What to buy: Supplies, Software, and Gadgets

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I was inspired by a thread I read on gradcafe and I thought it might be fun to start one here- particularly because most of our courses of study are much more similar than the folks at TGC.

Any ideas of things that you have bought for grad school that have made studying or living most practical or convenient? Or, anything you are planning on buying this year? School supplies, computer software, technological devices, office/apartment furniture?

As someone who is moving halfway across the country and only bringing what fits in my small car, I'd love to hear some good suggestions. Great thread topic!

I recommend that you refrain from buying software until you get there. Some programs/schools offer free or discounted software licenses to students.

Whenever you buy a printer, make sure to check the pages per cartridge- even if that means ordering off of newegg.com instead of bestbuy. It may mean getting a B&W only. The one I've got now i love and it throws out about 9000 or so pages per 70 dollar cartridge. Life saver when it comes to printing papers, charts, thesis, articles, etc.

That's the best advice I was ever given.

I love my laser printer. I invested more than a few dollars in it, but it's still kicking (and running on the first ink cartridge) years later (after going through multiple cheap ass printers) . . . and I print a lot of crap. Granted, I think it may be just about time to change that cartridge.

In the meantime, save your money printing from home whenever possible. Many places allow you to print from university computer labs for free as part of your student fees. Do the bulk of your printing there. Save your ink. Save your paper. Save your printer.

I need to get myself a laptop (my Dell decided to give out the day the hinges popped out of place, supposedly a factory error. The fan also sucks and it gets heated pretty quickly and shuts off). This time I want to buy myself a Sony Vaio or Mac, whichever is the cheapest of the two (I would rather have another PC since I am familiar with the programs but I've heard Mac's are worth the money when it comes to durability). I also have an external memory which I really love because I can backup my computer, save articles, applications, programs, etc. And I know that it won't slow my computer down. I also got this cute little USB HUB since I have multiple USBs, a Printer, my Terabite, and a phone I usually connect to the laptop.

Pretty much that's it for now...hm.

Do not get a mac. They have a terrible record of backwards compatibility. One of my bosses just upgrades to the new OS (lion) because he had to to use iCloud and they are phasing out mobileme, and he was forced to upgrade his entire MS Office suite which he bought in 2008 because the new OS won't support it.

It's bull****. They do this often, and are generally a very anti-competition/closed system company. I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't facing anti-trust lawsuits soon.

Also, your money will go much further with a PC. I am planning on getting an ultrabook (prob. the acer aspire S5 when it comes out) and building a top notch tower as a main base. In total this will probably cost me ~$1600 before tax.

I know many people are in love with Apple, but I think there are many reasons not to go the Apple route. I say this as someone who went from being a PC user, to an Apple user, and now am happy to move back to being an PC user. Another think to think about is that if you get an Apple you will still have to buy Windows and run boot-camp on your computer to use certain psych programs e.g. Eprime and Mindware to name two.

Edit: also you might have to completely reformat your terabyte drive (if you meant by terabite that you have an external hard drive) as OSX uses HSF+ formatting and Windows PCs use NTFS.

General advice: Buy a laser print. You will get better more pages printed per dollar spent on ink/toner, it will print faster, and you will be able to highlight your pages without the ink smudging.

Originally Posted by Ettevi05

I need to get myself a laptop (my Dell decided to give out the day the hinges popped out of place, supposedly a factory error. The fan also sucks and it gets heated pretty quickly and shuts off). This time I want to buy myself a Sony Vaio or Mac, whichever is the cheapest of the two (I would rather have another PC since I am familiar with the programs but I've heard Mac's are worth the money when it comes to durability). I also have an external memory which I really love because I can backup my computer, save articles, applications, programs, etc. And I know that it won't slow my computer down. I also got this cute little USB HUB since I have multiple USBs, a Printer, my Terabite, and a phone I usually connect to the laptop.

Pretty much that's it for now...hm.

the hinges popped out of my dell too!!!! was so mad. bought a macbook after that b.s.

