Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with columbia

Moving to Columbia, SC: Graduate Student Relocation Project Alpha

strixus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:08:41 -0800

It looks more and more as if I will be attending University of South Carolina, in Columbia, SC, as a graduate student in Philosophy this fall. Please help me Let us view this as an update to this question from 2007 but with some more issues.

Yes, I would like to know where to live close to campus. I'm familiar with the Irmo / St. Andrews area of Columbia, primarily, but would like to live closer to campus than those areas. Preferably, closer to the north end of campus / state capitol area. Are there any places near there to avoid or look for? I may be living with a friend who is buying a house, but if that falls through, this is a very pressing question.

Two, I am a native of Atlanta, born and raised in town. How big of a shock will the Columbia bus system be to me? Is it better or worse than MARTA? Is it "safe" for a city wise female white girl who is used to riding MARTA and GCT? Is it reliable? Or will it have the same schedule issues MARTA does? Could I use it to commute to campus every day? Also - how are the shuttle services on campus?

Three - how bad IS the parking situation on campus? Do consider that I am used to parking in down town Atlanta, and find myself gobsmacked at how much cheaper the parking pass for USC is than GSU. I will have a graduate parking pass, but I need to know if parking is in fact regularly available in the student and all tag lots. As in, every day available, in the same lots, on the north side of campus.

Four - given that I am in fact a city folk by heart, how much of a shock is living in down town Columbia going to be for me? What are the marked differences between Atlanta and Columbia in terms of living there? Will roughly 1500 a month be enough to live a starving student life in a small apartment in town, and still be able to enjoy myself and enjoy living there? I realize my concept of living wage is way off because of having lived in ATL my entire life.

Hive mind, home me!

Advice on Cartagena, Columbia

pianoboy — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:50:42 -0800

Has anyone visited this Cartagena, Columbia, and can you offer any up-to-date advice regarding safety and the best places to visit on a one day cruise stop? My wife, daugter and I have been invited to join our family on a cruise that stops in Cartagena, Columbia for a day. (Cruises are not my normal mode of travel)

We're very excited about seeing the city, but keep hearing security concerns about Columbia. Has anyone visited this Cartagena, Columbia, and can you offer any advice regarding safety and the best places to visit on a one day cruise stop?

Can anyone recommend a good graduate school for Nutrition Major?

pixxie — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:32:43 -0800

Hi, I only have 1 1/2 years till I'm completely done my undergraduate nutrition degree in Canada. I've already established that I want to pursue a masters, however, the only school I have been checking online is Columbia's Department of Nutrition because it is the only school I can think of which offers a decent program. Is it true? If not, does anyone have any good suggestions (NA, Europe, Asia)? Right now, I'm mostly interested in the subject of metabolic disorders. Before telling me your answer, I think it is important to know the pros & cons about me.

Pros:

1] I've been taking a lot of 500-level courses relating to physiology and experimental medicine (e.g. advanced applied cardiovascular physiology and endocrinology)

2] I have been volunteering for a non-governmental organization for quite a long time now

3] GPA is +3.6

Cons:

1] Haven't written my GRE yet (this summer, but I don't know where to begin!)

2] This is my 2nd degree, I did a degree in chemistry before but my GPA was very low (3.12), got some F's that I'm not very proud of :(

3] No research experience because I feel that my degree doesn't really offer any good biological lab techniques compares to someone in physiology or biochemistry let's say. This is definitely my downside. I hope to email some professors this summer who work in the hospital, but why would they hire me instead of a physio major?

4] Haven't taken Genetics

How to get into Harvard with average-ish grades!

freddymetz — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:03:51 -0800

How to get into Harvard with average-ish grades! After a lifetime of british education, i was dropped into the deep end when my parents sent me to a German school when we moved to Germany four years ago.
I've really improved my grades since the beginning, but i've been unable to attain the grades i used to get in England.
This put a considerable damper on my Harvard ambitions, but i have other tricks up my sleeve.
I'm in my last year of high school, but i go to university two days a week alongside school. I also took the SATs and, although not having received the results yet, i think i got marks in the 650-750 area in each section.
I will also try and get letters of recommendations from two professors at university.
Should i even attempt to apply to the ivy league universities, with my momentary average grade being approximately 1.8 (1=A, 2=B)?

This would be for the application for fall 2009, but i also have the possibility of taking a gap year as a social worker in south america next year, and then applying for fall 2010 - this having the advantage of me also having "social" qualifications, which i heard was also important.

What can i still do to raise my chances of being accepted to harvard (or other ivy league universities) and should i wait till after i've done my gap year?

