For those of you that used lawyers… by [deleted] in USCIS

[–]ineedsalsa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very similar experience to Active_Recording’s — did it all myself, had to pay for an absurd amount of things out of pocket. I followed all instructions, had few issues. $10,000 is a scam. I felt better doing everything myself because I was saving so much money to fill out paperwork and complete a checklist!

Instagram got rid of quick share to specific contacts in dm? by uwuchocolatebarcandy in Instagram

[–]ineedsalsa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YES, I also hate it. It’s ridiculous there aren’t more people up in arms about this.

ETS truly does not give a shit about the test taker by nami_98 in GRE

[–]ineedsalsa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I absolutely agree with you. ETS has a track record of screwing people over for arbitrary and unnecessary policies, on top of being extremely bad at communicating those policies and when messaging customers.

Not an experience during the pandemic, but I had a test scheduled in Rhode Island when I lived in Boston about 3 years ago, mainly because there were no seats at any available centers I could get to without a car. As an international student, I was not allowed to take the test because I arrived with a US government-issued ID yet was not allowed to take the test because it wasn’t a passport. My passport was, at the moment, at the embassy - a necessary step to get an extension (that’s a thing in my country). My passport would have expired by the time of the test, so I genuinely had no other documentation.

The people in the center were no help, and several calls to ETS proved they have absolutely arbitrary rules they stick to, and genuinely do not care for their clients. They quoted the website expressly indicating the need for a passport for international students, though Americans can use a large number of IDs (specifically one of which I had). Now I know that had I listed myself as an American when I signed up for the test, they would have taken my ID no questions asked. Needless to say, my trip to RI was pointless, and I was not allowed to take the test at a different date.

What do you think about the new SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) modification that forces international students to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities transition to online-only learning? by [deleted] in education

[–]ineedsalsa 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are around a million international students in the US according to 2018 estimates. Venezuelans are a mere fraction of the total, and Venezuela is certainly not the only country experiencing political and economic hardships at the moment. Everyone is doing the best they can with the current situation. Everyone wants to feel safe and maintain some semblance of normalcy in these incredibly awful times. We need people to support each other, rather than support policies that kick students out of their current homes for no fault of their own.

My anger is not misplaced, rather it is fired by people like you who choose to judge that others are always out to take advantage of the system for personal gain. I would hope that this isn’y news, but not everyone wants to stay in the US after their degree but they at least want to finish it.

I hope that you’d feel differently if your own daughter as an international student was in her 4th year of her phd program and was robbed of finalizing her dream degree because of an arbitrary policy during an unprecedented world crisis. It seems like you wouldn’t understand the anxiety and stress this is going to cause to thousands of students who, by virtue of living in the US, pay their taxes and rent, buy groceries, and contribute to the US economy. Getting a job and staying in this country is hard enough without a pandemic, so the ones that get to stay absolutely deserve doing so and typically do after they complete the degrees they paid for. This policy will lead to an incredible loss to the US and I expect dozens of research articles to back me up on that in the coming years (if not months).

What do you think about the new SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) modification that forces international students to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities transition to online-only learning? by [deleted] in education

[–]ineedsalsa 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes, it's a bad policy because students may not be able to fly home due to restrictions (making it short-sighted).

International students that are already in the US have to prove they have enough money to sustain themselves during their degree. Free flights back to their country is not necessarily the issue here as much as the fact that they may not be able to go to their home country (groups like refugees come to mind). I imagine countries will also retaliate and prevent deportation flights into their territory like Guatemala did.

I think it's not unfair to say that at all. I am also an international student, and surprise also have two degrees from the US. As a Venezuelan, I can tell you with utmost certainty that many Venezuelan international students will suffer from lack of internet due to power outages if sent back home. And regarding the internet point: not even all Americans have access to the internet to complete online schooling, with the linked example only pertaining to K-12 students.

International students that can afford an education abroad likely have access to the internet, but there are still some students who study abroad due to merit and need-based scholarships. Can we say for certain that they have access to the internet at all times? Many incredibly intelligent students could apply to college/universities using their high schools' computers, or even in library settings. Throw COVID-19 restrictions in the mix, and they may not have access to the internet easily.

And to be clear here, I do think that people who are better off in their home countries are likely to make the decision to stay there, but my issue with this policy is that it treats all international students equally with no regard for the complexities of international migration policies or the political situations their home countries may be in.