On the Mac vs. PC issue I would have to say I have noticed that as far as classes go I have noticed that I've had a bit of an easier time with my PC than some of my classmates have had with their Macs. There is always the Mac to PC word/excel/PowerPoint issue as all the profs at my school have PCs bc that's what the school gives them, but they've also had issues with their SPSS data files and programs like AMOS (used to do SEM). Just food for thought.

I would say email some of the people coming in with you and see if someone wants to split a version of SPSS with you because when you buy it you can put it on two computers, and you'll likely need to buy SPSS. Also, I would suggest a program called Mendeley (and it's free - rejoice!), it will catalog all PDF files you have for different papers and make APA citations for them when you input the data.

The PC v. Mac gab has really shrunk in the last few years in regard to software compatibility. I held off for so long because Mac didn't have SPSS and a few other things I used. Now it is pretty much a non-issue. The only thing to watch out for is that once you go Mac...you'll never go back.

Originally Posted by deliciousgoose

Do not get a mac. They have a terrible record of backwards compatibility. One of my bosses just upgrades to the new OS (lion) because he had to to use iCloud and they are phasing out mobileme, and he was forced to upgrade his entire MS Office suite which he bought in 2008 because the new OS won't support it.

It's bull****. They do this often, and are generally a very anti-competition/closed system company. I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't facing anti-trust lawsuits soon.

Also, your money will go much further with a PC. I am planning on getting an ultrabook (prob. the acer aspire S5 when it comes out) and building a top notch tower as a main base. In total this will probably cost me ~$1600 before tax.

I know many people are in love with Apple, but I think there are many reasons not to go the Apple route. I say this as someone who went from being a PC user, to an Apple user, and now am happy to move back to being an PC user. Another think to think about is that if you get an Apple you will still have to buy Windows and run boot-camp on your computer to use certain psych programs e.g. Eprime and Mindware to name two.

Edit: also you might have to completely reformat your terabyte drive (if you meant by terabite that you have an external hard drive) as OSX uses HSF+ formatting and Windows PCs use NTFS.

Thanks for the advice! I have never owned an Apple Product in my life, and I have only used them when I use the colorful iMacs in my elementary school for keyboarding class. Other than that, I am mainly looking for a system that hardware won't fail. My laptop is 4 years old, and like the poster above me, I was already having issues with it when it came to computer parts literally disintegrating in front of me (I am really careful with my things, and take good care of them, it's not like I slammed my laptop on my desk until it broke off ). I am interested in finding something that is durable and I won't have to replace in 4 or 5 years. That's my main interest in a Mac or Sony Vaio (my engineering friend has had the same laptop since high school, about 6 years with it and he doesn't even take care of it!).
I hadn't take the upgrades into account that much but I did know there were some issues with the programs compatibly. Thankfully my university provides both PC and Mac friendly programs at no costs to the students (well, just a percentage which is included in our tuition). Other than that I am looking for a laptop that won't give out on me during my last years of doctoral training.

For what it's worth, I have a MacBook Pro I got discounted through my university. I also have Windows on it, which I run through Parallels, and I also have Office...all discounted through school. It has crashed once in 2+ years of use, which is a relief after having Dells for too many years. I got a cheap netbook for taking notes during class....the mac is what I use at home.

Originally Posted by PsychPhDStudent

For what it's worth, I have a MacBook Pro I got discounted through my university. I also have Windows on it, which I run through Parallels, and I also have Office...all discounted through school. It has crashed once in 2+ years of use, which is a relief after having Dells for too many years. I got a cheap netbook for taking notes during class....the mac is what I use at home.

Not to push this, but I think this is a price thing rather than a PC/Mac issue. Equivalently built PCs tend to be slightly cheaper and just as stable as their Mac counter parts. I am assuming that you spent more on your MacBook Pro (relative to computer price changes per year) than you did on your Dells. If you'd spent the equivalent amount on your PC laptops as you did on your MacBook Pro you'd likely have the same result, but also have a computer who's components are much cheaper to replace if anything happens. For instance, my water bottle opened in my backpack and damaged the universal board (on a PC the motherboard) of my macbook. To replace this on my macbook would cost ~$1000. On a PC, it would could ~$200.

