Graduate program in History near great snowboarding ?

B

boardrider

New member
Hi,

I'm looking for suggestions of a Graduate program in History, taught in English, at a good University near great snowboarding.

For instance, UBC, UVic, and SFU in BC Canada - fit my requirements
as all are good universities with graduate programs in history and all are near Whistler-Blackcomb.

Could you recommend ?

Thanks,
BR.
 
I for one wouldn't base what graduate program I would be going to based on proximity to skiing/boarding. If you're going to grad school I would think picking the best program regardless of location is what will work best for you in the long run. That being said, UCB has a very nice campus and is a strong school.
 
Hi rfarren and Staley,

Thanks rfarren for your fatherly advice. ;-)
However, since I started my studies and got my B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science (1987),
I've been working as a system manager and developer for almost three decades.
Now I want to take a break, go back to school and get a degree in History (long time hobby) along with satisfying my craving for "white powder" (another hobby).
BTW, as I see it, getting a PhD can be done almost anywhere which has a decent library and an Internet connection, so - in spite of your advice, I'll try to find the best place that is also amenable to snowboarding.

And yes, Staley, you're right, I could probably find work in Vancouver in my profession (though Vancouver is a bit weak on the Unix side, and they don't have much demand for Pythonistas), so - if I get a work permit from the Canadian authorities, going to UBC could be facilitated by working in Vancouver.

Thanks for your input,
BR.
 
boardrider":2cxysoav said:
BTW, as I see it, getting a PhD can be done almost anywhere which has a decent library and an Internet connection,...
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While technically true, the biggest determinant of the quality of a graduate degree and how pleasant the experience is the quality of your adviser and committee. For the time, effort, and cost involved, it's foolish to base the decision on the proximity of good boarding. Not to suggest that it shouldn't be part of the decision, but it shouldn't be the driver. It's also naive to think you'll have much time to board. As a doctoral candidate, you're an indentured servant. Don't be surprised at an expectation of 6-day, 70 hr weeks, which leaves damned little energy for your one day off.
 
Marc_C":1dzt6hfj said:
It's also naive to think you'll have much time to board. As a doctoral candidate, you're an indentured servant. Don't be surprised at an expectation of 6-day, 70 hr weeks, which leaves damned little energy for your one day off.
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Even a masters program will be very time consuming. It's been a while since I was in school, but I didn't really have much leisure time except for weekend nights. Why not just find a ski town you like with a good library that you can catch up on your history reading? Anyhow, you can do what you want, but I would make sure that the town has some night skiing, because that may be the only way you get to the slopes.
 
One thing you might look for is the schedule of winter/semester break. In my son Adam's first year of grad school this past season, San Diego State's winter break extended from before Christmas to January 24. So he was at Mammoth continuously from Dec. 28 - Jan. 23. That comprised over half of his 48 days, 855K vertical and 198K powder last season. Adam does not expect the second year to be quite like that, as he will need to be working on his master's thesis during some of that winter break. He also went to Las Lenas for 2 weeks in August 2009 before start of school.

So I think rfarren's point is well taken. You may want to look at when your time off is more than where your school is.
 
Thanks Tony Crocker, rfarren, and Marc_C for your valuable inputs.
I live in Israel, so if I'm to get my graduate degree here, my chances of getting some snowboarding are rather slim.
So, going to a good school (if you recall, that was one of the requirements of my original post) that is near great snowboarding will at least give me the option to do some snowboarding - time permitting.
 
I still believe you'll do best with the snowboarding at a school with an extended 1+ month break through most of January, then stay here and don't go home during that time. FYI odds are enhanced during the upcoming La Nina season for extra snow through most of the Northern Rockies, for which January is often the best month anyway. December's more speculative odds are also improved at those places.
 
