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VPN connection to PSU
In many situations it is useful to be able to connect to the university. Using VPN you are able to connect basically from anywhere and route all your traffic through the university network. This is in...
View ArticlePrint from wifi
Most printers are close to a computer, so that you can just login with your PSU account and print from there. However, it is often rather inconvenient to copy files across when you could also directly...
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Excel to Angel
This tutorial presents a solution for the following questions: How can I automatically transfer the grades from a prepared excel sheet (for my own records) into the webform of Angel (which sadly does...
View ArticleTaxes
The tax system in the United States is complex due to its federal structure. There are three types of taxes that employee has to take of: Federal taxes State taxes Local taxes The Global Office of...
View ArticleBanking
In order to receive paychecks and organize your money, you will certainly need an American bank account. Luckily, there are two excellent near-by options for which you can sign up immediately: PNC bank...
View ArticleTravelling in and from State College
If you want to travel in and from State College, there are many options in various price ranges. Public transport State College is served by CATA buses that offer an incredibly good deal for graduate...
View ArticlePhysics and Astronomy for Women
PAW is a student club dedicated to advancing the status of women in Physics and Astronomy by providing a network of support and a forum to discuss issues faced by women in these fields. Anyone is...
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Organize recitations effectively
When teaching larger groups in recitations or lab, students are often working in groups. In this setting, I would recommend the following: Encourage the students to start working in the same group....
View ArticleCurrency exchange
There are many ways to transfer funds between different countries: Check, Paypal, WireTransfer, WesternUnion, Cash Advances, Withdrawing cash at an ATM abroad or travelling with currency to exchange it...
View ArticleCredit cards
Resources on credit cards There are many different credit cards out there and there are many experts with different recommendations. There are several good resources on credit cards: Creditkarma: Good...
View ArticleFree software
As a Penn State student, you have access to a lot of software for free. You can either use WebApps which allows you to use MS Office, Mathematica and MatLab among others online. However, these programs...
View ArticleFree calls/text in US/Canada
If you don’t have a phone yet, but need to do calls within the US and Canada, Google provides a very useful service that allows you to call & text within the US & Canada for free. This service...
View ArticleMedical insurance
Graduate students can avail of the graduate assistant/fellow medical insurance plan which covers health, dental and eye care. Details about the benefits and costs are nicely tabled in the university...
View ArticleOmbudspersons
If your advisor is acting unethically or unprofessionally, and you need help… If you feel that your advisor is requesting you to act in an unethical manner or treating you in way that is unfair and...
View ArticleCitation
In fact, there is a whole zoo out there of various software programs that help you organize your citations. The most used are: EndNote EndNote is a comprehensive citation management tool that is not...
View ArticleFunding
Most graduate students receive their funding through the PSU physics department as Graduate assistants (either as Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant). Some students bring their own funding in...
View ArticleAlternative Careers
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has put together a list of seminars and events in order to have a centralized location listing the numerous seminars and events available to our graduate...
View ArticleOnline journal access
The university library provides an “ezaccess” proxy that allows off campus access to all online journals subscribed by the library, as an alternative to VPN or the library website. To use the proxy,...
View ArticleFellowships, scholarships, and awards
Every year the physics department awards several fellowships on the basis of excellence in research and coursework: currently, the Duncan, Downsbrough, Troxell and Miller Graduate Fellowships. Ask...
View ArticleOther sources of income
Nearly any novel source of extra income you can imagine is possible if you’re willing to look for it and make it happen. Some students have bought and resold textbooks, and I had a side hustle in my...
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