For what it's worth, I bought one of those cheapo laptops over two years ago--an Acer, one of the cheapest laptops at the store! I've never had any problems with it. It's been a great computer. And I schlep it around everywhere. Highly recommended!

My last two laptops have been Sony VAIOs. While Sony tends to run a bit more expensive than other PC brands, I've LOVED my Sony laptops. Reliable, great performance, lightweight, no complaints here!

I would also get a heavy duty stapler. The kind with a big handle that can do 60+ sheets. Nothing is more frustrating than stapling the same 40 page article five times because your crappy little stapler keeps bending the stupid staples.

I would also invest in a nice file cabinet. A big one for home that can store all your articles from each class and another portable one that can carry all your dissertation articles and re-writes.

+1000 on the laser printer. I was all ink jet until last year. My life is totally different now.

If you don't have one by now, buy a bookshelf.

This is more personal preference but I love my Timbuk2 messenger bag. It does everything I need it to and I get a compliment every week or two on it. They will outlast your grad school experience.

If you have a long commute, get a radio for your car that can accept MP3's off your phone. You can do books on tape, learn a foreign language, or rock out to some GaGa all on one device.

Oh, if you have a choice on where to put your office, keep it as far away from the kitchen as possible.

Buying a nice chair to type and study in is worth the extra money. Having your back hurt is a legitimate excuse to stop studying that might be avoidable with a nice chair.

I have one last piece of advice. This above all else will get you better grades, get to bed on time, and avoid drama in your life. Delete your Facebook account.

Question for those more experienced : do you recommend having a desktop at home? I have a laptop, but I'm wondering if it would be nice to have a central work station at home

I would. If nothing else it can be invaluable to have a "backup" computer in case something weird happens (HD crash, laptop gets stolen, etc.). Plus I wanted to have one that was a beast, so built a desktop that fit my needs and was far more powerful than any laptop would ever be. Great for when I need to do intense processing, and it is FAR more comfortable to use (dual monitors, nicer keyboard, etc.). Not that my laptop is bad, but if you aren't going to have a desktop I would at least get a docking station, etc. for it. My (heavily) biased opinion is that dual monitors are one of the best investments money can buy in this profession. Being able to have both stats output and your manuscript up at the same time, being able to lit search in one window with a manuscript/other article/endnote/etc. up in the other...there is just no way to explain it until you try it, but it has dramatically increased my productivity.

Originally Posted by deliciousgoose

Do not get a mac. They have a terrible record of backwards compatibility. One of my bosses just upgrades to the new OS (lion) because he had to to use iCloud and they are phasing out mobileme, and he was forced to upgrade his entire MS Office suite which he bought in 2008 because the new OS won't support it.

It's bull****. They do this often, and are generally a very anti-competition/closed system company. I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't facing anti-trust lawsuits soon.

Also, your money will go much further with a PC. I am planning on getting an ultrabook (prob. the acer aspire S5 when it comes out) and building a top notch tower as a main base. In total this will probably cost me ~$1600 before tax.

I know many people are in love with Apple, but I think there are many reasons not to go the Apple route. I say this as someone who went from being a PC user, to an Apple user, and now am happy to move back to being an PC user. Another think to think about is that if you get an Apple you will still have to buy Windows and run boot-camp on your computer to use certain psych programs e.g. Eprime and Mindware to name two.

Edit: also you might have to completely reformat your terabyte drive (if you meant by terabite that you have an external hard drive) as OSX uses HSF+ formatting and Windows PCs use NTFS.

I am sad to say I second this opinion. I bought a Mac before grad school, and have had problems with incompatibility. The program has a free version of SPSS that I had to pay for because it didn't work on Macs. Some people have problems opening my Word documents. I also need to use an adapter to give powerpoint presentations. One positive about Mac's powerpoint is that it has something called "Presenter View," where the presenter can see his/her notes and the powerpoint presentation, but the audience can only see the presentation. I haven't found anyone who could do this on a PC. I am currently in the process of installing Windows on my Mac; however, that doesn't completely fix the problem. If I only go the bootcamp route, I would have to install MS Office on my Windows, so that I can type out my results from SPSS on Windows. If I go the parallels route, I have been told it slows the computer down big time, and costs more money. I really like my Mac otherwise, but it honestly has made grad school a bit more difficult. Once you're out of school and have more money, a Mac might be the way to go, but not if you want cheap or free programs!

