#public health PhD programs

[franzmasc]

truly so exhausting to mark out a future why can't i just learn forever not in an academia way in a way spread out across every single discipline. why do i need to major in something to get a job in it. why do i have to focus on distribution requirements and major requirements and premed requirements instead of just learning what i want. i should give up on the idea of becoming a doctor probably but what else would i even do truly no clue.

[varshamedblogs]

Public health professionals can move up in their chosen profession by joining the PhD in Public Health program offered by Texila American University and The University of Central Nicaragua. You can do it online, which is convenient for those with full-time jobs. The online PhD in Public Health follows a well-structured curriculum that meets global education quality. It is at par with the top public health PhD programs full-time at campuses.

To join, the PhD in Public Health requirements include a master’s degree in health science from a recognized university. You can leverage PhD qualifications to acquire knowledge, get better job offers, start your businesses, or get a government job. Individuals who have completed reputable public health master’s programs can further enhance their expertise and career prospects by enrolling in our rigorous online PhD in Public Health program.

[cardiganblues]

praying when I recover enough to work I can get a job at a nonprofit that targets social determinates of health so I can leverage my way into a social and behavioral sciences phd and go fully into the public health sphere

[jstor]

Hello, JSTOR!

I'm about to graduate with my first Master's and two of my professors who have helped me with my thesis (which is a literature review because the IRB views the topic to be too sensitive to be empirical). Do you have any tips on how to pursue publication for the first time? Not many professors in my program have done a literature review and published it, nor has anyway with a Master's or PsyD/PhD at my job, so we're not sure about how to go about it. (I've been trying to search, it's hard between writing a thesis, working, and having Dr.s think my seizures are fake).

Thank you much for any information.

-🦎 Lizard

Hi there Lizard,

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm happy to share a few best practices/advice based on what you've mentioned, but I'd also love if the community could hop in to share their experiences as well.

Before I get into that, I just want to remind you to prioritize your health and well-being first and foremost! It's great that your research is near and dear to you, but never feel guilty or like you need to justify putting yourself first. I'm sure there are plenty of relevant journals waiting in the wings for what you have to offer when the time comes. <3

It looks like you're in the psychology field. Publications like Psychological Bulletin and Psychological Review look like they may be a good fit after a quick search, but I have to disclaim this isn't my (the mod) particular field. Perhaps your professors have colleagues they know outside the program who have successfully published literature reviews. You may want to chat with them about their network.

Also worth noting that peer feedback can be invaluable, so if possible, have a few colleagues or mentors review your work before you submit.

Finally, we know the publication process can be challenging, especially when juggling other responsibilities. Don’t be discouraged by any initial setbacks or rejections—they’re a normal part of academic publishing. If needed, take your time to revise and resubmit.

[officialbabayaga]

when i contact the best phd programs in the country about what i’m interested in and they make themselves really available to reach out to and have flexible and holistic admissions requirements vs the programs i’d never even heard of but thought to reach out to anyway and tHeY dOn’T tAkE aNyOnE wHo DoEsN’t AlReAdY hAvE a MaStErS oF pUbLiC hEaLtH

[gurathins]

Hiiiiii I have a question about long haired Toby!!! What are the differences (in as much or as little detail as you'd like) between Baltimore Toby and Miami Toby 🤔

JEJFBFBJFJF THANK YOU SM

tw: this has mentions of overworking, mental health problems, unhealthy habits and substance use 🤧

Baltimore Toby is back when it was working on the first project/getting its phd (Baltimore bc I think the university the program belonged to was Johns Hopkins or something. haha. obviously we're talking about 2260's here though.) meanwhile Miami Toby is when Aleena & co. asked him to join the skincare start up as a co founder and head of comms.

Side tracking/additional info that's not so important: Okay so funniest thing is that i was like. basically thinking at first that hey i'm sure toby had lots of free time during the project as well. Then I saw a post abt my uni being on top 100's again in Shanghai ranking and went "hm what r the top universities" which then led me to google tuition fees in different places. I went to see john hopkins tuitions and kind of went 👁️👁️ when I saw that students would basically spend around 100k$ a year during phd (indirect fees included) so i was like. hm!

