Jose Aveldanes3rd year Ph.D. Student in SociologyJose is a sociology doctoral student, balancing research, teaching, and personal growth throughout his day. His work focuses on families in the U.S., studying marriage, divorce, and inequality using demographic methods. Jose, also shares his experiences with the D-Lab, an interdisciplinary collaborative where he gets to explore new ideas. A prime example of the rich experiences that UC Berkeley graduate students have access to. His day is a mix of rigorous academic work and personal development, showcasing the dynamic and supportive environment Berkeley offers. Get a feel for what it’s really like to study at Berkeley – from breakfast to research to balancing it all with sports and playing the piano. TranscriptionFor me, it’s always been important to develop skills besides whatever my work is. I wake up, I make breakfast, and then I try to get myself ready to go to the gym. I study families in the US using demographic methods, in particular, focusing on divorce, marriage, family formation, and how that relates to inequality in the US. From 8:00 to 10:00 I’m teaching, from 10:00 to 12:00, I’m doing data lab-related things. I’m a data lab consultant for the D-Lab. So I do everything from curriculum development to mentorship to consulting. I think the D-Lab actually is probably one of the best parts of the Berkeley campus. We have a place where we can come together as scholars to ask interesting or new questions about the social world. From 12:00 to 5:00, I’m working on my own research. So I’m usually deep into the literature or trying to figure out a method, or trying to come up with a new idea for a paper. I was the first one in my family to go to school. That’s high school, university, and now graduate school. My parents finished, I think, middle school at the most. I think as a graduate student, you have to find ways to deal with the stress of graduate school. And so the way that I deal with that is that I do a lot of sport. When I’m not doing that, I’m often either with my nose in a book or at a museum looking at art. What’s really great about Berkeley is that you have all kinds of resources in different departments, not just in your home department, in the sociology department, but also across campus. Berkeley is a place where you can be independent. You can pursue whatever it is that you want to research. And so that’s very different from other schools. From 5:00 to 7:00, I’m decompressing a little bit and probably eating dinner, probably multiple dinners. And then from 7:00 to 9:00, I usually do some kind of relaxing activity, whether that’s reading or trying to learn something on the piano or working on languages. And then go to sleep. And I’d do it all again the next day. We have a place where we can come together as scholars to ask interesting or new questions about the social world. Jose Aveldanes Ready to apply or accept your offer of admission? I'm ready!
Jose Aveldanes3rd year Ph.D. Student in SociologyJose is a sociology doctoral student, balancing research, teaching, and personal growth throughout his day. His work focuses on families in the U.S., studying marriage, divorce, and inequality using demographic methods. Jose, also shares his experiences with the D-Lab, an interdisciplinary collaborative where he gets to explore new ideas. A prime example of the rich experiences that UC Berkeley graduate students have access to. His day is a mix of rigorous academic work and personal development, showcasing the dynamic and supportive environment Berkeley offers. Get a feel for what it’s really like to study at Berkeley – from breakfast to research to balancing it all with sports and playing the piano. TranscriptionFor me, it’s always been important to develop skills besides whatever my work is. I wake up, I make breakfast, and then I try to get myself ready to go to the gym. I study families in the US using demographic methods, in particular, focusing on divorce, marriage, family formation, and how that relates to inequality in the US. From 8:00 to 10:00 I’m teaching, from 10:00 to 12:00, I’m doing data lab-related things. I’m a data lab consultant for the D-Lab. So I do everything from curriculum development to mentorship to consulting. I think the D-Lab actually is probably one of the best parts of the Berkeley campus. We have a place where we can come together as scholars to ask interesting or new questions about the social world. From 12:00 to 5:00, I’m working on my own research. So I’m usually deep into the literature or trying to figure out a method, or trying to come up with a new idea for a paper. I was the first one in my family to go to school. That’s high school, university, and now graduate school. My parents finished, I think, middle school at the most. I think as a graduate student, you have to find ways to deal with the stress of graduate school. And so the way that I deal with that is that I do a lot of sport. When I’m not doing that, I’m often either with my nose in a book or at a museum looking at art. What’s really great about Berkeley is that you have all kinds of resources in different departments, not just in your home department, in the sociology department, but also across campus. Berkeley is a place where you can be independent. You can pursue whatever it is that you want to research. And so that’s very different from other schools. From 5:00 to 7:00, I’m decompressing a little bit and probably eating dinner, probably multiple dinners. And then from 7:00 to 9:00, I usually do some kind of relaxing activity, whether that’s reading or trying to learn something on the piano or working on languages. And then go to sleep. And I’d do it all again the next day. We have a place where we can come together as scholars to ask interesting or new questions about the social world. Jose Aveldanes Ready to apply or accept your offer of admission? I'm ready!