Stanford

[chimerically]

I've decided to move to the Stanford Department of Communication next year. The decision was difficult and involved, but I think it's for the best. I am planning on keeping my Berkeley contacts alive, especially that with my current advisor, and I'll probably be back to sit in on a class or two as well (especially the one Jean Lave and Peter Lyman, though both retired, are planning for next spring). I've been doing lots of research on what classes are offered, who teaches them, and what professors and peers I could work with at both places. Danah and David helped me focus in by suggested a few pointed questions to ask myself: where can I find a community I want to work with? who will help me with the inevitable bureaucracy? where can I learn the skills I want to have? whose job would I love to have, and how do I get there? Ultimately, I know that I can't make a fully-informed decision since I haven't attended Stanford and can't possibly learn everything about it and can't know what will come up at Berkeley that I don't yet know about. Both schools have their strengths and weaknesses, and I'd very likely follow different paths at each. But all things considered, Stanford's resources in various areas put it ahead of Berkeley.

Comments

[janviere.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the decision, and good luck with the switch. Are you moving to Palo Alto?

[chimerically.livejournal.com]

We will eventually. Our lease (which we actually asked our old landlord for, to avoid being kicked out by the new owners after the sale) is up in December, but the new owners may be more than happy to nullify it so they can either raise the rent or move in themselves. (They're currently planning on moving in downstairs ... with their two-year-old who yelled nonstop while they were looking at all of the units with an inspector. Though I love this place, I'm not looking forward to that.) I looked around a couple of the more Berkeley-esque areas of Palo Alto today (e.g. College Terrace) and was reasonably happy with what I saw, so there are options ... even though I'll miss having my Berkeley friends over all of the time!