ANYWAY! While I did mention that in Cynosure worldbuilding most universities are free and all, there are still some private ones some parents like to send their children to and with which some corporations like to do collabs). Now, while Tobias did in fact probably get some scholarships and Mackie was like "oh if you keep working for us we'll pay all of ur uni debt" and Toby, 17 years old, naive and just wanting to show what it can do to help people, went "oh ofc that sounds great!". poor guy.

While he did think he would stay there after the project too, Toby's also "a bit" anxious and like, finds it hard to trust promises like that, so it goes on and does extra work like ta:ing and volunteering and all stuff like that. Which led it to basically have no free time at all hahaha. :/. It did attend a book club and get a game console to play its favorite video games at home but like, that's kinda it. It also liked to do work at home btw. Jack would literally come by sometimes and its just sitting looking through some data or something. lmao.

This also led to the fact that Toby basically had no other human contacts except for, well, it's coworkers, some people from university, the book club and Jack (who is also in the coworker section).

ANYWAY! After it left the project it was basically like, "hm what do i do now," especially after looking at its bank accounts and seeing a debt that would be like, almost one million dollars in our modern currency (bc he also hasn't paid for his bachelor's in MIT either. his mom sent him there. he didn't want to go there). Plus he's "just a bit burnt out" (Toby's words) and, well, trying to ignore all its thoughts and feelings re: Jack.

Week later after leaving Mackie Tobias opens its email and sees Aleena's message asking it to call her or meet up with her. So he goes there and she's like "hey so remember our project at that one cosmetics chemistry course? we were thinking abt turning it into a start up and i was wondering if you'd like to join," to which Toby's all like "uh. yeah. sure." not like it has anything else going on. Aleena makes it the head of communications bc Tobias loves public speaking, presentations and stuff like that. And so he moves to Miami.

NOW, despite having a title like that, it's surprisingly easy and has very little work tasks especially since it has a comms team. Toby has no idea what to do with all that free time. It's the first time in its life when it has so much free time (not counting age 1-5).

So it asks Aleena what she tends to do during her free time bc it kinda finds it hard and she's like "well i go to clubs sometimes. and meet with people. and do some other stuff hmm..." and toby, in its brain, basically went "oh so i gotta go to a club."

Well. He did. Many times. Maybe like five times a week or something. It doesn't drink alcohol but picked up some Other Substances to use and, well, basically got a bit too much into things like one night stands or quickies bc 1) its people pleaser brain somehow thought that would be fun and 2) it needed someone to care about it at least in some way and 3) it helped to not think about Jack. Then Frank also showed up so... 😬.

THAT SAID it's not that he only spent time there, Toby also liked to going to museums and got into playing basketball with Aleena. AAAAND it also started spending lots of time at home doing stuff. Or staring at the wall while being bored.

SO UM. How do I conclude this. Both were very bad to its mental health in different ways and the biggest difference is that Baltimore Toby had no free time and Miami Toby had too much. Another difference is that Baltimore Toby tended to limit its substance use to stimulants only, Miami Toby tended to, well, it was high almost all the time. :/

After it got done with everything it basically sold all of its shares for super cheap, which was enough to pay off most of its debt and have some savings, and then it just Left (tm) and went to start things over. Good for it.

[coochiequeens]

I'd rather be called a TERF than be someone who is ok with TQ+ organizations dedicated to minors without the commonsense approach of vetting the adults in the organizations or someone who pushes TQ+ studies without caring that the author is a pedo.

By Genevieve Gluck April 16, 2024

A gay couple who co-founded a Swiss LGBTQIA+ youth organization are being investigated by the public prosecutor after sexually exploiting two teenagers who were in their care. The men had created locations for their youth group, Sozialwerk.LGBT+, for children aged 13 and up in the city of Chur and in the municipality of Buchs, Switzerland.

While their identities were concealed by the press in Switzerland, Reduxx is naming the men involved as Holger Niggemann and his husband, Björn.

