Ucsc

[mysorelboots]

Hey msb, I'm thinking of attending UCSC and living off campus as well. Do u know which are the good/optimal areas to live in? Thanks!

Yes dude for sure... The further north (i.e. up the coast) and northeast (into the mountains), the cheaper rents get... Craigslist is by far the best source. Some cool places outside Santa Cruz are Boonie Doon, Boulder Creek, Scotts Valley, Felton... if you are adventurous you can go venture out to Pescadero or Half Moon Bay, a little far... but the waters are beautiful

Hey I'll be visiting campus April 16-20 so if anyone is around... we should get a beer and fish taco.

[encore]

Grad housing: 4 people to an apartment. 2 bathrooms. fairly spacious kitchen. I'd recommend apartments on the 2nd or 3rd level (if you can request them). Generally very nice. In the process of being remodeled. The benefit is the proximity to the dept and central location on campus. But for $800+ per month, it's ALOT for a little amount of space. But you can meet some nice people - which helps when you don't know many people. Also, you don't need to buy furniture, or set up internet/utilities/land line.

Hey TBK, thanks for your previous answer. I was wondering, does Grad housing have a parking lot for those who live there? Thanks again!

[jlee7979]

[quote=TheBrothersKaramazov;737299] The grades ranged from A+ to pity-passing, and all of us got full support for 2nd year (ie. TAships/RAships + int'l tuition waivers).
quote]

What do you mean by full funding for 2nd year? Does full funding cover fees, tuition for international student? Or can it also include insurance, rents and personal expenses? In other words, could the financial aid for 2nd year cover full costs in your case?

How much will the $ be if I can have TAship in winter and spring quater in the first year? I am accepted without any financial aid until now, and I am projecting future expenses...

[jlee7979]

A little information. I can see Prof. Hutchison and Prof. Walsh's brief introduction before SF Fed head's speech in Santa Cruz in 2006.

YouTube - Monetary Policy in a Global Environment

[TheBrothersKaramazov]

Sorry all, I've been off on an island hiking and enjoying my last few days of spring break.

Some answers to your queries:

1. The traffic is limited between Half Moon Bay and santa cruz, because you'll be going opposite traffic. Most people drive the Hwy 17 route between Santa Cruz and San Jose. It's only one lane though.. and alot of the drive has no barrier between the road and cliffs. Nonetheless, it's a magnificant drive!
2. Weather is usually above 20C (i have not learned the Ferenheit system) for most of the year. It rains in January and February, and around then it's about 15C. The evenings - regardless of the time of the year - get chilly and you'll want at least a light jacket.
3. We don't have macs in the dept other than in the experimental lab, but almost half the faculty are using macs. If you speak to Dave, the computer specialist for social sciences, he might be able to hook you up with software. Alternatively, we all have access to the virtual lab. You connect through a remote desktop connection on your own computer and have access to all the necessary software. No need to be on campus to do this.
4. See above.
5. Vampires aren't a problem, but as one professor has informed me, the woods behind the Engineering 2 building are filled with magical elves. There are also the rare sightings of banana slugs!

Grad Housing Parking:
Yes, there is parking at grad housing. Also, you can get parking directly across the street from grad housing in the big parking complex. I am not sure which is cheaper... (i'd suspect they're the same price). If you don't want your car exposed to the elements, go with the parking complex.

By full funding, i mean that all your tuition is covered (international fees included), insurance plans, and a TAship (which is ~$1600/mo) or an RAship (going rate is about ~$1300/mo). It does not include the campus fees (~$320/quarter). You'll use TA/RA salary to pay for rent/food/living expenses/campus fees.

[mysorelboots]

Island hiking? Awesome...

How tough are the quals?

[teflon_johnny]

This is theplace to be if you like mtn biking and surfing. Nisene Marks and Big Basin are pretty awesome state parks, if hiking is your thing. Just dont step on the slugs when you're there, their spirits will find their way into your brain and ruin your concentration for graduate studies. BEWARE.

[Bayern]

To TBK: Do you know whether Prof. Carlos Dobkins is leaving the department soon? I have heard rumors that he has an offer from Columbia, and given his stellar publications, that doesnt sound very unlikely. I am very interested in his research, that's why curious.

[TheBrothersKaramazov]

Most people usually pass on the first attempt. Don't be sloppy. You can get away with sloppy on the midterms/finals... but on the prelims, they will fail you! it is a waste of a summer to have to re-study all the material. In our year, 2 people failed macro on the first attempt. The current 3rd years had no one fail. Sandra will give you copies of all past prelims. Suggestion: make a conscious effort to start studying in the spring quarter. Otherwise, there is not enough time to cover everything in the 10 days between the end of exams and prelim time.

Bayern, that is news to me! I didn't know that he had received an offer from Columbia. In our department, there is little interest among PhD students in health econ and applied micro. Hard to say. Is your area health? (If so, interesting that you applied to UCSC....)

Here is some thing I've learned:
If you're not into monetary economics or international finance, it can be very frustrating being in this department. I applied to UCSC mostly for the experimental and partly for the int'l finance. I am leaning more to the experimental -- and looking for finance topics to bring to it. That said, I could really benefit from more advanced coursework in micro theory/behavioral economics/auctions, etc). Nevertheless, I am getting excellent support from the experimental group here - research wise.

[Bayern]

Thanks a lot for the info TBK. I am actually an applied micro person, and not really that much into intl econ (surprising, yeah I know). There were some professors, whose work really interested me, and that is why I applied there. UCSC is the only place where I have a funded offer till now. And if I don't get any other offer, I guess I should take it, as long as there are people who does some research in my area of interest. As I am also interested in joining organizations like the World Bank and IMF, the training in intl econ will definitely help me a lot. The other option I guess is wait after april 15th, and hope someone funds me or calls me off the waitlist. But that just sounds too risky.