My Experiences with UCI !

Its been more than 6 months since I came to University of California, Irvine. Two out of four quarters down and I didn't even realize that I'm almost half way through. The last 6 months or so have been good and bad in some ways. I would like to share my experiences which might be helpful for friends who are thinking about Masters in CS at UC, Irvine. I hope it answers some of your general questions about UCI. Some things to keep in mind before going ahead..

1. These are my personal views and you can choose to disagree.

2. All the points are from the point of view of CS and may or may not apply to other branches.

3. Some statistics are bound to change as time goes by.

4. At no point do I compare UCI with any other University.

I have got considerable help from a similar document made by our senior.

1. Why should you come to UCI?

The ICS department at UC, Irvine is top class when it comes to Machine Learning / AI, Databases, Security, Compilers. You will find world renowned professors in these areas who do extensive research work and have very good funding available. People like Micheal Carey, P Smyth, Gene Tsudik, Michael Franz are some names who are amongst the top people working in these areas. So if you want to pursue your Masters with focus on ML / AI, DB, Compilers or Security you should consider UC, Irvine as one of the best options. You will find atleast 1-2 courses every quarter in these areas. You will also find some good courses in Distributed Systems [+ parallel computing] and Algorithms at UCI.
Another point to note is that UCI is very good for research. Professors here do a lot of research work and UCI is known for that.

2. Why should you NOT come to UCI?

People with interests in Networks and OS or Systems in general will be deeply disappointed considering the courses and their variety offered at UC, Irvine. There have been good courses and professors in the recent past but somehow for us the experience has been very disappointing. Some of the problems faced by students are no good courses, no good professors and courses which were supposed to be offered have also been dropped due to one reason or the other. There is NO professor in the ICS department whose interests lie in OS.

3. Quarter System at UCI
You have the quarter system at UCI. This means that you have 3 quarters (fall, winter and spring) in an academic year instead of 2 semesters. Each quarter is of 10weeks. You have to take 3courses in each quarter for the first 3 quarters. The quarter system as such is not hectic. It largely depends on the courses you take and the professors for those courses. It is fast paced as compared to semester pattern. Some people say that the advantage here is that you can complete you MS in 4 quarters (CS non-thesis) and in 5 quarters for CS thesis. You get less time to work on the courses and projects. So you need to do your tasks fast. Take a look at the quarterly calendar here.
I will personally suggest going for semester pattern if your more interested in doing research.

4. I20 amount for UCI

The I20 amount for Fall 11 was $45,939 and for Fall 10 it was $43,517. Assuming a 5-10% increase, it will be around $47-48k for Fall 12.

5. Fees at UCI

The I20 fees is $29,939 (which is for 9months i.e 3 quarters). The tuition fees per quarter is $10,015. If you take insurance from India this comes to $9,354 / quarter. CS students generally go part time for the 4th quarter which means you are taking 8 units or less in the quarter (provided this is your last quarter and you passed all courses that you had taken at the normal course load of 12 units / quarter for the first 3 quarters). You will have to pay approx half fee for part time i.e. $9354 / 2 = $4,677.
Thesis students pay full fees for 4th quarter and go on a filing fee for the 5th quarter. Filing fee is around $200 approx.

6. Other expenses at UCI

For housing you can consider it to be between $550-$700 a month depending on your living style. This amount includes housing rent + utilities + phone. People completing in 4 quarter should multiple it by 15 and those doing it in 5 quarters by 18. Consider you might take additional 3 months post MS to get a job, you could add 3 months to each. Let us assume it to be $650 / month.

7. Total cost

CS non-thesis

(UCI Insurance)

$29,939 + $5,008 + ($650 * 18) = $46,647 (23.33L @ rate 1USD = INR 50)

(Insurance from India)

($9354 * 3) + $4,677 + ($650 *18) = $44,429 (22.21L @ rate 1USD = INR 50)

No earnings (internships or on-campus job) included in this calculation.

8. Insurance from India

University insurance costs $660 / quarter. You can waive it off and get insurance from India which can be around Rs. 32k-38k for 12 months. This way you will save $660 / quarter and will end up paying $9354 / quarter. The flipside is the reimbursements (this might be cumbersome but we mostly resort to self-medication here).

9. On-campus jobs at UCI

There are very few on-campus jobs at UCI. In our batch hardly 4-5 people got  on-campus jobs. And it is not easy to get an on-campus job (as in some other colleges). An on-campus job will easily cover your entire monthly expenses (not fees).

10. Internship scene at UCI

Students generally do a 12 weeks internship in Summer. It can pay you anywhere between $4000 - $6000 per month. This year the internship scene is very good for CS students. Almost everyone has got calls from good companies and it is upto you to convert them. There are career fairs at UCI where you get the chance to submit your resume and interact with the employees. Though the career fairs are not very good (in comparison with USC / CMU / Gatech) but they are improving every year. More and more companies are showing up for the fairs. According to me, UCI has a good name in the industry and people have got calls from biggies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Qualcomm, Salesforce, etc.