Holger, 42, is alleged to have had sexual contact with two 17-year-olds who had sought help for bullying with the organization. Holger was a board member of the group at the time, while his husband Björn was the business manager. The two men are said to have had a three-way sexual relationship with one of the teens, a 17-year old boy, according to a report by Tages-Anzeiger.

Numerous documents substantiate what happened in the group, including text messages, emails and voice messages, reports Tages-Anzeiger. Founded in 2020, Sozialwerk.LGBT has received public funding to set up facilities for at-risk youth as young as 13 who believe they are LGBT+.

During an investigation into the allegations, local media spoke to fifteen people close to the group to check the veracity of the allegations. The majority of those who came forward decided to remain anonymous.

One exception is Daniel Huber, a former board member of the association, who, with one other board member, reported the couple to public prosecutor Annina Grob, co-director of Avenir Social, the professional association for social work in Switzerland.

“For us, the behavior of the two is a total abuse of power, and the young people also felt that way. I brought it up again and again,” said Huber, who attended the meetings as a teenager before joining the board in a leadership role. “It is important not to look away from such behavior.”

According to statements from anonymous sources, the Niggemanns also took the 17 year-old boy on vacation to Germany with them.

See rest of article

By Genevieve Gluck April 13, 2024

Reduxx can reveal that a Dutch-American academic with a history of advocating for the normalization of adult-child sexual relationships has had a working relationship with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Theodore Sandfort’s research has been presented at the organization’s symposium as recently as 2016.

Sandfort, a Columbia-affiliated academic and LGBT activist, previously worked with self-declared pedophiles in the Netherlands, documenting adult men’s sexual abuse of boys as evidence to support his theory that adult-child relationships are “predominantly positive.”

Prior to relocating to Columbia University, Sandfort received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He was also the Chairman of the Interfaculty Department of Lesbian and Gay Studies at Utrecht University and Director of the Research Program “Diversity, Lifestyles and Health” at the Netherlands Institute of Social Sexological Research.

A faculty member at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, Sandfort has also been employed as a Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences, and worked at the university’s HIV Center alongside former WPATH president and Director of the institution’s Gender Identity Program, Walter Bockting. Like Sandfort, Bockting relocated to Columbia University from the Netherlands, having completed his doctoral degree in psychology from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Bockting and Sandfort also worked together in a professional capacity while acting as members of the editorial board for the academic journal Psychology and Sexuality in 2015.

The following year, in 2016, research co-authored by Sandfort was presented at a WPATH symposium in Amsterdam.

The paper, titled “Gender nonconformity and peer victimization: Sexual attraction and gender differences by age,” focused on the experiences of Dutch same-sex attracted adolescents aged 11 to 18. The study concluded that gender non-conforming youth were bullied by their peers, leading Sandfort and his colleagues to recommend that “key educational messages that address sexual and gender diversity should be delivered during childhood before early adolescence.”

However, Sandfort’s prior work dealt with sympathetic portrayals of pedophilic relationships between adult men and adolescent boys. In recent years, he has also had access to vulnerable youth in New York City’s foster care system, and, in 2020, he was dismissed from this position when his troubling research history dealing with the sexuality of children came to light.

In 1983, Sandfort authored an article for Youth and Society (Jeugd en Samenleving) titled “Erotic moments in working with children,” a small-scale study of sexual desires among five adult group leaders for the children in their care.

The men described deriving sexual pleasure from working with children, specifically when exercising together, bathing the children, or holding them on their laps. One man, identified as “Lex,” spoke of being aroused while “tickling” children aged “2 or 3,” wearing only his underwear, and proceeding to touch the toddlers’ genitals.

See rest of article

[catboybiologist]

Hello, I've heard from a few trans women that their transition made higher education impossible I wasn't sure if they were talking about college or grad school, but since you're a woman in a PhD program I was wondering if you think transitioning would make getting a higher education harder.

Thanks

Someone who might be trans that wants to pursue a master's

Hm. This is weird to answer. Unfortunately I can't offer TOO much insight here. I'm very much a baby trans (~1.5 months HRT) and I present as a man day to day without issue (seriously, y'all have NO idea how masculine I look outside of my pictures). When I do finally socially transition, I'll probably have more thoughts.