Hi boardrider,

I don't know much about graduate programs in History, but I did do some research on the graduate program in Geography back in 1988. Living and studying in Montreal at the time, I found that the Geography faculty at UBC (based on subject of expertize and professor) was the only one I considered away from home at the time. Other universities outside of the province of Quebec that might have been a good fit in the field I was interested in was in Southern Ontario, but I had no interest in going there.

The final list included UBC, these Quebec Universities: Laval (in Quebec City) and McGill or University of Montreal in Montreal. Visited and looked into Sherbrooke University, but it didn't find what I was looking for my specific field. Ended up staying at U of M.

rfarren":2ouag35q said:
Even a masters program will be very time consuming. It's been a while since I was in school, but I didn't really have much leisure time except for weekend nights. Why not just find a ski town you like with a good library that you can catch up on your history reading? Anyhow, you can do what you want, but I would make sure that the town has some night skiing, because that may be the only way you get to the slopes.
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I disagree. I managed to ski 35-40 times a year during the 4 seasons (started in Jan 89). I was also in a program where I had to present and defend a thesis, so it wasn't so course heavy (although courses required much work). But midterm and end of term was virtual skiless time (either by my own work or correcting exams and papers). Summer times wasn't a down time, I worked and was in University 12 months a year.

Marc_C":2ouag35q said:
It's also naive to think you'll have much time to board. As a doctoral candidate, you're an indentured servant. Don't be surprised at an expectation of 6-day, 70 hr weeks, which leaves damned little energy for your one day off.
Click to expand...

I guess no one told one of these guys: :lol: :stir:

http://www.famousinternetskiers.com/trip-reports/
 
Tony Crocker":3mgtu8js said:
I still believe you'll do best with the snowboarding at a school with an extended 1+ month break through most of January, then stay here and don't go home during that time.
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How quaint to think that a PhD program has an extended 1+ month break. In a doctoral program you really aren't taking many, if any, classes. You're working on your research for your thesis, but mostly you're working on whatever research your adviser is doing. There is no extended break for most faculty in most schools.
 
Patrick":tkwxvkvn said:
Marc_C":tkwxvkvn said:
It's also naive to think you'll have much time to board. As a doctoral candidate, you're an indentured servant. Don't be surprised at an expectation of 6-day, 70 hr weeks, which leaves damned little energy for your one day off.
Click to expand...

I guess no one told one of these guys: :lol: :stir:

http://www.famousinternetskiers.com/trip-reports/
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We're not talking about the 4 year extended vacation of undergrad school.
 
Two thoughts:

First I agree with Tony/Rfarren about the semester break being key to lots of skiing. I used to ski a ton during the 1 month break in undergrad school and then only some during the semester. Sounds easy to just go skiing during school weekends, but it ends up being less realistic on a number of weekends once you are in the midst of it. You'll get some, but there will be periods where it's impossible.

Second, I would have no idea about the quality of history programs at various universities, as I would suspect few on this board would either (not even close to my field of interest). Would it be as helpful if we list some universities near great skiing in North America generally, and leave it up to you to look at if or how good the history programs might be?
 
EMSC":nfj4cxey said:
Second, I would have no idea about the quality of history programs at various universities, as I would suspect few on this board would either (not even close to my field of interest).
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Same here. Admittedly much of my comments are based on what I know of graduate programs in the sciences and mathematics. However, a doctorate is still a doctorate program, no matter the field, and as such, there are still expectations on how you spend your time; and it's a *lot* more than undergrad ever was.
 
EMSC":5me8e9ri said:
...
Second, I would have no idea about the quality of history programs at various universities, as I would suspect few on this board would either (not even close to my field of interest). Would it be as helpful if we list some universities near great skiing in North America generally, and leave it up to you to look at if or how good the history programs might be?
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Yes, of course that would be great.
 