Originally Posted by Therapist4Chnge

The PC v. Mac gab has really shrunk in the last few years in regard to software compatibility. I held off for so long because Mac didn't have SPSS and a few other things I used. Now it is pretty much a non-issue. The only thing to watch out for is that once you go Mac...you'll never go back.

It is has gotten better, but it is still a bit of an issue. My SEM professor uses Lisrel, and that does not work on a Mac. I even called the company to confirm.

Originally Posted by PhDToBe

One positive about Mac's powerpoint is that it has something called "Presenter View," where the presenter can see his/her notes and the powerpoint presentation, but the audience can only see the presentation.

This is part of Windows Powerpoint too. I believe you push F7 to enter presenter mode. It's a newer feature though so it might not be available if your friends are using Office '07.

Originally Posted by GoPokes

Question for those more experienced : do you recommend having a desktop at home? I have a laptop, but I'm wondering if it would be nice to have a central work station at home

This is my plan and this is what my partner who is doing a PhD is chemistry does as well. Multiple screens, or big screens (I use a 24") can really increase productivity. You can also build an incredibly awesome desktop at a fraction of the cost of the laptop counter part. I mentioned earlier that I am planning on building a desktop for ~$600 including Windows. That computer will have 8GB of ram, <1terrabyte of HDD, and if the price increase from the flooding in Thailand has subsided I will also have a ~64GB SSD to run as my start-up drive. In other words and incredible beast that will, without a doubt, last me until the end of my graduate career, if not longer. Because I am getting such an aggressive desktop, I feel like I can get a laptop that doesn't have to do everything. I am going to get an ultrabook, and I plan on having a hook-up with a full size monitor, keyboard etc. in my lab as well.

Originally Posted by Ollie123

if you aren't going to have a desktop I would at least get a docking station, etc. for it. My (heavily) biased opinion is that dual monitors are one of the best investments money can buy in this profession. Being able to have both stats output and your manuscript up at the same time, being able to lit search in one window with a manuscript/other article/endnote/etc. up in the other...there is just no way to explain it until you try it, but it has dramatically increased my productivity.

This is so so true. As I said before I use one big monitor that i can comfortably split screen, but my partner has 2 23" screens, and feels that that really helps him when he as to look at chemical structures and type analyses.

Monitors have also drastically reduced in price, making a dual monitor set-up much more attainable. I've seen decent monitors ~21" for around ~$100. Just wait for a deal.

Originally Posted by G Costanza

+1000 on the laser printer. I was all ink jet until last year. My life is totally different now.

As I said before, get a laser printer. Make sure it does 2-sided printing. For me, 2-sided printing is a must. Not only because it is more environmentally friendly, but because it means your printing takes up half the space that it otherwise would.

Okay SDN'ers, I'm in a bit of a predicament here and really could use some advice from you current and former grad students:

I lost my iPad 1 recently (stolen) and am trying to figure out where to go from here. I also own a Dell laptop that has a sub-par battery life but is still quite reliable (to use it in class it would definitely need to be plugged in the entire time).

Options from here:

1: Buy new iPad 1 (or other generation of iPad) for in-class usage, and use laptop as my new "desktop".

2. Build new desktop, use laptop in class. (This option is the one I'm leaning towards, especially after reading this thread).


Obviously option 1 is much cheaper, but I want to do what's best for me productivity/simplicity wise in school. Any and all opinions are appreciated.

I agree with the heavy duty stapler, good filing cabinet (look on Craigslist or Habitat for Humanity Restore or Salvation Army!!), and good printer. In regards to the question about needing a desktop at home in addition to a laptop...I've never felt the need. Also, I'm a mac person (converted after my 1st year of grad school). I've never had any issues. Just my 2 cents

Originally Posted by GoPokes

Buy new iPad 1 (or other generation of iPad) for in-class usage, and use laptop as my new "desktop".