With that out of the way, here's my personal experience so far:

I don't think I would have transitioned if I was NOT in academia/pursuing my PhD. I think most of the issues people run into can be divided into three categories:

1. Financial difficulty with acquiring HRT or other gender affirming care

2. Closer ties (financially and emotionally) to family and being seen less as an independent adult means greater pressure to not transition, and consequences if you do

3. Academic stress and pressure while you're undergoing emotional changes that may make things difficult short term.

Personally I was able to dodge most of those issues.

A huge part of this is because I spent a lot of time meticulously ensuring a lot of aspects of my life are in place before I started HRT. I waited until I was out of undergrad, which has weirder finances, I scoped out options at my student health center vs in the community, established queer community, waited a year to start in a good lab and establish there, scoped that lab out for queer acceptance before I joined, and in general became more financially and emotionally secure. Also, while I'm still in good terms with my parents, I'm not financially or emotionally reliant on them anymore- so if that changes when I come out, it won't affect me as much.

Looking back, it's hard to say whether I would recommend doing things this way. During the time that I was "figuring things out", I was dying. I was depressed and aimless, and I couldn't make happiness or contentment my baseline emotion. Starting an online femboy account was my only outlet for a while. Also, my results are going to be less drastic now that I've waited until I'm 25 to start.

Obviously, I still have the stress of a PhD to worry about while my emotions and body are changing. But to be honest.... My PhD has been kinder to me academically than my undergrad. All of my goals center around two or three long term, overarching projects instead of a million tiny assignment and study snippets from a million directions. I personally think this is easier to manage even if it's more work overall.

In return, the academia environment has been good to me about my queerness. There's a gender care specialist on campus via student health where I can get HRT, queer organizations and events are much easier to come by in a university environment, and people on average are far more educated and open minded towards LGBT issues than the general public. I have a role in the main queer graduate student group here, and it would have been hard for me to find explicitly supportive friends without that.

I'm gonna throw an additional paranoid note your way: a master's degree is hell for everyone. While the exact ways in which this is true vary from program to program, but in general, they feel like the worst of both worlds from undergrad and a PhD. You're locked out of or have less of a chance for the financial stability and employment positions of a PhD position, but you're also locked out of the financial aid and support of undergrads. I'm very biased from a miserable MS experience, though.

So yeah. I think my experience has been different than a lot of people, but I hope there was some small insight there!

[sharlineshine]

Our Online PhD in Public Health Program is designed to improve your skills and advance the knowledge based on research approaches to solve public health problems.

[darkmaga-retard]

The many dozens of "safe and effective" vaccines that children in the United States typically receive after birth have saved hundreds of millions of them from illness and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a new report that experts are calling "laughable."

The CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) claims that routine childhood vaccinations for things like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B have prevented more than half a billion cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and precisely 1,129,000 deaths over the past roughly 30 years.

The federal public health agency is also claiming responsibility for allegedly saving U.S. taxpayers $540 billion in direct costs, as well as $2.7 trillion in indirect social costs, with its longtime childhood vaccination program.

The corporate media is parroting the CDC's claims as a "testament to the success" of childhood vaccination in America. Experts like Toby Rogers, PhD, a fellow at the Brownstone Institute for Social and Economic Research, however, say otherwise.

"The methods are shoddy, the data are untethered from reality and the conclusions are a preposterous fiction," Roberts told The Defender, a project of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Children's Health Defense (CHD). "This study is an advertisement on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry and it should be treated as such."

[wild-ride-to-headcanons]

So I’ve been inactive for a tad second, honestly How To Train your Dragon caught my eye and I’ve left TFP on the drying rack for a week or two. So to keep myself active and get back in the transformers mood, I’ve come up with some stuff about the kids. Their home life, some Headcanons, and just about them.

So let’s learn about the kids!!