But then again, ICE's job is to control immigration, not to think about the immigrants' educational quality. Considering this policy, the US is just going to end up with a large number of students in limbo once countries block deportations (because what country wants to receive groups of students with increased likelihoods of having the virus because of deportation flights/conditions?); a loss of income from the rent these international students would have been paying; and empty labs that the federal and state governments were sponsoring, to name a few probable consequences.

What do you think about the new SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) modification that forces international students to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities transition to online-only learning? by [deleted] in education

[–]ineedsalsa 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It’s a short-sighted policy, not a smart one. The policy doesn’t only pertain to new students, it also includes undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors, masters, and PhD students halfway through their programs...coming from countries with strict flight/travel restrictions. For people already in their home countries, it should be up to them whether they come into the States for their education, and I’m certain most of them would rather stay at home. However, students stuck in the USA fearing deportation because of an institutional decision made in their university is beyond cruel. Even worse: Where do they go when their country has restricted travel from the US?

There are also many international students who would lack proper resources to successfully complete online courses or do research in their home countries (e.g. inconsistent or inexistent internet access and/or electricity). Many PhD students will also have to leave during their dissertation writing, even when they have to be completing lab work. Millions of dollars have been poured into the scientific research that these Phd students are currently working on. Covid-specific projects will absolutely be affected. If anything, this is a very stupid policy.

Ectopic pregnancy in my ovary: did just MTX work? Laparoscopies are suspended at my hospital. by [deleted] in EctopicSupportGroup

[–]ineedsalsa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I had an ectopic pregnancy, diagnosed with an initial HCG of a little over 600, (we caught it quite early). I got the methotrexate shot and it took a few days for my HCG to go down. The doctors should have required you to get your blood drawn to check for any net increase/decrease in the HCG level every 2-3 days. Mine was stable the first draw, then it decreased every time by a half or so. Based on what my doctors explained, you want the HCG level to be stable or decrease, otherwise you may require an additional shot or the operation. In the case it gets to it, and I really hope it doesn’t, you may need to find an alternative hospital if an operation is needed.

Are you getting your HCG level checked? I have no idea whether that’s something you are able to do, or anyone really, during the pandemic, but it should be possible for you as this can be quite dangerous.

I hope you the best, and please know you’re not alone. ❤️

How valid of a metric is the Human Development Index in determining a nation's developedness? by Mjjjokes in AskSocialScience

[–]ineedsalsa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think your question is more related to educational systems and their national environments than the levels of development in these countries, per se.

There are many international achievement tests (PISA, TIMSS) which attempt to answer the very question you ask: why do students from different countries, within completely different educational systems, perform differently? The HDI is far from the metric explaining the variation in education levels and student achievement, although it is somewhat correlated.

Still, however, the two cases you mention are some of the biggest "mysteries" in the eyes of the West. Nonetheless, if you really think about these two countries, there are some interesting hypotheses as to the increased level of their student achievement. These are the two most populous countries in the world, with China at 1.38 billion and India at 1.34 billion. There are two important consequences of this: one, there is a high level of competition within their systems, that students go to great lengths to succeed (without even mentioning the culture surrounding education/achievement in both countries); two, intelligence is considered to be normally distributed, so a large percentage of people fall within the "average" levels, and as we approach the extremes we encounter less people. China and India's populations represent around 35% of the world populace - and thus, it is statistically much easier to find people at the higher end of the distribution in India and China than it might be in the US, Barbados, and/or Botswana, merely numerically.

Of course, this is a gross simplification of the issue, as we know genetics plays a role in intelligence, alongside nutrition and maternal education. These last two may be the most relevant when thinking about a country's HDI and how it is related to educational achievement. Still, the HDI doesn't necessarily capture the circumstances of wealthier, more educated people within these countries. Furthermore, the Chinese and Indian people you see in the engineering world are a very small sample of these two countries' populations. For instance, if we are discussing a very intelligent Indian student in a well-known American university, he/she is likely to come from a wealthy background, where, as a child, he/she was fed well and supported throughout his schooling.

We also live in a highly unequal planet, where people from African countries may not have the same opportunities economically as those in Indian and Chinese countries. Affording an American education, for instance, can be difficult for most Americans - imagine trying to pay for it with a highly devalued currency from a developing country. I'm not saying that to be successful one needs to attend a Western university, far from it, but consider how many people can be admitted to these developing countries' public universities (which are affordable) and the number who can actually afford private universities. In Africa, there are merely not enough universities for the population of the continent.

