I don't mind graduating with a little debt, provided I can pay it off in a couple years (2-3 years at about $50K starting salary for an actuary).
What should I be looking for in "research opportunities"? How do they benefit me/my education?
Beta7 wrote:
I don't mind graduating with a little debt, provided I can pay it off in a couple years (2-3 years at about $50K starting salary for an actuary).
What should I be looking for in "research opportunities"? How do they benefit me/my education?
Not sure about what sort of research you could do in stats, but for CS, "research" means
1) getting hands on experience,
2) getting to know professors well, and
3) working on something really interesting.
For example, I'm working with a professor on an autograding system at the moment, and I received a small grant from the university to build wii-mote based quadrocopters without any real explicit purpose.
Essentially, I would look for ways to work with professors on projects in your field, so that you form contacts, gain experience, and have something relevant to add to your resume.
DShiznit wrote:
rfdave wrote:
Make sure that whatever school you go to, you don't graduate with more than 1 yr salary in student loans. IOW, if average starting salary is $40k/year, make sure you don't graduate with more than $40k in student loans.
Dave
That's not even remotely possible given the cost of college, and the level of wages in this country. You could go to community college and still spend more than $40k, and make only 20 in your first year of work. Unless you have rich relatives that can pay the overwhelming majority of your tuition, or are exceptional enough to earn significant scholarships, you're not graduating without a huge mountain of student loan debt. The bright side is, they aren't hard to pay off any more, especially now that the middle man has been cut out(thanks Obama!).
Stop watching Fox News.
KermMartian wrote:
I'm a big fan of this advice, although I don't know how realistic it is. I think that student loans are a pretty terrible thing to be burdened with.
Also, Beta7, I meant that I didn't think applying to only one non-stretch school is a good idea.
Student loans are to be avoided like the plague; only use them if you absolutely have to (I have a post written up on what's wrong with student loans somewhere on Cemetech but I can't find it atm.) But for those that do borrow, the 1 year salary is a good rule-of-thumb (though as you say for a cash-strapped student this can be difficult to achieve and still cover all expenses).
rthprog wrote:
Essentially, I would look for ways to work with professors on projects in your field, so that you form contacts, gain experience, and have something relevant to add to your resume.
Thanks for the explanation. I'll be sure to keep that in mind as something to ask about when I make my college visit rounds.
Ultimate Dev'r wrote:
DShiznit wrote:
rfdave wrote:
Make sure that whatever school you go to, you don't graduate with more than 1 yr salary in student loans. IOW, if average starting salary is $40k/year, make sure you don't graduate with more than $40k in student loans.
Dave
That's not even remotely possible given the cost of college, and the level of wages in this country. You could go to community college and still spend more than $40k, and make only 20 in your first year of work. Unless you have rich relatives that can pay the overwhelming majority of your tuition, or are exceptional enough to earn significant scholarships, you're not graduating without a huge mountain of student loan debt. The bright side is, they aren't hard to pay off any more, especially now that the middle man has been cut out(thanks Obama!).
Stop watching Fox News.
Maybe I wasn't being clear, I was saying that what Obama has done with student loans is a good thing. It's the price gauging of colleges that is the real problem now.
DShiznit wrote:
Ultimate Dev'r wrote:
DShiznit wrote:
rfdave wrote:
Make sure that whatever school you go to, you don't graduate with more than 1 yr salary in student loans. IOW, if average starting salary is $40k/year, make sure you don't graduate with more than $40k in student loans.
Dave
That's not even remotely possible given the cost of college, and the level of wages in this country. You could go to community college and still spend more than $40k, and make only 20 in your first year of work. Unless you have rich relatives that can pay the overwhelming majority of your tuition, or are exceptional enough to earn significant scholarships, you're not graduating without a huge mountain of student loan debt. The bright side is, they aren't hard to pay off any more, especially now that the middle man has been cut out(thanks Obama!).
Stop watching Fox News.
Maybe I wasn't being clear, I was saying that what Obama has done with student loans is a good thing. It's the price gauging of colleges that is the real problem now.