Jack Darby is up first! Jack is the oldest of the teens, though he’s yet to hit even his young adult years. He’s a 17 year old teen. Tall and lanky, he stands around 6’7. At this point taller than his mom and even Fowler. Kids at his school often joke that he is emo, due to his tendencies to wear darker and baggier clothes. Also there’s the fact that he hasn’t cut his hair for awhile and it grew out. For the longest time he’d let his hair just fall over his face, only recently did he start pulling it back into a bun. He’s considered the quiet kid at school and around town. He doesn’t talk much, tends to stay home when he can, and rarely does he allow his emotions to show. He’s quite to a point that most kids at his school thinks he’s mute, only a few people know he’s not.

•Jack doesn’t have a dead beat dad, he just has a dead one.

•He likes drawing, he and Miko bond over it. He prefers realism, and neutral colors

• he has a thing for short more rounded women (hint at how Sierra’s gonna look ;)

•He’s interested in history and has an extreme curiosity that cannot be quenched!

•Jack has tendency’s to panic over those around him, always stressed about someone.

•unfortunately he’s also dealing with some mental issues (ones that we’ll have to learn about on the way.)

Miko Nakadi is up next! Miko is a young Japanese teen, she’s eccentric and loud. Standing at only 5 feet, and is 16 years old. Nothing seems to bother her, and she’s seems to have distaste for authority. This is due to her life in Japan. Miko grew up on a boat, raised by fishermen. They weren’t her bio family, though they still took her in. For most of her life in Japan she was raised on the water, not even going to a public school. These fishermen influenced most of who she is. They’re loud and enthusiastic, always encouraging her to be her real self. That combined with her little interaction with those her own age and others that lived in Japan, she has no fear to show herself. Unfortunately due to an accident on the sea, Miko got injured, permanently leaving some health issues. Due to this accident the local authorities deemed that she wasn’t raised in a safe environment and took her away, this left a bad taste of authority’s in her mouth. Eventually she managed to get enrolled in a exchange student program and was sent to America.

•She has no idea who her bio family is and doesn’t want to know.

•like Jack she loves drawing, though she prefers a more fantasy setting with bunches of colors.

•she has yet to know her type, though seems to be very open when it comes to sexuality.

•she struggles when it comes to understanding danger, as she’s been introduced to a considerably large amount of it since she was young. She also struggles understanding people and their emotions, due to not being around many.

•other than her health issue, Miko was diagnosed with Autism at a young age, and she believes that she has some ADHD.

•She loves music, especially rock and metal. If it’s loud, it’s fun. (She’s mostly deaf, having to wear hearing aids) she loves to play instruments, and has an easy time picking up on how to learn them.

Rafael Esquivel is our final one of the main trio. At 12 years old he’s only 4 1/2 feet. He’s a child prodigy, practically skipping middle school and most of elementary school. Soon it’s believed he’ll be able to go to college. He’s from a Hispanic family, a large one, having 10 siblings. Raf is from a family of geniuses, his parent both being engineers, and his sibling all aiming for high grades and phd’s. Since he was young, Raf loved to absorb knowledge. He read as many books as he could, took a lot of notes, always asked his siblings to teach him all they know. So his older sister taught him coding, while her twin taught him how to hack. One of his older brothers showed him how to start in the engineering field, often giving him little projects to build and learn from. His other siblings will teach him about biology and chemistry, despite him not being as interested in those fields. Then theirs his eldest brother, he makes sure everyone is taken care of in their parents place, always making sure that a break is taken. He also make sure that Raf keeps an open mind.

•His parents are rarely home, always on the job and making sure their family has enough to live a comfortable life. Their eldest son became the primary caretaker of the house, after Raf’s Abuela passed.

•He doesn’t show much interest in doing art like the other two, but he does enjoy the beauty of it. Especially since one of his aunt’s constantly shows him the beauty of the world.

•He’s too young and too into his education to even think about sexuality and romance. Even though one of his brothers is into psychology and sociology and is especially all about romance.

•Since he’s been so focused on learning and not socializing, his only friends are his siblings, he moved too quick through school too actually get to know kids his age. Sure the older kids treat him well in school, but they’ve never been friendly.

•His family believes that he has autism (I know a stereotype) but they’ve never diagnosed him or put him on any medications.

