Monochrome Spring

I put anything with a definite time and date (classes, meetings, etc.) in iCal, which syncs with my phone. And I use the Reminders app for specific tasks (homework, chores, etc.). Grad school related things get a specific color and personal things get another color. The reminders to do specific assignments come up on my phone so I can't forget to check my to-do list.

The actual test will look just like PowerPrep. If the screen size is such an issue, perhaps you can call the center about accommodations.

I've been working in my lab all summer, so...

My orientation, which is really just 3 hours with the other students and department heads, got postponed possible to two weeks into the semester. I haven't met anyone outside of my lab.

The Erin Conrad planner is not worth the money. Buy something simple from Target and use your leftover money to buy the decorations separately. I especially don't like that it is broken up in morning, day, evening. That works for scheduled events, but you aren't going to fit all of the things you have on your to-do list in those neat boxes.

Ask your advisor or a professor in your program. They might think it's worth holding onto.

I prefer to use magazine files like these. I can put my files anywhere, like random bookshelves, and I can take a collection of papers with me easily by just taking a file with me. If you decide you want an actual filing cabinet, look into the university surplus store. They usually have really nice office furniture for cheap, because departments upgraded their equipment.

If you have a macbook, you can annotate your papers in Preview and then sync it to Mendeley. Annoying, but it works.

I'm taking 9 credits: 2 unit how to science course, 1 unit seminar on teaching, 3 unit undergrad stats course, 3 unit online course. 6 units are considered full time and my fellowship covers up to 10. I'm going to stick with 3 courses and 1-2 seminars (not the sit in and just listen for no credit kind) each semester. I don't have any TA or RA responsibilities while I'm taking courses because I'm on fellowship. My remaining time can be spent on my own research.

That's fair since you're applying there too. I meant that it would be dishonest if you were not applying to that university, at least in my opinion.

You should put down an institution that you are applying to. Unless you are applying to your current school, don't put it as your proposed just because you think that you know the resources well. Show that you know what resources are at a new institution and you can impress the committee.

My advisor and I are talking about modifying last year's proposal for this year, and I have an intro course in fall in which I have to write a GRFP proposal anyway. Hopefully the reviewers like it a bit more this year. I got a few helpful comments last time, but the same amount were too vague to help much. I agree with the above post that your graduate advisor, if you have one, should be a LoR. It would send red flags otherwise.

Agree. What is the total amount for the year that you expect for just living expenses? If it's $10-15k (which is what I'm guessing from your post), then that seems a bit low. How expensive is the area you live in? Rent here is about $600 for a studio/1bd, and I'd still find only $10k very difficult to live with.

I actually moved here mid-June and started graduate assistant work until my fellowship kicks in for the academic year. So, I've had some time to settle in. Things are pretty quiet, because most other students are out for field work, but I've met a few professors and started working on research proposals with my advisor. I really want classes to start so I can feel like I have more of a schedule for the time being. Also, I feel like I'm not impressing my advisor enough (I know that's unreasonable since I've been here 2 months).

I make French Press coffee at home because I like that it makes 2 well-proportioned cups (and I like the oils that French Press leaves). If I want coffee in the office, I will make another press worth and put it in a mason jar to take to the office. It holds up well going from boiling coffee to the fridge.

If you have a first choice POI, ask if you can do a Skype meeting to bounce around ideas. Discuss your research background and interests and how that might work in their lab, then work on a proposal based on that.

My credit card got stolen the week before I have to move into my new apartment, set up utilities, and buy new appliances. On top of that, one of my pets is about to pass away and I will have more vet bills from the other pets having unexpected mites. Hopefully, I get my new card within the next week, because I don't get my fellowship for another 3 weeks, and I don't know how much all of this is going to cost me.

I recently moved from California to Michigan and changed to Michigan car insurance and residency. First, you need to call your car insurance provider and ask to be put on a policy for Michigan. You can typically keep your same insurance company if it's a large one. Michigan car insurance is no fault, very different from California, so your coverage is going to be different. Also, Michigan is notorious for having the most expensive car insurance in the states. I went from paying $100/mo in California to $165/mo in Michigan. Then, once you have proof of insurance, you can go to the DMV, and get your new plates, license, and registration. To prove residency, you need a few pieces of mail with your Michigan address on it, to show that you have been living in Michigan. You technically have longer than 30 days, since you can always claim temporary resident, but I would do it sooner than later (of course wait for your funding if it's easier!). Michigan also doesn't have the strict smog check laws that California does, so you won't have to deal with that (one of the reasons I changed to Michigan insurance and residency was to avoid having to get a California approved smog check). If you have any questions, please feel free to message me. It sucks figuring this all out alone!

At some schools, it's frowned upon to apply to multiple programs. Double check, although it might not be the case for you!

Color me dissatisfied with your response. You can have your opinion about whether or not Octopus will be admitted or not, but you are NOT an adcom. Numbers are important, yes. But they are not the end all for every program. The professors Octopus decides to apply to work with may have the ability to pull him out of the applicant pool and accept him based on funding, as long as the professors can make a case. Your advice to be cautious is fine, but your negativity is unwarranted. You had your own history with the adcoms for the programs that you applied to, but you can't say that your bad experience is what Octopus with also experience. You might have come off badly during interviews or in your statement. Octopus might have something, as GeoDude! has said, that resonates with the adcom. You don't know. Graduate admissions are wonky, and sometimes, things turn out differently than you expect. My advice to Octopus is to ask whomever you can at each program (admissions office or potential advisor) about how big of a factor your scores are. They should be honest with you. Go from there. No one on the forums can tell you this, even if they attempt to by extrapolating from their own experiences.

I switched to my iPhone so that it syncs to my Macbook. I like the flexibility of having multiple reminder lists: courses, personal, research project 1, general research, grant proposal 1, etc. And I like that I can change the dates for assignments more quickly than a paper calendar. It's all color coded so I can see my daily list of things divided up by task. And anything I don't finish that day ends up carrying over to the next automatically, which is also pretty convenient.

I share a big room that serves as the office for all of the grad students in my lab (currently 3). We each have a desk, and the other new student and I are sharing a small shelf for snacks, books, etc. that we don't want in common space that undergraduate assistants also share. I recommend thinking about how much stuff you want to leave in your office all of the time versus just when you are using it frequently. I keep most of my books at home, because I work from home pretty often.

UCD Plant Bio is a great program. If you end up interviewing there and want some more information on the area, feel free to message me.

My program provides funding to all students in the form of an RAship or TAship. But the fellowship I got, which allows me to focus on research without those extra hours and for higher pay, was based a lot on numbers. Like you said, it'll vary a lot based on the program, field, etc.

A note: GRE scores can influence funding, as can GPA and other aspects of your application that rely on a numbers game. So, even if your scores won't keep you out, think about how important they are for your department for funding and such. You can ask someone in admissions and they should be able to tell you what they general process is.