Marc_C":2khoso1s said:
EMSC":2khoso1s said:
Second, I would have no idea about the quality of history programs at various universities, as I would suspect few on this board would either (not even close to my field of interest).
Click to expand...
Same here. Admittedly much of my comments are based on what I know of graduate programs in the sciences and mathematics. However, a doctorate is still a doctorate program, no matter the field, and as such, there are still expectations on how you spend your time; and it's a *lot* more than undergrad ever was.
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Granted.
When I was studying for my BA in Mathematics back in the 80s, I was able to finance my studies and living expenses by working at Intel more than 20 hours a week. I'm not delusional I could copy that when pursuing a PhD.
 
Marc_C":24neckz6 said:
Patrick":24neckz6 said:
Marc_C":24neckz6 said:
It's also naive to think you'll have much time to board. As a doctoral candidate, you're an indentured servant. Don't be surprised at an expectation of 6-day, 70 hr weeks, which leaves damned little energy for your one day off.
Click to expand...

I guess no one told one of these guys: :lol: :stir:
Click to expand...
We're not talking about the 4 year extended vacation of undergrad school.
Click to expand...

:-" I didn't know a PhD in Mathematics was a extended vacation in an undergrad school? :twisted: Researching, lecturing and skiing or riding, it can be done.

However I agree with your next point. As a grad student, I never took a vacation or extended break from work. Less just say I wanted to catch up to lost time on my thesis from all the skiing and TA work I did during the semester. :mrgreen: But you're right in talking about the lack of break time, unless you're only going courses and no thesis are involved (I know it exists somewhere, it did back in the 90s).

Marc_C":24neckz6 said:
Tony Crocker":24neckz6 said:
I still believe you'll do best with the snowboarding at a school with an extended 1+ month break through most of January, then stay here and don't go home during that time.
Click to expand...
How quaint to think that a PhD program has an extended 1+ month break. In a doctoral program you really aren't taking many, if any, classes. You're working on your research for your thesis, but mostly you're working on whatever research your adviser is doing. There is no extended break for most faculty in most schools.
Click to expand...
 
My sister and brother-in-law have offices in the med school at UBC. My sister is actually a VP for Canadian Blood Services but managed to finagle a remote control location where she keeps her prof slot at UBC with her gaggle of grad students and postdocs. If you live in Vancouver, a relo to Ottawa looks rather unattractive.

UBC grad programs are incredibly competitive. If you can get in, by all means enjoy your time there. It's one of the more amazing places in the world. One point... Whistler is a haul from UBC. You're 2 hours away and there is a really nasty traffic jam at the Lions Gate Bridge to cope with. Whistler is very expensive. There are moderate breaks for Vancouverites and UBC students but your season pass or day tickets will be far more expensive than you'd find at most US destination resorts. Near-mountain housing is very expensive. Vancouver housing is very expensive. If you have a substantial chunk of savings to subsidize your housing and skiing, it's no big deal. if you're trying to do it off grad student stipends, you will struggle.

Utah has the best ski economics, low housing costs close to both schools & slopes, and the best snow in the world. I think it's at least worth taking a look at the programs at the universities there.

Reno is 45 minutes from Squaw. The University of Nevada, Reno has a 3000 student graduate school.

You have Seattle with the University of Washington. Bellingham has Western Washington University. Oregon probably has some options. Calgary might have something.
 
I suppose I should trot out my "metro area skilist," which is in substantial agreement with Geoff's post:
1) SLC
2) Reno
3) Vancouver
4) Seattle, FYI Adam's Snowbird friend Ben Solish, who was undergrad at MIT, got his master's from UW. Most of his skiing was at Stevens Pass, which had the best student discounts. Crystal, which has the world class terrain up there, evidently doesn't give students much of a break.
5) Denver, EMSC can probably tell you what you need to know about Boulder and Univ. Colorado there.
6) Sacramento, UC Davis is nearby but a bit farther from Tahoe.

The next group, Portland, Calgary, Spokane (Univ. Idaho and Washington State both close) different skiers would likely rank according to personal preferences related to distance, multiple areas vs. just a few, length of season etc.
 
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