•other than his love for engineering, computers, and science, Raf has shown to be interested in a few other things. He loves reptiles and other little critters. He especially loves gaming and racing in games or with toy cars. He’s also shown an interest in archeology, especially since his uncle is an Archeologist, and gave him a necklace with a claw fossil attached to it.

That’s all I’m going to share for now, I feel like it’s best to learn about them as we go through the story. I also wanna mention that Jasper will be much more alive, bringing in more human characters and rounding out the few we get to see. Jack and Vince will still be rivals (it’s mostly one sided, Vince can’t handle Jack’s quite self.) sierra will have more to her than just being Jack’s small crush. Her friend will go through a race change and will have a twin, her family will also be the one fostering Miko. There will also be more characters introduced, you will just have to wait to meet them.

[varshamedblogs]

Unlock diverse career paths with a PhD in Public Health. Find online programs, job prospects, and essential skills for impactful roles.

Read More: Career in PhD in Public Health

[yesgermany-manish]

Why Consider a Masters Degree in Germany? Exploring the Benefits and Opportunities

Germany is one of the most popular destinations for international students who want to pursue a masters degree. According to the latest statistics, more than 300,000 foreign students were enrolled in German universities in 2020, making up 13.5% of the total student population. But what makes Germany so attractive for higher education? Here are some of the main reasons why you should consider a masters degree in Germany.

High Quality Education

Germany is known for its excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as humanities, arts, and social sciences. German universities offer a wide range of masters programs, from traditional disciplines to interdisciplinary and innovative ones. Many of these programs are taught in English, making them accessible to international students. Moreover, German universities have a strong reputation in the global academic community, with 44 institutions ranked among the top 500 in the world.

Affordable Costs

One of the biggest advantages of studying in Germany is the low cost of tuition. In most public universities, there is no tuition fee for both domestic and international students, except for a small administrative fee per semester. Even in private universities, the tuition fee is usually much lower than in other countries, such as the UK, the US, or Australia. Additionally, the cost of living in Germany is relatively affordable, especially if you choose to live in a student dormitory or a shared apartment. You can also benefit from various discounts and subsidies for public transportation, cultural events, and health insurance.

Cultural Diversity

Germany is a multicultural and cosmopolitan country, with a rich history and culture. By studying in Germany, you can experience the German way of life, as well as learn about other cultures from your fellow students and professors. You can also enjoy the variety of cuisines, festivals, music, and art that Germany has to offer. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the opportunity to travel around Europe, as Germany is well-connected to other countries by train, bus, or plane.

Career Prospects

A masters degree from a German university can boost your career prospects, both in Germany and abroad. Germany has a strong economy, with many leading companies and industries, such as BMW, Siemens, SAP, and Bosch. As a graduate, you can benefit from the high demand for skilled workers, especially in STEM fields. You can also apply for a job seeker visa, which allows you to stay in Germany for up to 18 months after graduation to look for a suitable job. Alternatively, you can pursue a PhD or a research career in one of the many prestigious research institutes in Germany, such as the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, or the Helmholtz Association.

How to Apply for a Masters Degree in Germany?

If you are interested in pursuing a masters degree in Germany, you will need to meet some requirements, such as:

Having a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized university

Having a sufficient level of proficiency in the language of instruction (German or English)

Having a valid passport and a student visa (if required)

Having a proof of financial resources to cover your living expenses

Having a health insurance coverage

The application process may vary depending on the university and the program you choose, but generally, you will need to submit the following documents:

A completed application form

A copy of your academic transcripts and diplomas

A copy of your language test scores (such as TestDaF, DSH, TOEFL, or IELTS)

A motivation letter and a curriculum vitae

A copy of your passport and visa (if required)

A proof of financial resources and health insurance

The application deadlines may also differ depending on the university and the program, but usually, they are:

July 15 for the winter semester (starting in October)

January 15 for the summer semester (starting in April)

You can find more information about the application process and the available programs on the websites of the German universities or on the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) website.

How to Find the Best German Study Consultants?