In Fall '10 batch almost all landed up with an internship and have also got full time offers. Big companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce give calls to many but hire only in small numbers.

11. Does being in California help a lot for jobs?

Now, being in California does help. But it helps in a way that the numerous startups / medium sized S/W companies will prefer you than relocating someone from other state. It surely does not guarantee you a job, just that it opens you to more locally situate opportunities.

12. Off-campus housing at UCI

Almost everyone doing Masters stay off-campus at a location called Parkwest Apartments. You get unfurnished apartment with 2BHK / 3BHK. The rent is around $1700 for 2 Bed 2 Bath apartment. Housing decision can be taken later in July after your done with Visas and stuff and once you have formed groups. Get more information  Parkwest Apartments.

For conveyance, students use the OCTA buses which are relatively convenient (every 30mins during peak hours and 45mins otherwise). It takes 10-12mins to reach UCI by bus. You get a yearly OCTA bus pass for $155. You can travel anywhere within Orange County and not just to UCI.

13. On-campus housing at UCI

This option gives you housing closer to the campus. But again its costly when compared to Parkwest. Master students are not guaranteed on-campus housing. Get more information at on-campus housing.

14. Funding at UCI
Masters students do not get funding. There are rare chances of getting funded but that too only after coming here. So I would suggest coming here without expecting any funding.

15. Some useful Edulix Links
UCI Decision Tracker Fall '12
UCI Post Admit Discussion
UCI Specific Thread
UCI Fall '12 FB group

Universities and their rankings

Q. Which universities can/should I apply to?

A. Generally the universities are divided into the following categories:

Ivy league: these are considered to be the most prestigious universities. Stanford, MIT are some of the examples. You can get the complete list of Ivy league universities on Wikipedia. Also check out the individual pages of the universities to get their status. These are considered very costly but have the highest reputation in the world.

State Universities: These are the ones which are equivalent of Government colleges in India. Again you can find their list on Wikipedia and individual wiki pages. These universities have good funding from the Federal Government. So the fees is less than Ivy league and private ones.. They have a big campus with good research work going on.

Public Ivy: This is another term used but informally. The universities are not stated as Public Ivy but are considered lower than Ivy ones but above normal public standards. You can consider these to be ranked in between the Ivy and Public/State universities.

Private: The rest of the universities are private ones. This means that these universities have very less or no funding from the Federal Government. As you might find some of these universities are also good ranked and reputed.

Q. Where can I find the most accurate rankings?

A. As mentioned earlier don’t depend completely on the rankings. The rankings will just give you a brief idea about the university. Its not the perfect measure of the quality of that University. There are many other factors that count when one chooses a particular university.

Q. How to get a good list of universities?

A. Remember to look for rankings of computer science and not computer engineering. Generally, it is mentioned under sciences and not under engineering. To get the best idea about universities and their rankings checkout the following links:

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings

http://academic.research.microsoft.com/?SearchDomain=2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_and_university_rankings

http://www.infozee.com/channels/ms/usa/computer-engineering-rankings.htm

http://www.greguide.com/comps.html

http://www.happyschoolsblog.com/us-universities-rankings/

http://suggestor.yournextleap.com/?sr=home

A few things to be kept in mind before taking a look at these rankings:

1. Do not trust the ranking 100%. Take it with a pinch of salt..

2. They are generally ranked considering the PhD programs of the universities. So the quality of MS program is similar but not exact.

3. For Microsoft link, you get to know even the ranking of Professors which is very useful. You get their full details with regards to Citations and Papers.

4. You can also change the importance of parameters required for Ranking on the Microsoft site. That proves quite useful.

Pre GRE FAQs

Q. Is MS the best available choice for PG?
A. Masters will definitely give you the much needed exposure that we lack here in India. You will get to know some of the latest stuff and learn under the best professors. US is said to be the place where all innovation takes place. So to be in the heart of technology surely helps in shaping your career. Even some of the low ranking universities in US are place well above those in India. Another advantage is the less competition to get admission to US universities. Compared to India, it is comparatively easy to get into top 30 US universities.
But, keep in mind that there are institutions in India like IITs and IISC which offer the same edge in terms of research and technology. Also, there are students who get awesome placements after passing out from these colleges.
In the end it is a personal choice whether to go to US or do Masters here in India. And according to me going for MS to US is not at all un-patriotic- as most of us are going to come back after some experience.

Q. What about life after MS?
A. According to many professionals that I have talked to, coming back to India immediately after MS is not beneficial. First, you don't get such good salary here in India as compared to that in US. And second the experience of working in US is more valuable than the degree.
Considering the current scenario I think it is beneficial to return back to India after gaining some good experience there.

