Ucsc

[jlee7979]

Originally Posted by TheBrothersKaramazov

If you don't feel the need to go to San Francisco or San Jose multiple times per week, you can just rent and it'll be far more affordable.

Thanks a bunch for the detailed information TBK! Rent a car sounds reasonable.

When does Math camp usually begin? Is it August or September? I heard that the fall quater begins in mid-September, so does the class start at the same time?
When do usually first-year students starts to live in Santa Cruz?

[gogol02]

I just replied on the website, and have yet to receive anything in the mail/hard copy.

[Terra Firma]

Originally Posted by TheBrothersKaramazov

I haven't heard any news on the final #s...

Recently, I was told that there are 25 , and sounds like the dept is quite suprised by the number as you alluded to earlier. I am not sure how Profs could teach without TAs help with grading???

[TheBrothersKaramazov]

jlee,
I've heard that math camp begins August 31 (can someone verify?). It goes for almost 3 weeks. Then you have approx. 1 week off before classes start. It's a good time to unwind and enjoy santa cruz and the surrounding areas before the work piles on.

See, my math camp began on September 4... I arrived on September 4th and was an hour late! (long story, i took a 2 day train ride from Vancouver, expecting to arrive with a couple of hours to spare. Then there was a fire on the train tracks, which diverted our trip.)

It depends on your living accommodations. There is plenty to explore... but there is no need to arrive before the classes actually begin. If you are living in grad housing, you will be able to move in early at a pro-rated rate.

(btw, good music choices! Do you play anything?)

TerraFirma: yeah... a TA would be particularly useful! I don't know if the department has the budget for it.

[gogol02]

How is the capitola area for living/commuting to campus?

Even though I'll have a car, as of now I don't really plan on driving to campus. I was checking out craigslist for new postings and there are places up now that will be available august/sept.

[encore]

How's the life @ Santa Cruz once you are sick of studying? i.e.: what do you guys do over the weekend when you are not studying/reading/researching/ etc?

[TheBrothersKaramazov]

Gogol: Capitola by bus will probably take you closer to an hour to get to campus. The bus takes a long convoluted route.

Originally Posted by encore

How's the life @ Santa Cruz once you are sick of studying? i.e.: what do you guys do over the weekend when you are not studying/reading/researching/ etc?

HAHAHAHAAA.... HA... HA.

I haven't taken more than a single day off in ... months (excluding spring break). It's sad.

There's plenty to do:
Surfing, beach, biking, hiking, day trips to Monterrey, San fran, san jose..
I particularly like the symphony, and UCSC has an excellent one on campus.
If not from California, you will be pleasantly surprised at the abundance of relatively cheap good wines. Going out for dinner to various restaurants. Catch up on the television that you've missed....
Parties from time to time at grad housing, GSA.

Or just hanging out at some of the bars, lounged downtown - Red Room, 99 bottles, Poet & the Patriot are the big ones.

Shopping - in general - is lousy in Santa Cruz. Unless you're looking for organic food.

Dating scene is kind of hit or miss. Go to GSA events to meet people.
Some of the guys in my class like to go to undergrad parties.
I like to go down to Pacific St. and work at a coffee shop.

btw, it is 33C/91F today in Santa Cruz. so damn hot. The campus is closed off because of 4-20 celebrations, which take place right outside of my FSH apartment.

[encore]

Originally Posted by TheBrothersKaramazov

Dating scene is kind of hit or miss. Go to GSA events to meet people.

mmm, what about the local population? Or is Santa Cruz just one of those places where if you arrive single, chances are you will leave single as well?

[TheBrothersKaramazov]

hmm.... no, i think you just have to actively be looking. (And that can be hard when there is so much work to do).

Online dating seems to be working for alot of people.... or at least, it exposes you to many more people in the Bay Area.

No, i would not presume that if you arrive single, you'll likely leave single. If you are actively involved in different activities, you are likely to meet lots of people. If you are working every day - all day (or have a terrible personality), it'll be harder.

[mynameiscurtis]

Originally Posted by jlee7979

When does Math camp usually begin? Is it August or September? I heard that the fall quater begins in mid-September, so does the class start at the same time?

I emailed an econ grad student about maths camp and got the following reading lists - plus, I listed links to the .pdf's I could find torrented.

The list is from Sept 2005, so will likely change a little. But the books are looking pretty easy to breeze through.

Mathematics for Economists - By Carl P. Simon, Lawrence Blume
- torrent file for Mathematics for Economists, it's one of the files down there, not the best quality.

Optimization in Economic Theory, 2nd ed By Avinash K. Dixit
- .pdf file, a fairly quality copy

Dynamic Economics: Quantitative Methods & Applications by Jérôme Adda, Russell W. Cooper
- I couldn't find a .pdf copy to share, but it looks pretty cheap if you want to buy it.