I was referring more to the sensationalist post with facts and figures way out of proportion.
Also, what Obama has done for student loans isn't entirely a good thing (while it does help to curb predatory lending tactics by loan companies and for-profit colleges, Obama has pretty much destroyed the private student loan market, which is bad if you can't get enough $$$ through government student loans or other aid.)
Links you should read:
http://cemetech.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=121675#121675
http://manvsdebt.com/why-student-loans-suck/
That one on why Student Loans suck was actually very informative. Most of those problems you describe were symptoms of a fundamentally flawed free-market system, but I am disappointed that Obama didn't at the same time add in the consumer protections. Still, there are things like the debt being completely forgiven after 25 years if you haven't paid it off by then, so it's better than it was a few years ago.
I do have one more question though, according to the article, the fed is still spinning a $37,000 loan into $100,000 loan, but I was told by my family that student loans are interest-free. How does it work out like that?
DShiznit wrote:
That one on why Student Loans suck was actually very informative. Most of those problems you describe were symptoms of a fundamentally flawed free-market system, but I am disappointed that Obama didn't at the same time add in the consumer protections. Still, there are things like the debt being completely forgiven after 25 years if you haven't paid it off by then, so it's better than it was a few years ago.
I do have one more question though, according to the article, the fed is still spinning a $37,000 loan into $100,000 loan, but I was told by my family that student loans are interest-free. How does it work out like that?
There are subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, but no interest-free loans; with both types of loans your principal and interest payments are deferred until you leave school, but with subsidized loans the government pays your interest for you while you're in school.
Oh god, don't turn this into another retarded Politics topic. Back to discussing applying to schools, including student loans if you want (but not NNN Party Sucks! QQQ Party Rox!), or I start deleting posts.
KermMartian wrote:
Oh god, don't turn this into another retarded Politics topic.
Seconded.
foamy3 wrote:
You'll be surprised how many job interviewers ask, "What are some of your hobbies? Don't say anything computer related." Even if you don't become a partier, at least pick up some fun random extracurricular activities like a sport, or theatre, or something. And sorry, but no, the anime club and fencing team are lame. I read in a book called "Cracking the coding interview" that all interviewers are really asking themselves is "Would I have a beer with this guy?" Too many programmers are awkward, sit in the dark corner kind of guys. Don't do that.
Just wondering, what sort of non-tech hobbies do most Cemetechians take on? I don't party/drink, and most of my nonexistent free time goes to something tech-oriented.
I enjoy walking, playing board games and puzzle games, going exploring in rural areas (although I've had far too little time for that recently), and TRAINS! I'm hoping that in the near future I'll get to build myself a nice layout once again, space-constrained as I am.
I like Legos, walking through town at night in a Jedi robe, and watching bad Sci-Fi movies. Now that I think about it, that's even worse. Maybe I should only mention the tech stuff...
There's more to life than technology? Who would've though...
Joking aside, I enjoy marching band (Concert band, meh) and drawing. Besides that... Not really much of anything that isn't tech-oriented.
allynfolksjr wrote:
I'm a raging alcoholic.
Not as much as some of the other ticalc.org staff, from what I can gather. 
I wouldn't be surprised if most of our hobbies are tech-related, as a group, with the exception of liberal arts tards like Nikky.
rthprog wrote:
Just wondering, what sort of non-tech hobbies do most Cemetechians take on? I don't party/drink, and most of my nonexistent free time goes to something tech-oriented.
I do improv, stand up, theatre, canoeing, and ultimate frisbee.
And btw, mods/admin, if drinking posts aren't allowed here, I get it, but just delete the whole post. I'd rather not be edited into a complete nerd without a social life.
Sounds like a fun set of extracurriculars, foamy! And duly noted.
Thanks! I actually co-founded and coached the improv team. We did shows every other week. I just graduated, so I'm really excited to come back next semester and see what the shows look like from the audience perspective.
You're in a convenience store and the clerk has a strange accent you don't recognize. Take me there...