If you did use an iPad, I'd highly recommend getting a bluetooth keyboard for it. There may be some apps that are great for notes out there, though I'm not sure there would be better than an actual keyboard for when you have to take a lot of notes. They also make iPad cases with a built in keyboard....I haven't tried that setup, but in theory it seems like a great option.

As for a "desktop" option at home...I went with a laptop probably 4-5 years ago, and I haven't looked back. 10 years ago it was more of an issue because of space and processing power, but now most laptops will be able to run whatever you throw at it (within reason).

Thanks for the reply T4C. I actually already have the wireless keyboard. It's mostly an issue of either replacing the iPad, or building a new desktop and using my laptop for its intended purpose rather than as a desktop.

Originally Posted by Jeina

My last two laptops have been Sony VAIOs. While Sony tends to run a bit more expensive than other PC brands, I've LOVED my Sony laptops. Reliable, great performance, lightweight, no complaints here!

That is surprising to hear! I've heard very negative things about VAIO computers (but of course everyone's experience is different). I was looking at the Z or S series to compete with the Air but I've been on the fence about it because I hear that Sony doesn't offer good support, the turn around to fix computer problems was really bad, etc.

Originally Posted by Kappadocia

That is surprising to hear! I've heard very negative things about VAIO computers (but of course everyone's experience is different). I was looking at the Z or S series to compete with the Air but I've been on the fence about it because I hear that Sony doesn't offer good support, the turn around to fix computer problems was really bad, etc.

Well, I had a major issue with my laptop this summer (spilled water on the keyboard, yikes!). Though they took awhile, Sony completed all the repairs without trying to claim that it couldn't be covered under my warranty and got it back to me good as new. Like I said, I've had a great experience with my Sony laptops, and I've never heard anyone say anything bad about theirs; however, I totally understand that this is an n=1 situation, so make whatever decision you believe is best!

P.S. Perhaps you've heard bad things about the desktops? I had one of those, and it was definitely NOT a wonderful product.

Unless you are a designer and you need a 27" or similar monitor....laptops can basically do what 98% of desktops do. Oh and...Go Mac.

Originally Posted by Therapist4Chnge

Unless you are a designer and you need a 27" or similar monitor....laptops can basically do what 98% of desktops do. Oh and...Go Mac.

+1 Mac for life!

I am the most non techy person out there but these days I feel my Macbook is like an extension of my brain. It was the cheapest model and I bought it years ago (and have treated it terribly) and it has done nothing but love me back. and the Apple Genius bar people are helpful, even if you are out of the warranty zone.

Originally Posted by GoPokes

Question for those more experienced : do you recommend having a desktop at home? I have a laptop, but I'm wondering if it would be nice to have a central work station at home

I did graduate school with only a desktop and no laptop. I had a great office at school where I did most of my work, and then at home I still did some writing (but no SPSS, I didn't buy it and it forced me to leave the stats at work).

This worked very well for me then as I was used to it and it helped me to narrow down some of the things I COULD do at home, thus making me more efficient I think. Having too many things that I could be working on is distracting to me.

I also am a paper/pencil calendar and organizer type of person. I encode it better and wouldn't be devastated if a piece of electronics I owned malfunctioned.

Of course, when I was done defending my dissertation and on internship, I went out and bought a laptop and SPSS while I could still get my student discount. Since I do a lot of my publishing and stats work now from home, it works well. But I still never bring my laptop anywhere. It is just nice to have my computer on the couch with me while I watch TV :-)

Edit: Re: printer....never owned one. Why should I pay for all that ink? Print in your research lab (within reason)! I might have had to print at Kinkos once for something, but I never wanted that headache at home. There are also places to print on campus at most schools where you pay that are always an emergency option.

the best advice I can give re: a computer is: WAIT!

Departments have different cultures with regard to hardware and software. You want to have a computer that will allow you to run the software that you will be required to run (and/or learn) throughout your graduate school education. Perhaps more importantly, you want a computer that the IT folk in your department will support. In my grad department, our IT professionals were very pro-Mac, and provided only limited tech support for PCs. The IT professionals at the campus level can be helpful for some things, and will likely support both platforms. But when you get into some specific types of software, they will punt it back to the IT folk in your department - and you will want to maximize their ability to assist you when (not if!) you encounter problems.

