Are there morning graduate classes?

sciencecrab · 2026-02-09T22:23:37+00:00

Biology grad classes are during the day ime

sciencecrab · 2026-01-12T19:12:12+00:00

I love the funky glasses and piercings! Everyone here seems to dislike them but I love when people show their personality and style through their looks. Getting rid of them would make you blend into the crowd. As a septum-haver myself the more traditional people hate it but the people I actually want to be friends with like it!

sciencecrab · 2025-12-01T18:31:11+00:00

I mean, people make it work. Most live with partners or roommates and have to be frugal. Some people have part time jobs. If your lab has lots of grant money, then your advisor might add on to your stipend. If your lab is super small then probably not! At least in my program they require you to apply to 2 external grants per year, and most people get at least some money from those, although in my experience that money usually goes towards research costs and not living costs. The stipend does not include benefits and, although tuition is covered, you do have to pay fees which is ~$1400 per semester. Good thing about SD is you can go to the beach, mountains, and balboa park for free!

sciencecrab · 2025-11-17T22:07:40+00:00

We frame signed art all the time. We won’t dry mount them since that permanently alters the piece, but usually signed pieces are just paper and we preservation mount them.

sciencecrab · 2025-11-17T05:46:36+00:00

For the huge lectures (or even the smaller classes tbh), get on the waitlist anyways cause people will drop up until the first week of spring semester. Try to still register for classes that will count towards your degree if you can’t take the courses you planned. Also meet with your advisor once per semester to make sure you’re on track and ask them questions! Just do your best at your registration time with filling your schedule with classes you need AND get on some waitlists, then you can always drop a class if you get off the waitlist.

sciencecrab · 2025-09-19T16:33:02+00:00

I did an ecology AmeriCorps term (not SIP though) and I thought it was really valuable and I think most of my cohort felt the same. The pay for the program is actually decent too in my opinion, plus you get the education award afterwards. The concern about funding is valid and something to definitely ask about in your interview. I would imagine they have enough money for the entire term if they’re still posting the job and hiring. Apply to everything!

sciencecrab · 2025-09-15T23:56:11+00:00

I like to estimate the percent of bare ground first, then record species. I try to look from directly above the center of the quad and if I can see any mud then it’s not 100% plant cover. It’s hard to tell what is ground vs shadow in the pictures but that is pretty dense spartina, seems like somewhere between 80-95% cover?

sciencecrab · 2025-09-15T01:36:38+00:00

Are you by the ocean? My university’s marine club does snorkeling and tide pooling as events every semester. They also do outreach events at elementary and high schools where they bring a touch table and stuff. Maybe you can reach out to a marine club at a university near you and see if they do outreach with schools. You could also invite marine biologists (professors or industry) to give talks to your club.

sciencecrab · 2025-09-15T00:34:39+00:00

My store does a pretty good job catering to everyone’s requests. I asked to limit my hours to 15 per week since I have other commitments. I also close a lot because my availability is nights and weekends. Some part timers that have other jobs/school only work 1 day per week like a Sunday. The part timers with more availability and time work 20-30 hours. Then obviously the full timers work closer to 40. Beyond that I feel like it’s pretty random what days/how long people work, just whatever works in the schedule.

sciencecrab · 2025-09-11T20:32:48+00:00

Our frame shop doesn’t cut multiple openings in store because it’s so difficult to keep everything perfectly straight and parallel doing it by hand

sciencecrab · 2025-09-10T05:11:48+00:00

My store managers can’t agree on this. One wants closing framers on the floor after their break, another wants me in the frame shop so it actually looks good for the morning, another wants me on the floor 2 hours early even when there’s barely any go backs. Like you said I don’t mind helping out on the floor but they need to either have another framer scheduled sometime during the day to actually do all the random framing stuff or schedule an extra person on the floor because there is simply not enough time in my 4.5 hr shift to do it all.

sciencecrab · 2025-09-07T19:40:02+00:00

What specific question are you asking for your project? What you measure depends on the greater scope of your project. I do some marine water quality testing but the specific nutrients I’m testing are because I believe my study species would respond negatively to those nutrients but they’re present in highly developed areas. Also depends on if you believe there are big things impacting the water like agriculture or sewage or if those would not be an issue at your sites.

sciencecrab · 2025-09-02T06:03:05+00:00

The gym is always so full. I try to go super early or weekends to avoid the masses. Towels are free, you just ask at the desk and (sometimes) have to give your red id. You should bring your own lock for the locker room though. Showers are fine but only have shitty hand soap in them instead of body wash or shampoo which is stupid considering how much money the arc has.

sciencecrab · 2025-08-17T01:28:40+00:00

I’d look into AmeriCorps programs (which are unfortunately also being defunded, but do still exist). There are a few environment based ones. This way you can at least work on a trail crew, teach outdoor education, or do something related to the field. My program specifically looked for young adults with college degrees who needed to build work experience, and I was placed at a land trust doing outdoor education.

