Ten pieces of advice from previous scholars

  • Use the links at ICPSR's website to find a nice accommodation. Start in good time before you leave.
  • Be thorough if you want to live in a co-op. Many of them are dirty and expensive.
  • If courses require you to know the program R, it is recommended that you have some knowledge of it in advance. Otherwise you have to spend quite a lot of time learning it.
  • Think carefully if four or eight weeks suit you best. The studies are intensive and fast-paced, so it could be difficult to cope. This is especially important to consider if you have other work tasks on the side.
  • Start early to work with course assignments, they can take a long time to complete.
  • In the beginning, it may be difficult to gettimeto suffice. But you adapt to the pace, and from the second week you may be free on weekends.
  • If you do not have the time to read all the courses you want, you can come back another year, like a lot of people do.
  • Attend some of the mathematics courses. They give you practical and direct experience in math and you get a better understanding of the methods used in statistics.
  • Take the opportunity to discuss design and scientific perspectives with other participants.
  • Contact scientists in Michigan who are in the same research field as you are. Often, scientists in the U.S. are very willing to meet students and discuss research.