If you need help with finding and applying for a masters degree in Germany, you can consult with professional german study consultants who can provide you with guidance and support throughout the process. Some of the services that german study consultants can offer are:

Helping you choose the right program and university for your goals and interests

Helping you prepare and submit your application documents

Helping you apply for a student visa and a residence permit

Helping you find accommodation and transportation in Germany

Helping you adjust to the academic and cultural environment in Germany

Helping you network with other students and professionals in Germany

However, not all german study consultants are reliable and trustworthy. You should be careful when choosing a german study consultant and avoid falling for scams or frauds. Here are some tips on how to find the best german study consultants:

Do your research and compare different german study consultants based on their reputation, experience, credentials, and reviews

Ask for references and testimonials from previous clients and verify their authenticity

Check if the german study consultants are registered and accredited by the relevant authorities, such as the DAAD, the German Embassy, or the Ministry of Education

Ask for a written contract and a clear breakdown of the fees and services that the german study consultants will provide

Avoid paying any upfront fees or deposits before receiving any service or confirmation from the german study consultants

Avoid any german study consultants who make unrealistic or false promises, such as guaranteed admission, scholarships, or jobs

Conclusion

A master's degree in Germany can be a rewarding and beneficial experience for your personal and professional development. Germany offers high quality education, affordable costs, cultural diversity, and career prospects for international students. However, applying for a masters degree in Germany can be a challenging and complex process, which requires careful planning and preparation. If you need assistance and guidance, you can seek help from reputable and professional german study consultants who can help you achieve your academic goals and dreams.

[supernoondles]

2024

In my haste of class planning and making the most of my time in the bay, as I moved to LA for work in December of 2023, I completely forgot to write my year in review. So now I tell that it was a great year!

It was a year of milestones: I finally finished my PhD and graduated over the summer, spent the fall funemployed and traveling, and the last month moving and preparing for what, at least right now, seems to be my dream job. Yet when things are too good, I harbor a greater fear it could all come falling down.

I write this sitting on a plane from SFO to LAX (wretched airport) because 1) it was conveniently timed with my brother and his fiance (!)’s flight back to the Netherlands, and 2) I had airline credit from when I got COVID and could not make my friend’s wedding in Florida. In 2023 I got a PhD, my brother got a bachelor’s, and I got COVID from my mom when we went to Boston for said brother’s graduation. Last night (which isn't technically 2023, but 2024 starts, for me, when my health insurance card finally arrives in the mail and I get in a classroom with students) I hung out with my friends, who largely live in San Francisco, in the endless Asian strip malls of Union City. “When you get to the suburbs, SF and LA aren't so different,” said a friend. This has helped quell my anxiety about the move: that driving 30 minutes to neon plazas of Rowland Heights was semantically and experientially the same as the imitation mission plazas of the East/South Bay. (Since starting to read City of Quartz, again part of my migration south, I have thought: how funny that the lasting impact of the Spaniards, besides white supremacy, is their architecture. How funny it is that Asian immigrants now occupy these sites of worship.) This year, despite being filled with drama and (claimed) abandonment and reconciliation (or not despite, perhaps because of?) was the year of my mostly queer, entirely Asian diaspora friend group. In LA I believe I will have everything I need except for them (so although I'm scouting, I know what a rarity and a privilege I've had).

To put my move in perspective, I haven't changed geographic regions since I started college. Leaving high school was exciting (I couldn't wait) and for the last decade of my life I've had solid friends and community, as well as my family nearby. Sure, it's just the other major metropolitan area in the same state, but the distance is non trivial! For the first time in my adult life I don't have a reserve of people who are willing to hang out on a moment’s notice. For the first time in my adult life I am also living alone. I have loved the control (especially around having a clean house), but I get lonely very easily.

This year my Canadian partner left the PhD program and moved far away (back to Canada) to my immediate and eminent grief. I'm better now: daily calls help, as does begging for attention, as does turning an old friend into a lover. Japan was a sex vacation. Banff was a sex vacation. Oahu (where my lover’s aunt lives) was a sex vacation. 2023 was the year of having really good sex: public sex in a Petaluma park, sex in a ryokan with paper thin walls, hookups of varying but generally positive quality. As a consequence of my partner leaving, I finally became a real slut. It's been liberating, except for the fact that, even as of writing, I never heard back about my Medicare application so I was fucking uninsured. Out of the many indulgent days of unemployment vacation, two instances have stuck with me: hiking 12 miles while it was snowing in Banff to two teahouses nestled amongst glaciers, and landing at LAX after a sleepless flight from Japan, with a grueling 7 hour drive back to the bay ahead of us.

