wanderingalbatross

What essential items are on or in your desk? How about food? Do you decorate your space?

Spaghetti.

....Do you not have an adviser?

Temp/seasonal jobs are frequently posted on USAjobs.gov (put USFS and NPS in your search parameters). The other way to get this experience is assisting graduate students with their projects. I don't know anything about switching fields from undergrad, so I would recommend asking actual faculty from forestry departments. