Stipend at Berkeley

[Moose#@1%$]

Does anyone know what their stipend is? I was just looking at apartments over there and... holy mother they are expensive. For example, 150 sq feet room.. *drumroll* 850 bucks!! 

And no I’m not accepted there but I’m just gathering as much info about the location, school and stuff.  since, some of the schools tell you so late that you don’t have time to make an informed decision. 

[759]

I don't know what Berkeley's stipend is, but I can assure you that whatever it is living in the Bay isn't easy. Rent aside, absolutely everything is more expensive than it is anywhere else (in my experience). I've lived there on and off for the better part of the last decade and I've watched it become virtually unlivable for most people. For example, I lived in SF with 5 others, paid $1,100/month for my own bedroom, and this was considered much cheaper than average (single rooms in my neighborhood typically went for $1,800). Honestly, the best attitude is perhaps counter-intuitively not to worry about it at all. So long as you can pay for rent and food (which bare minimum seems to be implied in the concept of a "stipend", although maybe I'm being optimistic) focus on your studies and try to be content. If you're the going-out type things get precarious rather quickly... 

Edited January 8, 2019 by 759
typo

[Moose#@1%$]

6 hours ago, 759 said:

I don't know what Berkeley's stipend is, but I can assure you that whatever it is living in the Bay isn't easy. Rent aside, absolutely everything is more expensive than it is anywhere else (in my experience). I've lived there on and off for the better part of the last decade and I've watched it become virtually unlivable for most people. For example, I lived in SF with 5 others, paid $1,100/month for my own bedroom, and this was considered much cheaper than average (single rooms in my neighborhood typically went for $1,800). Honestly, the best attitude is perhaps counter-intuitively not to worry about it at all. So long as you can pay for rent and food (which bare minimum seems to be implied in the concept of a "stipend", although maybe I'm being optimistic) focus on your studies and try to be content. If you're the going-out type things get precarious rather quickly... 

Yea this is what I was worried about. I'm a very frugal person luckily, so, I was hoping that'd help. Well, I have to be frugal because I currently live on an adjunct salary hah soo.. going out for me is when I go to a friends house. Also, after doing some googling it seems like their stipend might not even cover rent and food.

[directingdirections]

The stipend on Berkeley is around $30k the first year (without GSI responsibilities), and the following years is around $31-32k (with GSI'ing during the fall and spring semesters, and during a summer session).

[759]

2 hours ago, directingdirections said:

The stipend on Berkeley is around $30k the first year (without GSI responsibilities), and the following years is around $31-32k (with GSI'ing during the fall and spring semesters, and during a summer session).

Given everything I said in my earlier post, I would say that 30k is a very livable stipend for Berkeley. I spent years making less than that living in SF, which (I think) is a bit more expensive. Then again, I respect the fact that not everyone is a minimalist hermit like me lol.

[TruthInFiction]

The stipend for the next cohort will probably be what directingdirections said, or a little bit more. It's definitely not an easy amount to live on in the East Bay, but it is doable as long as you can live frugally. Finding housing at all is stressful, and the cost of living is high; you'd have to live with roommates, and couldn't count on going out to eat a lot or very frequent nights on the town. On the other hand, in every respect besides financially it's a great place to live. I don't think any of us find it easy, but I would say most of us find living here to be well worth it on the whole.

[directingdirections]

9 hours ago, 759 said:

Given everything I said in my earlier post, I would say that 30k is a very livable stipend for Berkeley. I spent years making less than that living in SF, which (I think) is a bit more expensive. Then again, I respect the fact that not everyone is a minimalist hermit like me lol.

Also the stipend includes insurance (health/eye/dental are all covered) as well. If so, that is also a plus. Note: I realize that many programs include insurance, so this may be considered something of a norm. But not all programs do, and some that do don't cover everything, like, e.g., dental. So it is definitely worth checking into what sort of insurance coverage departments offer in addition to getting info on the stipends. 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by directingdirections