Cheap copy shop in Manhattan?

limon — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:21:15 -0800

Can you recommend a copy shop in Manhattan (preferably, but not necessarily, around Columbia or in Harlem) where I could print several hundred pages and have them adequately bound (on a plastic spiral, etc. -- nothing fancy) without paying too much?

Where are the discounted games?

mcarthey — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:21:18 -0800

Why does a club similar to BMG or Columbia not exist for PS3 games? I realize there are online services similar to GameFly and rentals available at BlockBuster and used games at GameStop, but I'm looking for new games to purchase rather than rent. I'm interested in owning more games, but not interested in paying full price for new games.

C'mon SCOTUS throw me a bone!

Science! — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:03:27 -0800

Dear US Supreme Court Fans, when will the opinion on Columbia v. Heller be issued? In the last year I've become a fan of the supreme court. I listen to oyez.org podcasts of the arguments and opinions when I can. I'm almost done with Toobin's book "The Nine" and I am becoming increasingly fascinated with the court. I've browsed through scotusblog, oyez, and justia but they all seem to be wholeheartedly dedicated to reporting the facts. Fair, and honorable enough. I however want to know what date this ruling is likely to come out on, and what website I should be hitting refresh on to get the opinion as fast as I possibly can.

If I've missed a forecasting page on one of these sites or any other please point it out. References or a history of accurately predicting opinion release dates preferred.

Trolls: For the purposes of this question the outcome does not matter, I just want to know when it's going to be released.

ISO suggestions for Columbia River Gorge trip

Saucy Intruder — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:24:18 -0800

Four days, mid-July, mid-week, in the Columbia River Gorge. We want to take day-hikes in different locales but stay somewhere centrally located. Hood River, I assume? Or someplace on the Washington side? Hit me up, hivemind.

What was this crazy statue I saw in NYC in 1999?

jtron — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:56:21 -0800

What was this giant, crazy statue I saw in New York City? It was near Columbia University in 1999. Here's the story. It was 1999 and my old band was playing what turned out to be one of our last-ever shows, at Columbia University in Morningside Heights. After our set I wandered away to meet up with a friend at a bar on Amsterdam Avenue. A couple blocks away my mind was COMPLETELY BLOWN by a statue I saw: it featured a man with crab claws, huge waves of water, combat with the devil, and other odd things. I had a more-sober friend of mine confirm that yes, we were actually seeing this statue. In my memory it was HUUUUUUUGE but as mentioned, I was not exactly sober at the time, and this was 9 years ago.

So, what was it? Is it still there?

Where should babby be made?

lassie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:25:53 -0800

Best NICU in New York City? A good friend just had a very premature baby. Now that the focus is off mom and on the baby, my task is to help the parents decide if they should stay where they are (St. Luke's-Roosevelt by Columbus Circle) or relocate the baby to another hospital's NICU (specifically New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell).

While personal anecdotes about your experiences at either hospital in this particular situation will certainly be valuable, I'm looking more for answers that point me in the direction of relatively objective, professional assessments of the value of one hospital over the other with regard to their NICUs. I'm certainly willing and able to do research, but Google returns a bewildering array of hits, and I'd like to be able to narrow this down a bit.

Needless to say, this is somewhat urgent, and I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks very much.

Rainy days and mondays always get me down.

Glitter Ninja — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:00:56 -0800

What are some fun things to do in the Columbia, SC area (especially this weekend)? My boyfriend will be in my city for the first time starting today, and will be leaving Monday afternoon. Aside from having dinner with my parents tonight, I have two days and nights I feel I need to make an interesting, worthwhile experience for him- except I barely know my home city!

I live in the Irmo area, about 10 minutes from downtown Columbia. Willing to go as far as West Columbia (but probably not Northeast), since I'm pretty much terrified of the interstate.

What's out: anything physical activity intensive (I have pretty chronic back pain from a car accident about a year and a half ago), sports-related things (neither of us is a fan).

The weather this weekend is supposed to be cloudy and rainy, so inside stuff is preferred, even though it's reasonably warm. Thanks in advance, Hive Mind! You always have the best answers. :)

Help with mystery mail

chiababe — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:28:32 -0800

Someone at my office received this in the mail today: Picture. We have no idea who it is from or what it's about. We don't have a color scanner, so let me describe it. Everything is red except the "CANDY CAIN RISING" and "all is calm." Those are both in black. It was received in an envelope postmarked from zip code 29201, so we know it's local. There was no return address and the address was handwritten in what appears to be a woman's handwriting.

Googling returns nothing relevant that I can see. Any ideas what this is?

Restaurant recommendation (Columbia, SC)?

