls and overdo it to impress.

 

I find myself at 26 with only two blouses, one skirt, and one pair of shoes that might be described as "business wear," and I am at a loss as to how to expand this wardrobe before I begin teaching in the fall. I don't want to invest in a lot of expensive clothes, but clearly my wardrobe of frayed t-shirts that I got for free at events isn't going to cut it anymore. 

 

Where can one go to buy decent, durable women's business casual attire that's not too expensive and not too matronly, and how much of it should I buy for teaching/part-time office work? I don't want to dress like a lawyer, but neither do I want to feel that I've put less effort into dressing than my students. All of the academic men I know wear collared shirts and nice jeans, corduroys, or pants, but the women wear such an array of clothing and jewelry styles that I don't know what to go on. 

[rising_star]

maelia8, typical suggestions are to look at places like Banana Republic, LOFT, J. Crew, Gap, and The Limited, as well as their outlet stores. What you're comfortable with will play a big role in this. I know some women that teach exclusively in khakis or trousers, while others never wear pants to teach. Any of those stores should have some business casual or nicer stuff that you can try on and play around with to see what you like. There's also Karen Kelsky's advice (which I don't 100% agree with but here it is anyway): http://theprofessorisin.com/2011/07/28/what-not-to-wear-assistant-professor-edition/. For example, you can find great deals on new stuff if you shop the sales and the outlets. 

[Cheshire_Cat]

JC Pennys and Kohls are my favorite places for professional looking clothing.  They  can be hit-or-miss, but usually they have good, inexpensive clothing.  You can also find black slacks at any thrift store.  You probably need 2 or three pairs of slacks, and then a few more blouses.  I also almost always wear a cardigan because our office is cold. I have several black ones, and a grey one I wear a lot.  If you have any pets, invest in a lint brush as well, haha.

 

Unless you are comfortable in heels, I would wear comfortable flats to teach in because you will be on your feet.  Jewlrey is hit or miss.  I like a pair of conservative silver earrings, and maybe a necklace.  The main thing is that you don't want to be fidgeting with them when you are trying to teach.

[esotericish]

(disclaimer: not a female)

 

My girlfriend is your age and works in a very professional environment. Her favorite places to shop are Marshalls and TJ Maxx, where you can get some really professional looking stuff for a good price (they're only really good for womens' clothing, though). Other than that, if you pay attention you can often find great deals on Banana Republic during sales.

[quirkycase]

Just to add a couple more to the good suggestions above: Express and New York & Company.  They're geared toward the young(er) adult crowd, so the look is more modern. My personal favorite is Express, as their clothes fit me best.  They can be a little pricey for me, but they have some pretty good sales and outlets.  I like New York & Company too, but their clothes don't fit me as well.  Clothes I've bought from both places have been good quality and lasted for years. 

 

Also, in case anyone else has this concern, both stores carry smaller than average sizes.  I have an extremely hard time finding professional clothing--I usually shop in Junior's departments since I'm too small for most adult clothes, ha--but I can often find things that fit at both places.  It's nice, since my options were typically either look too casual or look like I'm playing dress-up

[maelia8]

Thanks for the advice, folks! I don't generally have problems finding the sizes I need, my only problem is that I'm quite tall and long-limbed and have to find brands with generous sleeve and pant-leg lengths. I'm not a big fan of shopping, but I guess I will have to suck it up and go on a bi-annual trip. At least now I have some ideas about where to start looking

[maelia8]

Related question: Is it time to get rid of all of my tattered graphic tees (or at least stop wearing them in public)? None of them have cool designs or are from well-known events, and most are pretty faded/tattered. They are from things like my high school dance group, free pride Ts from my high school and undergrad institutions, and shirts from being a camp and retreat counselor. They have emotional value, but I'm starting to worry that I'm too old (and in the wrong profession) to be wearing those anymore and it makes me torn (pun not intended). Is it time to pack them all up and donate/throw them away, or can I still get away with wearing them? I've looked at the other grad students in my department for reference, and while a couple of them might have one or two such shirts (in great condition and with cool graphics), such things are rarely worn in my department.

[Cheshire_Cat]

I know the feeling.  I wear professional clothing for work, but aside from then, I love wearing old, soft t-shirts.  I packed most of mine up, and I'm going to make all of my old tees into a t-shirt quilt one of these days.

[rising_star]

If you're tall or short, you might have better luck online because many stores only feature those sizes on their websites. Look for sales on clearance stuff and you can get great bargains.

As for the old t-shirts, have you thought about making them into a quilt or collage? I got rid of a bunch a few years ago but took pictures so I could remember the shirts/events. I saved some more recent ones and I only wear those to the gym.

[hillary511]

maelia8, typical suggestions are to look at places like Banana Republic, LOFT, J. Crew, Gap, and The Limited, as well as their outlet stores. What you're comfortable with will play a big role in this. I know some women that teach exclusively in khakis or trousers, while others never wear pants to teach. Any of those stores should have some business casual or nicer stuff that you can try on and play around with to see what you like. There's also Karen Kelsky's advice (which I don't 100% agree with but here it is anyway): http://theprofessorisin.com/2011/07/28/what-not-to-wear-assistant-professor-edition/. For example, you can find great deals on new stuff if you shop the sales and the outlets. 

Am I the only one that cringed at the language in this article? hooker-wear?