As I knew I would be leaving the bay area in 2022 (do you sign a year before you start in any industry besides than academia?), in 2023 I whittled away at my bay area bucket list. While I never managed to get up Sutro Tower, I did go to the Fallorons, which, despite my throwing up twice, was everything a birder could have wanted. (I took two boat rides this year, the other at Cape Cod when my brother begged for us to vacate his suffocating studio, and in that one I saw a great white shark attack. How lucky I am!) As usual, I went to many shows. New this year were shows my friends performed in! The past winter had the most rain I’d ever seen in the bay area, so I did a lot of hiking amongst the luscious green east bay hills, which stayed green until May. This made me also really happy, but I don't want my relationship to the bay area (like it is for so many people I know who have moved) to be one defined by lack.

One thing I will not miss, however, is West SF’s fog. This summer, as well as the ending of Daylight Savings time, particularly pushed me to my limits. As I get older my need for two daily hours of direct sunlight exposure grows more dire. The other lowlights of the year were having to replace my phone screen twice, and, after a decade in the bay, finally having my car broken into. I found it ironic that it was not because of petty theft (I also never leave anything in my car), but a TikTok trend encouraging teens to steal Kias and Hyundais. At least they failed with me!

In 2023 I organized a really big (600 people) party for a conference. I wrote a paper with my friends about power dynamics for the same conference (which usually only talks about “technical” things) which was also the last chapter in my thesis. Thanks, advisor, for believing in me. As the party was on Halloween, I hosted a costume contest. The winner for scariest costume was my labmate who put a photo of our advisor (my other one) on a programmable LED screen strapped to his chest.

In 2023 I also started getting paid an hourly wage that made me happy looking at the number doing contract work with an old undergraduate mentor. Beyond this, and the volunteer labor, and the paper/thesis writing, I did not do much of “working” this year: also part of the reason why this year has been awesome.

Thanks to an Asians with dyed hair and pronouns art accountability club, in 2023 I made more art than I had in past years. I did gouachetober and the occasional digital illustration. I did not, however, accomplish what I sought to do during my unemployment: dedicate myself to being a full time artist and making something great. (In retrospect, rest, recuperation, and being excited for my job instead of burnt out from my PhD was the more important goal, and I definitely achieved that!) I feel like one’s relationship to their creative practice is a lifelong evolution (mine certainly is), and at least I had time to slow down and think about how I want that to shape out (the answer which is, more than it has been.) I didn't sew much of significance (a robe with black cat fabric I bought in Japan, a very hungry caterpillar Halloween costume, a Pokémon fanny pack) this year. It was, however, a great year for video games: I really enjoyed Tears of the Kingdom (timed well with my COVID recovery), Super Mario Wonder, Pikmin 4, and I wouldn't say I “enjoyed” it, but I did play the Scarlet Violet DLC. My brother started playing Pikmin Bloom (so I have been playing it more) and I also “play” Pokemon Sleep every night. The best thing I watched was Beef. I listened to a lot of Caroline Polachek.

At a zine making workshop at Sour Cherry I got a 4x6 photo print of a cat that says, Wow! I'm looking forward to the future! That's the energy I'm approaching this new year with (I'm going to hang it in my office for my students). I am looking forward to adopting cats. My only resolution is to work less than 40 hours a week. Recapping how I did with last year's resolutions, I 1) did not really exercise more consistently, but I did run more consistently, and did a 5K with my dad on Thanksgiving! (Middle school me would never imagine.) 2) am unclear if I developed a more methodological way to conduct literature reviews, because my thesis related work was mainly copy/pasted from my old papers, and 3) did very much enjoy my last year in the bay. Here's hoping I can find community, nature, and food (rip China Lounge, I love you so much) as good in LA.