Page 1 of 1

PhD programs providing closed office space

Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:42 pm
by asterac
Hi all,

I have some bad sensory filtering problems and tend to find it difficult to work either at home or even with earplugs in supposedly “quiet” places like the library (where there are often still audio and visual distractions). I usually work in my friend’s office. So, it’s fairly essential that I attend a math PhD program that provides its grad students with an office space. This is done at my undergrad institution, so I only recently realized this isn’t the case everywhere. Further, an open floor plan/cubicles would just about kill me.

I was wondering if anyone already had a list they’d like to share of schools that provide offices where you’d have at most two or three officemates. I’m mainly looking in the AMS top group with a couple of matches/safeties below that.

Any help would be appreciated. :)

Re: PhD programs providing closed office space

Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:54 pm
by Integreat
asterac wrote:
Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:42 pm
Hi all,

I have some bad sensory filtering problems and tend to find it difficult to work either at home or even with earplugs in supposedly “quiet” places like the library (where there are often still audio and visual distractions). I usually work in my friend’s office. So, it’s fairly essential that I attend a math PhD program that provides its grad students with an office space. This is done at my undergrad institution, so I only recently realized this isn’t the case everywhere. Further, an open floor plan/cubicles would just about kill me.

I was wondering if anyone already had a list they’d like to share of schools that provide offices where you’d have at most two or three officemates. I’m mainly looking in the AMS top group with a couple of matches/safeties below that.

Any help would be appreciated. :)
I think UPenn and UChicago have an open floor plan for 1st (maybe 2nd?) year students. Other than that, I'm not sure. Maybe look at the grad student page for the institutions you're interested in? Usually they have offices listed on there, and you can get a feel for how many are in each.

Re: PhD programs providing closed office space

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 1:56 pm
by Sampaoli
UChicago is a no no. I visited their department and all first year grad students are all put in a big single office space. I don't see how anyone could get any work done.

I also visited Stanford (large shared offices/quiet), U Michigan (small offices/very busy), UVA (small offices/very quiet) and Northwestern (small offices/very quiet). I don't know/remember about other places.