tractor
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Post by tractor on Feb 18, 2019 10:23:04 GMT -5
My son is being recruited to attend UC Berkeley for one year pre-grad school to conduct research in his chosen field (Astro-physics). The only catch is they will cover room/board but nothing else. Anyone have an idea how much extra money he might need to survive out there? If he goes, I will probably have to supplement his income and I have no idea how much is realistic. $500- $1000/month? He’s single, no girlfriend and used to living in student rental trash.
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Feb 18, 2019 10:44:56 GMT -5
I think somewhere between $500 and $1000 per month. The cost of living is high but it's mostly because of housing, so if that's covered, he should be good.
You say astrophysics, pre-grad, room and board. Is there any tuition you'd have to pay? Is there a stipend? Or does just he get a leg up on grad schools? Either way, I'd try to make it work. Pretty prestigious line on the resume. Congrats to him.
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tractor
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Post by tractor on Feb 18, 2019 11:23:58 GMT -5
I think it will give him a leg up on grad school acceptance. They are specifically looking for two students from his program (U of M) to assist with research, there may even be some kind of student swap going on. He’s near the top of his class (3.9 gpa), and they have reached out to him. Since he’s tired of the snow, Cal is looking pretty appealing to him. However, being your typical college kid, he’s not sure about any of the details and said he would send them an e-mail to find out more.
I’m trying to be a little more proactive, without becoming a helicopter parent.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Feb 18, 2019 11:40:51 GMT -5
I would ask about transportation plans. Cars in college towns can be very expensive. Student parking in my college town runs $75-100/ month just for a parking spot.
Biking could be an option. I'd consider getting a good bike if he doesn't have one. I would also build in some costs for BART in the budget. You know your kiddo best. Will he take this time to explore San Fran, and California/places closer by? Or is he content with whatever free things a university ID may provide? Or have you visited that side of the US so much by now that anything out there is simply old hat? As a parent, this would likely be a time that I wouldn't be throwing thousands a month at my kid...but I wouldn't merely be asking about survival, either. Especially if your kiddo has never been to the area, I'd make sure there was enough money made available that he could really explore and experience...if that's something he might do. He won't be able to do that when he's got a relationship and a couple of kids.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 18, 2019 11:45:25 GMT -5
I think it will give him a leg up on grad school acceptance. They are specifically looking for two students from his program (U of M) to assist with research, there may even be some kind of student swap going on. He’s near the top of his class (3.9 gpa), and they have reached out to him. Since he’s tired of the snow, Cal is looking pretty appealing to him. However, being your typical college kid, he’s not sure about any of the details and said he would send them an e-mail to find out more. I’m trying to be a little more proactive, without becoming a helicopter parent. I completely understand. My son is a junior at University of Dayton majoring in Computer Engineering. He just got a research gig researching artificial intelligence and it's potential applications for the unmanned drone program. They've asked him to stay on through his masters since it's a 3 year research program (joint university/military). We're researching apartments now because this summer he'll shift from the UD Research Institute to the Air Force base for his research.
He's being paid but wants off of campus (they have housing for all 4 years but he's over the drunken block parties).
I don't know what to tell you about expenses in the Berkeley area but I do know from visiting that it's pretty expensive. What does his room and board all cover? Will he need transportation- or will he be on campus the whole time?
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Feb 18, 2019 16:18:33 GMT -5
... Biking could be an option. I'd consider getting a good bike if he doesn't have one. ... My ex found that a Vespa type scooter worked really well for grad school at University of Washington. She parked right at the building in the middle of campus that she mainly used.
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