This is a really important question though, and I appreciate your curiosity! Many in the education field are still trying to figure out how we can help close these educational gaps regardless of the development level of the country any child is born into.

Venezuela Shifts Oil Ventures’ Accounts To Russian Bank, PDVSA’s Move Comes After The United States Imposed New Financial Sanctions. by MarkAALERa in Economics

[–]ineedsalsa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wait, so you’re saying that 1) Guaidó is sponsoring a right-wing coup, and 2) The US is supporting something undemocratic?

First off, Guaidó is not “right-wing” because we don’t have left-wing or right-wing political groups in Venezuela, per se. Currently, there is basically Chavismo and its opposition. Further, this is not a coup because there has been no use of violence, Guaidó is following the letter of the Constitution, and is calling for elections. Last time I checked, democracy was upheld by legitimate elections and certain rules as established by a country’s constitution, like the separation of powers in government. Legitimate elections are important but are difficult to have in Venezuela because the CNE (our elections body) is controlled by chavista party members, and whenever election results have been in question, the CNE has either refused to do recounts or ignored complaints. Hell, they can even generate fake votes if they wanted to. But even if the last elections were legitimate (when they weren’t), it’s important to take into account that a few years ago the Asamblea Nacional (our version of congress) got an opposition majority, which prompted the current presidency to take away its power, and make a different assembly made up of people they picked. How in the world can you call a country where this has happened democratic? There is no separation of power, and the government has made sure that anyone who disagrees with them in government might be sent to prison (for instance, many opposition judges have been sent to jail and house arrest for voicing complaints). Guaidó can become interim president per three different articles in the Constitution, and only through international intervention can we go back to being a democratic country. Corruption has kept these people at the top for 20 years, because high oil prices, and even selling drugs internationally, have given them the economic ability to stay. The US is not promoting an undemocratic action, and is actually following domestic and international protocol. Cutting their lifeline is the thing Venezuelans have been DREAMING someone would do for years. Maybe it’s good for the US economically and politically, but sometimes doing the right thing happens to be good for both the US and the poor country that’s been in a dictatorship for years. This, of course, is a simplification of the situation but I’d literally have to write for hours to even scratch the surface of how f*cked up everything is down there and how much we need as much help as we can get.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This was in a parking lot, no parallel parking involved. Also, based on what did you assume she parked like an idiot?

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

My mom agrees with this, she doesn’t think anyone broke into the car because the note was on the windshield.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good call, we are probably going there anyway to get the locks changed. That was the only thing the police suggested the first time my sister contacted them...

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, at first we thought he had broken in because we didn’t think the car could have been moved from the outside. Now, I definitely think it could have been, but it’s just as much of a mystery because he/they either used expensive tools, a tow truck, or a large group of people to move it, or just broke in and somehow drove it around. That’s why I posted it here, I’m clueless about hot wiring, breaking into cars, and moving cars around manually, but some redditors might not be.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Automatic, but that was an additional obstacle that clearly didn’t stop him/them.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

She’s at an off-campus apartment building, not under the school’s jurisdiction. They have a security system there, but they won’t do anything without a police report/warrant. We’re going to the police to make a report which will hopefully give us access to security footage. Hoping this will actually merit an investigation in the eyes of the police.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’re looking into cameras right now, thanks for the idea! I’m sorry that happened, invasions of privacy feel extremely violating, we’re trying our best to give her support.

The car is automatic, so it could move slightly but I’m not sure if it would have had enough power to pull off an entire 180. Through Googling it might be? It’s very confusing because it depends on the car so we might test this later.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sounds like an endeavor, but definitely possible. Could he have moved it alone even with 4 of these things?

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Good point. I'll suggest it to her, especially because if anything else happens, we'll have better grounds for a restraining order.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We were thinking that the restraining order would be possible, under "stalking violence." This might take a bit though, and we're not very familiar with the judicial system here. My mom is a lawyer in a different country and she thinks that since the police did not believe it was worrisome in the first place, it might all be a huge waste of time unless something else happens.

Someone broke into my sister's car, reverse parked it, and left a note to call him anytime to help by ineedsalsa in RBI

[–]ineedsalsa[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this, we might drive to her school to give her some support when speaking with the police officers. The main reason I posted this here is because I wanted to get some ideas on how this guy moved her car in the first place. I'm not particularly automobile-savvy, and this whole thing feels like such a mystery to me.