April 10, 2007 UC Families Newsletter Circulation: 980 Moderator: Karie Frasch email: ucfam@lists.berkeley.edu Website: http://parents.berkeley.edu/ucfamilies Post a Message or a Reply: http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_ucfam.html ----------------------------------------- * Contents ----------------------------------------- New Postings *Crisis of Faith - in a Career, that is *Cat at UC village? *Childcare and commuting Responses *Graduation regalia-rent or buy? where? *Living in SF, studying at UCB with a baby Media *”Making Grad School ‘Family Friendly’” *“Commuting for Love — Winning Essay” New member ----------------------------------------- * New Postings ----------------------------------------- Cat at uc village? ------------------------------------------- The UC Albany Village website says no pets are allowed in the units. Anyone sneak in a cat? I can't imagine getting rid of our family cat to move into family student housing, but our options are limited. Any advice? anon Childcare and commuting ------------------------------------------- I'll be starting journalism school at Berkeley in the fall and I'm hoping my kids will be accepted at the UC childcare center. I'm wondering how fellow parent/ students deal with getting their kids to childcare and themselves to campus. According to the folks I spoke with at the childcare center my kids will be in different locations (different ages and Haste St is for full-fee only). I was hoping to take public transportation to campus, but that seems pretty unlikely if I have to drop off two kids at two different places on my way to school. My husband is available to help -- he BARTs into the city each morning for work. How do people manage this? (Not sure where we'll be living either -- maybe Albany Village.) mama of 2 Crisis of Faith - in a Career, that is ------------------------------------------- I'm an Asst. Professor with 2 small children. Today I'm going through one of those crisises of the career life. I had a manuscript rejected. I think it's really important work, but the reviewers just didn't get it. I've taken time off w/ my kids and am back at 100% now, but feel a lot of pressure to catch up w/ papers and national recognition and all the aspects of the career. As junior faculty, there's a lot of time spent on activities and setting up projects that really have nothing to show for them. Yesterday I was home w/ my 3 yr old, who had no school. We didn't have to rush anywhere, I spent some quality time w/ him and we did a bunch of errands. It was nice. Today he didn't want to go to school. Why did he have to? I see some behavioral issues in my kids and I see them behind where they could/should be in some academics - How much harm is being in school & daycare all day causing? I recognize this is a common problem. Any thoughts on how to work through these feelings? I love my work and I love my kids. I feel I have no role model for how to do this right. I'd love to be a super parent - great at my job and great w/ my kids, but know that's impossible. How do you set limits appropriately and maintain a good level for both? What resources exist for this? And really, specifics are better than vague statements - i.e. here's a website that lists good, cheap, healthy food, delivered to you or easy to buy premade, here are jobs you should skip, whether at home or work, here are things you should make sure you do, even if you sacriface work or home., etc. Here's a good way to say no to your senior colleague, without looking like a total slacker. :) (Oh, and like most of you, I imagine, we have no family in the area, and are a 2 professional parents family.) Searching for the happy balance --------------------------------------------- Responses --------------------------------------------- Original post: Living in SF, studying at UCB with a baby ------------------------------------------- Hello, I'm a third-year graduate student, six months' pregnant with my first child. Before the due date, my husband and I need to move from our current home in Oakland to San Francisco to accommodate a new job he just started in northwest SF. We have two questions: 1. We'd like to hear from other student parents about their experiences living in SF and attending Berkeley, especially if you've gone through this with a newborn. Any insights, recommendations, etc. are welcome. 2. Could SF-based parents recommend some family-friendly, BART-adjacent neighborhoods in the city for us to look for apartments? Many thanks! Adeline Reply: Living in SF, studying at UCB with a baby ------------------------------------------- We live in the Richmond district, which we have found to be VERY kid-friendly. The 38 Muni can get you to a BART station in 20 minutes. I'm not sure of any really kid-friendly neighborhoods that are close to BART. Glen Park might not be bad. I wouldn't recommend living near any of the downtown stations or the Mission stations with a kid though. Too loud. Re: Living in SF, studying at UCB with a baby ------------------------------------------- I am a Berkeley PhD student living in SF with an infant (she just turned 1). Here are my thoughts on the questions posed: 1. I have loved living in SF and find it relatively easy to get back and forth to Berkeley. When my daughter was born, I took several months off and then resumed working part time from home. I don't know where you are in your program and if that's an option for you, but it has worked really well for me. I have my daughter in a sharecare outside my home and I have found that reliable, uninterrupted chunks of time to work are invaluable. I will say that I have found it harder to stay motivated and on track since my daughter was born (there's always stories to read, laundry to do and diapers to change). However, I have very supportive advisors who have helped me stay focused and let me work out my own timeline. 2. The best neighborhoods to look in are Mission, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights and Glen Park. These are all very family friendly neighborhoods and most are close to BART (Bernal is a little bit of a hike depending on where you live). Good luck with your new move and your new baby! Email me offline and I'll give you the scoop about each of the neighborhoods. Kate Original post: Graduation regalia-rent or buy? where? ------------------------------------------- Hi, I'll be receiving my doctorate in May, and wonder if it'd make more sense to purchase than rent regalia. I intend to teach eventually. But online prices are $500 to purchase! Rentals thru Cal are only $70. Any advice? Did you purchase your regalia for less than $250? Where?! All advice greatly appreciated. Hoods and tams and tassels, oh my! RE: Graduation regalia-rent or buy? where? ------------------------------------------- I found a great place to order doctoral gowns for a fraction of what they cost elsewhere. Doctoral gowns are $50, gown + tam $109.95, and the hood is only an additional $39.95. Imagine that, the whole shebang for $150 + tax! Here is the website http://trimandtassels.safeshopper.com/62/cat62.htm?40 or you can call 1-800-477-3459. Wona ----------------------------------------- Media ----------------------------------------- 1. ”Making Grad School ‘Family Friendly’” Inside Higher Education, by Scott Jaschik. April 4, 2007. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/04/04/family Princeton unveils “continuum” of support — as more universities move to help future academics who want kids pre-Ph.D. 2. “Commuting for Love — Winning Essay” Inside Higher Education, by Bob Mayberry and Denise Stephenson. April 10, 2007 http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2007/04/05/love --------------------------------------------------------------------- - Post a message * http://parents.berkeley.edu/post.html - Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Address Changes, Help * http://parents.berkeley.edu/subscribers.html