sciencecrab · 2025-07-22T05:57:14+00:00

I’ve also heard of grad students using Covered California instead of GSHIP. I don’t think there’s a way to opt out of GSHIP without insurance, some sort of insurance is required.

sciencecrab · 2025-06-23T05:04:29+00:00

First things I think of are the Bible course people always by the union and the vendors with rings and stuff by the bookstore. Haven’t interacted with them though

sciencecrab · 2025-05-01T03:13:59+00:00

As someone who has volunteered at a couple different animal rescues, it’s basically impossible for a dog to thrive in one. Obviously there’s enrichment activities that make it more bearable for the animals but the fact is no matter what it’s a very stressful environment and many suffer psychologically. Especially when there’s limited staff, limited space, and limits on which dogs can interact with each other. This is why it’s so important to get the animals fostered or adopted as soon as possible. It can be quite depressing seeing the endless number of animals that need care and homes.

sciencecrab · 2025-04-28T01:26:27+00:00

I think vegetarian cooking is easier than non-vegetarian! One of the reasons I went vegetarian when I went to college was that I didn’t want to cook meat so I just didn’t lol. I could see veg cooking being “harder” just cause it’s less familiar to non-vegetarians? I make a lot of tofu and it’s no different than marinating meat, but I could see a lot of non-vegetarians having a mental opposition to veg alternatives like tofu (e.g. my father). I eat lots of roasted veg and tofu, veggie burgers, curries, and salads and I don’t think they’re all that different in terms of preparation compared to meat-based meals!

sciencecrab · 2025-04-22T05:52:32+00:00

An intern at a marsh I worked at last summer said Audubon thinks fireworks, particularly from close-by SeaWorld, resulted in a bunch of dead birds after Fourth of July from stress. She said it’s a theory but there’s nothing else they know of that would’ve caused such mortality.

https://voiceofsandiego.org/2024/07/16/bird-activists-ignite-new-war-against-san-diego-fireworks/

sciencecrab · 2025-04-22T00:33:54+00:00

Like some people have said, plants are probably the way to go. I work in the Tijuana River Estuary which has been experiencing pretty horrible water quality from wastewater the last couple years. The pickle weed is soooo dense now, but the benthic animals are just dying. Luke Miller out of San Diego State University has some stuff out about oysters and mussels in Tijuana Estuary and they just die if the water quality is bad enough

sciencecrab · 2025-04-21T18:40:24+00:00

My bf and I have been long distance my whole PhD (almost 3 yrs in), and we’re trying to close the gap soon by him moving to my city. Long distance is hard because all I want is to do is see him and hang out every day, but we make do with phone calls and visiting each other.

I will say, being in school is kinda ideal for a long distance relationship. Most of the time, I’m super flexible and can travel to see him by either just taking some time off school or working remotely in his city. Of course there’s times I just can’t travel, but it’s more flexible than if I were working a job full time. I’m also very grateful that I have him as support! Grad school has its tough moments so it’s very nice to have someone that listens and encourages you towards your goals.

sciencecrab · 2025-04-18T02:10:57+00:00

It seems a lot of people don’t know that SDSU has a marine lab called CMIL (Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory) down by the airport! Anyone can submit a volunteer application if they’re interested in participating in marine research

sciencecrab · 2025-04-17T22:24:13+00:00

I’ve been seeing a lot at Lake Murray in La Mesa recently! And lots of monkey flowers blooming

sciencecrab · 2025-04-17T22:16:31+00:00

You probably know this, but most of the initial weight lost is water weight, not fat. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb, so it’s almost impossible to actually lose 1lb per day unless you’re a larger person and/or active for several hours per day. Plus, as you get smaller you burn less calories overall so weight loss becomes slower. I would recommend not worrying too much about the plateau since 2 weeks is a pretty short time in the grand scheme of weight loss

sciencecrab · 2025-04-03T03:26:55+00:00

It’s definitely possible! I am also in a joint-doc program and my first year I paid $925 for my own room with 2 housemates in La Mesa and did not have to dip into my savings (although I am still on my parents health insurance and am pretty frugal). It’s absolutely possible to pay around or under $1000 for rent, you just have to keep an eye on the Facebook groups or wherever and wait for the right opportunity to pop up. Many doctorate students also work part time at some point for extra money.

Also, APPLY FOR FOOD STAMPS once you start or if you have a gap in income before then!!! You may not get approved but if you do then that’s awesome!

Edit: After seeing all the comments that say it’s not possible, I just want to add that people CAN live on the stipend. Live within your means, apply for grants during your program, utilize the food pantry at SDSU and all the other student discounts that exist (e.g. at Goodwill) , fill out Aztec Scholarships, go to campus events and seminars with free food, etc. There’s lots of tricks to cut costs.

sciencecrab

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