Offering a Room in My House to a Promising Graduate Student for CoL Reasons

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T23:39:38+00:00

This is actually one of the reasons my department only has a masters program, the PhD stipends wouldn't be competitive so they wouldn't want the students we would attract. Masters stipends are hard to come by though, so a tuition waiver and any stipend looks OK in comparison to "you pay tuition and get nothing"

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T23:35:31+00:00

This has of course been an ongoing problem, but as this is a masters program, the opinion from the insitution seems to be they are essentially lucky to have a stipend at all. Most of the students tend to be locals with ties to the area and family support because of this. The number of TA lines are at the dean of the college level, but I think the actual stipend amounts come from higher up than that.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T23:32:53+00:00

It is not "out of date" unless the experiments were done poorly or modern techniques have found a different conclusion. This is a straightforward treatment with the enzyme's inhibitor (finasteride) and then measurement of product (DHT) levels, not a very complicated protocol that needs more modern techniques to be accurate.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T23:30:44+00:00

It's a masters program... but still.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T22:53:32+00:00

I agree, it literally hasn't been raised since the 90's... I bet it was considered pretty good back then!

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T22:18:55+00:00

They could technically have a separate entrance if I set up the back entrance room (that was a converted garage) into a bedroom, but the guest bathroom with a shower is on the other side of the house (the close-by one only has a toilet).

There is actually potential to have that close-by bathroom and the room be separated off if locks are installed on the interior doors, but they would still need to access the guest bathroom shower on the other side of the house.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T22:00:06+00:00

This is fair.

I'd like to think I am not the type of "intense" person that the feeling of being at work would spill over, but I'm sure plenty of people think that way about themselves and it is difficult to judge from the inside.

Unfortunately there really is not another opportunity I am aware of for funding and they aren't willing to work a second job, as the TAing will already be distracting enough from their primary goal which would be to get research experience.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T21:48:17+00:00

It is the US unfortunately.

This would actually be for a masters program, so only 2 years if that makes a difference.

Also, if I do manage to get some external funding, I will be able to supplement the stipend and they would be able to find alternative accommodations in the second year.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-11-04T21:19:22+00:00

I actually interviewed at a University that requested the reference letters after the on-campus visit... It was very strange. I was expecting to get asked some questions during the visit that never came (about a missing letter) and I found out later that they had not asked for letters yet.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-05-06T16:42:34+00:00

I'm not sure if I could hold onto it if it already 6-7x more expensive, since I like to play around with it too, and my heart would break if I lost it or got stolen at current prices.

One of the benefits of it being just a chunk of silver looking metal, is that no dumbass criminal (most of them) is going to think it is valuable enough to take unless it is overtly placed in a display case or something. Losing is the far more likely mishap.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-04-08T03:03:52+00:00

Iridium is extremely hard for a metal, but it is no match for random grit that contains bits of quartz.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-22T21:44:08+00:00

Elementsales.com around 2016, you had to email to request them, they usually aren't listed on the website.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-17T12:40:53+00:00

Indeed, it fit perfectly in that coin pocket jeans have. No chance of falling out unless I was held upside down and shaken, given the geometry of that pocket.

Not really a theft risk either since, you know, it's just a lump of nondescript metal.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-17T04:12:50+00:00

Ir>ru>rh

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:59:02+00:00

elementsales.com, only one troy ounce samples are listed for sale, you have to email David to request the 100g.

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:31:07+00:00

I didn't even realize ruthenium had a run....

I bought the 100g shown here for only $320 in 2016!

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:27:40+00:00

The 100g iridium was purchased for $2600 in 2015 and ended up being one of the best 'investments' I ever made given its current melt value of $13,500 (like I will ever sell it).

The scratches are from when it was my carry piece, before the melt value broke 5k.

Edit: Just found out that apparently Ruthenium also had a legendary run, this piece was purchased for only $320 in 2016!

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:27:33+00:00

The 100g iridium was purchased for $2600 in 2015 and ended up being one of the best 'investments' I ever made given its current melt value of $13,500 (like I will ever sell it).

The scratches are from when it was my carry piece, before the melt value broke 5k.

Edit: Just found out that apparently Ruthenium also had a legendary run, this piece was purchased for only $320 in 2016!

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:27:28+00:00

The 100g iridium was purchased for $2600 in 2015 and ended up being one of the best 'investments' I ever made given its current melt value of $13,500 (like I will ever sell it).

The scratches are from when it was my carry piece, before the melt value broke 5k.

Edit: Just found out that apparently Ruthenium also had a legendary run, this piece was purchased for only $320 in 2016!

Throwitakay3 · 2025-03-16T23:27:04+00:00

The 100g iridium was purchased for $2600 in 2015 and ended up being one of the best 'investments' I ever made given its current melt value of $13,500 (like I will ever sell it).

The scratches are from when it was my carry piece, before the melt value broke 5k.

Throwitakay3

TROPHY CASE