Womanscientist — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:58:09 -0800

Can you recommend a romantic restaurant in Columbia, SC for a birthday dinner-date? I'm looking for a quiet, romantic restaurant for dinner and conversation. Cuisine is not particularly important (Bistro, Italian, Greek....). Thanks in advance!

Mmmm, tapioca pearls...

Glitter Ninja — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 09:10:25 -0800

Where can I find bubble tea in Columbia, South Carolina? I live in midlands SC, somewhat outside of Columbia, and have a hankering to try some bubble tea. (Yes, I said hankering.) I know there are a couple of teashops in my immediate area (Irmo) but I don't think anything of them serve bubble tea. I would be willing to travel as far as downtown Cola/the Vista/Five Points for some bubble tea, but not as far as Greenville (which shows the only bubble tea places in SC, according to google).

So, askmefi: where can a midlands girl get her hands on some delicious bubble tea without going too far for it?

Where should my brother live in Columbia, South Carolina?

icollectpurses — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:50:29 -0800

My brother is moving to Columbia, South Carolina for school at USC and would really appreciate your input on a safe place to live and enjoy the city for at least 4 years. My brother is in mid 20s, hip, down to earth, conservative yet progressive minded, metrosexual, doctoral candidate-to-be at USC. Ok, that sounded like I am pimping my brother, but he is trying to find information about the city so he can find a safe, clean, place to live where he can quietly study, read and do his research. I would really appreciate any suggestions on nice places to hangout as well(cafe, etc), a clean bar for grad students, restaurants for good home cooked meal, perhaps, or anything. He is open to new experiences coming from a big city and hope to get familiar with the city a bit before he moves down there. We'd also appreciate any recommendations on health clubs, hobbie organizations, sports, etc.

He's been told that he can get a one bedroom house for as little as 300 bucks but I am afraid that could be in a shady part of town...(although this could likely be a huge generalization).

Thank you in advance for all your input.

Photo booths in South Carolina

nathancaswell — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:03:51 -0800

Where can I find a Polaroid (not digital) photo booth in South Carolina? Ideally it would be black & white, not digital, and printed in strips.

I've done my googling and checked out a couple (but they've all been the digital ones that superimpose cheesy stuff like saloon doors and "Wild Wild West" in Rosewood.

I feel like there has to be a couple somewhere. Anyone know of one?

If this doesn't pan out our next step is to call a place that rents them and ask who services their equipment. Then call the service company and see if they have a list.

How to get into prestigious teachers' school?

shivohum — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:01:17 -0800

What does it take to get into prestigious graduate teaching programs like Bank Street / Columbia Teachers College? A friend is a latina teacher with a bachelors' in education (and initial certificate in teaching), 2 years classroom experience, a ~3.1 GPA from a state school, bilingual (Spanish), and has wonderful references.

What are her chances -- and how can she maximize them -- of getting into grdauate-level professional certification programs at the finest teachers' colleges available, like Bank Street or Columbia Teachers College? I can't find statistics or too many other "inside scoop tips" on these schools' admission procedures. Thanks!

Columbia TN things to do

username68 — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:38:35 -0800

I will be in the Columbia/Hohenwald, TN area this weekend and am looking for some things to do. I have been told there are lots of historical sites around and lots of plantations. The problem is that I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone know of some good things to do and see? Good restaurants would be a plus!

Space Shuttle Columbia Accident

msacheson — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 06:47:36 -0800

What is the best book/article you have read on the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident?

Commuting in MD

MsVader — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 05:57:12 -0800

Can any of you recommend a nice place to live in MD that is good commuting distance to both Suitland and Columbia? [more inside] I live in New Jersey right now, but I just accepted a job in Suitland, MD. The boyfriend lives and works in Columbia right now, and we'd like to find a place together. Our main concern is that it's in good commuting distance to both of our jobs. However, we'd also like it to be nice. In my research, most of the apartment complexes I've looked at are rated poorly by past and current residents.

Any area mefites have advice or recommendations?

Recommned universities in Ontario and Quebec

Raze2k — Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:43:47 -0800

My girlfriend is planning on transferring to a university on the east coast next semester (Ontario or Quebec with preference for Quebec). She has little experience with French so anglophone universities are a necessity. Currently attending a university in British Columbia (the name escapes me), she has a 3.4 gpa and hopes to bring that up to between 3.5 and 3.7 by the end of this semester. What are good schools? Safety schools? [In Quebec] How difficult will it be to locate part-time employment without speaking much, if any, French?

[She's undecided on a major so ideally the school would have a good sciences or liberal arts program] Thanks in advance for any help :)