Originally Posted by hamsterpants

+1 Mac for life!

I am the most non techy person out there but these days I feel my Macbook is like an extension of my brain. It was the cheapest model and I bought it years ago (and have treated it terribly) and it has done nothing but love me back. and the Apple Genius bar people are helpful, even if you are out of the warranty zone.

As a techy person who still misses the DOS command line, I never thought I'd be okay with just using Mac software, but now I love it. I've been surprised with how few problems I've had w. integrating my mac stuff into my life. In <15 minutes I was able to setup my iPhone and iPad to sync with my macbook. Dropbox integrates seemlessly, as do my apps from my devices. I cannot stress how awesome DropBox is for managing files on the go.

Beware....some universities & labs still don't support mac stuff, so YMMV. You can probably just call your future lab and ask what people use.

Originally Posted by Ettevi05

I also got this cute little USB HUB since I have multiple USBs, a Printer, my Terabite, and a phone I usually connect to the laptop.

Pretty much that's it for now...hm.

Where did you buy that?!

That seems like something ThinkGeek.com would sell.

It's a matter of personal preference and your needs. There's copies of SPSS, M Plus (factor analysis software) and SAS available in our department...but only for PCs. So, in order to use them, people with Macs have to buy parallels, etc. Kind of a pain/ $$$

Regarding the home workspace issue--I have a laptop with a big screen (which sometimes I'll connect to my 46" tv via HDMI) that I keep at home and a netbook that I use at school.

I store everything on the cloud (via sugarsync and/or google docs) as well as on my computers to avoid any data loss issues--thankfully I've never had any though! Would highly recommend the latter regardless of what type of gadgets you have!

You can get something like that for like $3 at newegg, too.

Originally Posted by LM02

the best advice I can give re: a computer is: WAIT!

Departments have different cultures with regard to hardware and software. You want to have a computer that will allow you to run the software that you will be required to run (and/or learn) throughout your graduate school education. Perhaps more importantly, you want a computer that the IT folk in your department will support. In my grad department, our IT professionals were very pro-Mac, and provided only limited tech support for PCs. The IT professionals at the campus level can be helpful for some things, and will likely support both platforms. But when you get into some specific types of software, they will punt it back to the IT folk in your department - and you will want to maximize their ability to assist you when (not if!) you encounter problems.

I agree with this.
I'm a linux nerd (psychology faculty, as a whole seem to generally be technology phobic so when you say linux they have no idea what that means). On campus, most of my dept uses SPSS (not SAS like my masters program did) and about 95% PC's.

I'd recommend holding off.
One of the best purchases I made (I think in my 3rd year in my phd program?) was a netbook. 7 hr battery life. Easily read pdf's through my mendeley account (which is free btw) and I was set up. Great for presentations, and there will likely be a computer you'll have access to for your other work- maybe in your lab. Whatever you do, do what works for you. For me, a simple $270 netbook make everything easier. Oh, and the program gpower, later on for calculating effect size needed.

Great topic! First off, in regards to the whole PC vs. MAC debate, I've been a proud user of the Mac for over 5 years. Had no problems in college after my 1 year old DELL crashed on me for no reason (hate PCs). Used my Mac laptop for the 2 years of my master's program - had no problems with the programming or converting files. Bought the trial version of SPSS for macs with no issues. I also can attest to the mac's reliability as my brother, his wife and her parents are all MD/PhD researchers and all use macs with no issues. They used it for classes, lab, presentations, etc.

My 2 cents, but all in all it really depends on your comfort level. If you feel PCs are easier to use then I think you should invest in a PC rather than a Mac.

Another useful supply to have during school is the accordion file folder - SO HELPFUL with organization with handouts and articles, etc.

Can we bump this thread? I'm getting excited about getting ready for school!

