I might be coming here for a master's in engineering, but I’ve heard a lot about the student-to-faculty ratio at USC. Just how tricky is this whole "you have to find a professor yourself" thing? Or is it actually pretty much the same as at other schools?

I’m an international student myself, but this is a strictly factual list with no personal grievance involved. I’m simply describing the practical consequences of these changes.

Change 1: End of Duration of Status (D/S)

For any program lasting more than four years, students would have to apply for an extension through a new and uncertain process in their fourth year.

1. If changing majors or failing courses pushes graduation beyond four years, extensions may not be allowed. Unless exceptional circumstances apply, the student would have to leave the U.S. without a degree.
2. Even errors on otherwise valid extension applications could result in loss of legal status rather than an opportunity to correct them.
3. Students progressing from high school to college to graduate school would repeatedly face this uncertain extension process. After finally adapting to life and culture in one country, many may be forced to choose to study elsewhere.

Change 2: Employment Uncertainty

Internships before graduation would be largely prohibited. Post-graduation employment may still be approved, but several potential $100,000 fees create further uncertainty.

1. PhD students often intern during the summer, giving them both industry and academic career options after graduation rather than making academia their only path.
2. Without access to U.S. internships during their studies. With U.S. summer schedules poorly aligned with internship cycles in many home countries, many students could graduate with no internship experience at all.

I’m Chinese, so I mainly know the situation of Chinese international students. Outside PhD programs, many come from relatively wealthy families, earn a degree, and return home to work. At first glance, internship restrictions may therefore seem irrelevant. But uncertainty over failed courses, changing majors, and maintaining legal status alone could drive away a significant number of students. I have always understood that international students come to study, not to immigrate, and certainly shouldn't take jobs away from Americans. However, current restrictions have created significant obstacles to the goal of studying itself.

Based on my spending, I'm spending $300 a day (most are tuition + rent), and I believe that I am having a positive economic impact. For the 4 years, I have contributed around 270k purely in tuition. And yes, since I changed my major and delayed my graduation for 1 semester, if these restrictions were imposed when I first came here, I would be forced to leave. I don't see any point in discouraging people who just want a degree.

Ohio State’s incoming international enrollment fell by 37% last year. This year’s figures have not yet been released. They usually come out in late September and could fall even further.

I was living in China before I move to the US. There are many differences I experienced after visiting 20+ cities in both countries. I'm writing the post to compare the perceived and actual advantages for using transit vs. personal vehicles. This refers to comprehensive systems in big cities, not for smaller cities.

Where are you from and what are your observations?

China

Common Sense

• Transit is usually faster than driving
• Transit is more reliable than driving, more likely to arrive on time
• By using transit you get less motion sickness and unpleasant leather/plastic odors
• By using transit you get easy access to restrooms and convenience stores because they are in the stations, instead of trying to find a place to park and then walk into a restroom/store
• Stations come before parking garages for most destinations
• Passengers must pass through an X-ray scanner every time they enter the station, no weapons of any kind are permitted (and this rule is actually being enforced). Items such as kitchen knives, which may be carried for legitimate reasons, must remain inside their packaging. Which means you have to drive if you've got those stuff
• Transit is usually preferred unless you absolutely need to drive
• Bus/Bike -> train -> destination is the most common way to use the system

United States

Common Sense

• Transit is usually slower than driving
• Transit is less reliable than driving, less likely to arrive on time
• By using transit you get less motion sickness but usually more unpleasant odors
• By using a car you get easy access to restrooms and convenience stores because they have conveniently located parking lots, instead of going out of stations in search for restrooms/stores when you use transit
• Stations come after parking garages for most destination
• Driving is usually preferred unless you cannot afford a car or live close to a station in a big network
• Walk/Park and Ride -> bus/train -> destination is the most common way to use the system

In Common

Transit Advantages

• More green
• Cheaper

Transit Disadvantages

• Being forced to stay in an enclosed area with random people when the train is moving
• You cannot carry too much stuff
• AC is sometimes too cold or hot and you cannot change it

Some data if you're interested in how different people use transit

New York City CSA, the most transit oriented region in the USA

Commuter data

Commute mode	Share
Drove alone	47%
Carpooled	7%
Public transit	25%
Bicycle	1%
Walked	5%
Other	2%
Worked at home	13%

The leisure trip data is super outdated from 2010 so I won't put it here.

Hong Kong SAR, the most transit oriented region in PRC

... Just kidding, that will be cheating, as Hong Kong charge you for up to 132% MSRP FRT (First Registration Tax) when you buy a car. So cars are being heavily punished. It resulted in 90%+ transit share in any kind of trip.

This is the data for Beijing

Commute mode	Share
Public transit	25.3%
└ Rail	15.3%
└ Bus	10.0%
Bicycle	20.0%
Walked	30.3%
Car/Rideshare	24.4%
Total	100%

You can see that despite transit is at 25% for both NYC and Beijing, other modes varies a lot.

There are many schools now offering unusual master tech majors, for example, this one at NYU. What exactly is “emerging technologies”? Their website explains the major, including the fact that if you choose your classes wisely you can learn exactly the same thing as a CS grad. But that's not really what I want to know. Do recruiters actually hire people with this degree, and how does it compare with a standard CS or EE major?

I'm having an internship, and my HR told me he almost rejected me for being in "Computer Engineering" for an ECE job before I said it's a concentration within ECE. I don't know how that works for other companies but will having such a major name on my resume hurt job hunting?

https://engineering.nyu.edu/academics/programs/emerging-technologies-ms

Note: This is just an example. I am not referring specifically to this major at this school, but rather to various similar majors provided by all sorts of schools.

There are many schools now offering unusual tech majors, for example, this one at NYU. What exactly is “emerging technologies”? Their website explains the major, but not really what I want to know. Do recruiters actually hire people with this degree, and how does it compare with a standard CS or EE major?

https://engineering.nyu.edu/academics/programs/emerging-technologies-ms

I am new to this but I don’t want to elaborate on why. I am currently in a rest area where the state permits overnight stays in rest areas. I was shocked that I found seven cars in the parking lot with all windows blocked with the same equipment that I got.

There is a bigger lot close to the restroom with five cars and there is a smaller one closer to the ramp back to highway with two cars. I assume all of them have people live in there because they have all windows blocked.

how safe is this? I assume that if there are many people doing this, I won’t be easily targeted. should I park around them or should I park alone? Should I park in the side lot or the main lot near the restroom?

I built a high-speed rail, and it has like just 30000 ridership. Most people just work in their own city, and the game doesn't have anything to make such intercity demand.