Q. What is the starting salary in US like?
A. Considering that you graduate from a good university [say in top 50] you can get package anywhere between 50k to 110k US$ per year. As per statistics the average starting package in US is around US$ 60k-65k per year.

Q. When should one plan to return back to India after MS?
A. Ideally you need atleast 3-5 years in US to get back the amount that you have spent and make some savings. You can stay more if you want to. But generally the span is somewhere between 5-10 years before one decides to come back to India. The thing in mind is to repay the loan and make good savings before coming to India.

Q. Job scene in US at present?
A. This is a very crucial question for all of us. At present the job scene in US seems to be good with most of the companies already hiring in good numbers. The overall economy is also improving day by day. And we all are positive that by the time we graduate, everything will be normal. :)
People there who have gone before us are able to find good jobs and internships. The important thing is to keep trying. In short if your graduating from a good school with good knowledge, you are bound to find a good job and keep things moving..

SOME STUFF ABOUT STUDIES...

Q. How much time do I need for studies before giving the GRE Exam?
A. This is very personal. It depends and varies from person to person. Keep in mind that you need to learn around 4000-4500 words and get good practice. On an average people say that start going through the words around 3months before and get to serious studies at at least 50days before your exam date.

Q. What should be the ideal study plan?
A. There is nothing such as an ideal study plan which when followed will give you 1500! In general students start with Barrons or flash cards. Revise it a couple of times and simultaneously start solving the questions. And the around 30 days before the exam, start with tests.

Q. Should I join Oak's academy for GRE coaching? What are the benefits and shortcomings?
A. Oak's class is preferable if you are one of those guys who can't sit and study alone. I personally had a great experience of the class and it was useful. You get to know about how others are preparing. The material they provide is great. It is very difficult to find such stuff in the market and that too at one place. Also they give you 5 online tests which are very difficult but which give put some pressure on you in your final days of preparation. You can make good use of the AWM appointments which will definitely improve your GRE AWM score.

Just keep in mind that this class isn't like one of those school classes where teachers used to get things done from you. GRE prep is all about how honestly you study on your own. But you get the right direction at Oaks.

For a person who has absolutely no idea about the exam, Oaks is the place to be. You will get all the details @ Oak. You will also get some good tips and things that you must take care of during and before the exam.

Q. I haven't joined Oak. Won't I be able to score?
A. Friends, Oak is not everything. Self preparation is what is needed. Everything depends on you and you alone. I have seen many people who have score in 1500s without joining Oak. A lot of stuff is available on the net. But you will have to spend your time in finding it.
In short, don't get bogged down because you didn't join Oak. Try your best and you will hit the 1500 mark!

Q. What are the resources available for GRE preparation?
A.  First and foremost, get the latest copy of Barrons.. Its one of the best books that you can get. Don't take the quantitative part seriously because the questions asked in the exam are a bit tougher. But the word list is awesome. Even Oak uses the same word list.
For tests you can do Davidsons, Princeton, Kaplan and finally Power Prep. Also go through the Big Book for English questions. Its good stuff.
I'll upload the files and software setup for the same.

Q. Study Material!
A. The study material necessary [decreasing order of importance] is as follows:
1. Barrons
2. Big Book
3. Kaplan Test
4. Princeton Test
5. Davidson Test
6. GRE Bible
7. GRE Nova

SOME GOOD BLOGS..
1. http://whiteopal.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/a-gre-test-takers-experience/

2. http://kapeeshsaraf.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/how-to-prepare-for-the-gre/ 

3. http://greghost.blogspot.com/

4. http://www.happyschoolsblog.com/gre-exam-study-practice-tests/

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO BE TAKEN FOR "THE DAY" !
1. Passport: It is compulsory to carry your passport [original and not photocopies] for the test. They don't entertain any reasons for failure to bring passport. You aren't even allowed to enter if you don't have your passport.

2. Something to eat and drink: You'll get around 10mins break in between Quant and English. So you can carry some water and some snacks if you want to. As the duration is 3-4 hrs there are chances that you'll get nervous and some glucose or biscuits will surely help.

3. List of 4 universities where you want to send your scores: ETS allows you to send your GRE scores to 4 US Universities for free. It is good if you take out sometime from your preparation and fix these 4 universities. It takes US $23 per university to send your official scores.
To get an idea about which university to send your score to please read post-GRE FAQs. I've explained stuff regarding which university to choose and how..

4. Some warm clothing: The air conditioners are really at their full speeds in the Exam center. So it is advisable to take some warm clothing with you. There is a very high possibility that you will need it.

Q. What is the best time for taking the test?
A. It is generally said that the GRE test is difficult in the months of Oct-Nov.. I personally don't know the reason why. But as this is the general belief I personally feel that its good if we avoid these months.
The best times to give your GRE is july-august and jan-feb.. For COEP students its the best time. As we don't have much work load in this period.