Most of what I'm buying I got from this thread! So far, I bought a computer monitor (in addition to my laptop, so I can view things side by side), a filing cabinet, and a hard drive to back up all of my work (learned my lesson!). I'm also trying to get my hands on a cheap SPSS license, because from what I understand my school does not pay for student licenses. Now I just need to worry about getting a wireless keyboard...and some Xanax.

I have a PC myself, and I'm glad because I heard that a lot people have compatibility issues. Although it seems like a lot of people (at least on this thread) have also used Macs and haven't had any problems.

Originally Posted by dumbledoresgirl

Most of what I'm buying I got from this thread! So far, I bought a computer monitor (in addition to my laptop, so I can view things side by side), a filing cabinet, and a hard drive to back up all of my work (learned my lesson!). I'm also trying to get my hands on a cheap SPSS license, because from what I understand my school does not pay for student licenses. Now I just need to worry about getting a wireless keyboard...and some Xanax.

I have a PC myself, and I'm glad because I heard that a lot people have compatibility issues. Although it seems like a lot of people (at least on this thread) have also used Macs and haven't had any problems.

No, but most prof labs are equipped with SPSS, so you easily have access to it. And the grad lab (which is almost always empty *hint hint*) has access to SPSS as well (which is where most students go anyway).

If you do go the SPSS route, make sure to get the grad student version. You have minimal restrictions (compared to the sh*tty version most UGs get) and you get a copy of AMOS to boot).

Originally Posted by paramour

No, but most prof labs are equipped with SPSS, so you easily have access to it. And the grad lab (which is almost always empty *hint hint*) has access to SPSS as well (which is where most students go anyway).

If you do go the SPSS route, make sure to get the grad student version. You have minimal restrictions (compared to the sh*tty version most UGs get) and you get a copy of AMOS to boot).

Thank you, paramour! You have been very helpful. I'll have to check out that grad lab

Originally Posted by dumbledoresgirl

Thank you, paramour! You have been very helpful. I'll have to check out that grad lab

Definitely do. Our university actually also lets us remote log-in, which gives us access to a whole slew of programs (e.g., SPSS, SAS, MATLAB, Office of course, etc.). It's a bit slower using the remote desktop than it would be if run on your own computer, and it obviously requires that you have internet access, but I can't even imagine how much money it's saved me vs. having to buy those programs myself. If it's an option wherever you end up, I'd highly recommend looking into it.

I have a MacBook Pro.

Any suggestions on reasonably priced external hard drives?

How many gigabytes is recommended?

I will primarily be using it to store research articles while in grad school.


Thanks!!

External HDs make sense for certain things, but you may get better bang for your buck with cloud (online) storage. DropBox is free and has an easy plug-in that works like a virtual folder so you can drag and drop. You can buy more space, though the free space holds a ton of PDFs. The Mac external drives are pricey too (Time Capsule), though they are pretty and integrate seamlessly for networking.

Originally Posted by Therapist4Chnge

External HDs make sense for certain things, but you may get better bang for your buck with cloud (online) storage. DropBox is free and has an easy plug-in that works like a virtual folder so you can drag and drop. You can buy more space, though the free space holds a ton of PDFs. The Mac external drives are pricey too (Time Capsule), though they are pretty and integrate seamlessly for networking.

+1 on this...

I use DropBox, but use Google Drive even more, in addition to Evernote. I would never keep anything important on just a physical drive. Also, I can access everything from my desktop, laptop, phone and tablet....everything is synced automatically.

This is all good to know!

I'll look into DropBox and the Google Drive.

Thanks so much for the insight.

And if you really, really want a "physical" copy of everything, a USB drive (8-16gb) should have more than enough space and would likely be much easier to carry around with you than an external HD. Can be particularly handy when you don't have access to the internet for whatever reason as well.

As a general suggestion (and shamelessly picking up on NHPilot's point): for the love of everything that's good and just in this world, keep multiple back-ups of all important files. Whether they be databases, articles, papers, projects, or anything else, I will always have copies on at least one USB drive, in an email account after mailing it to myself, and possibly in Dropbox. This all really took hold for me after seeing a colleague lose half of their comp exam when a USB drive crashed.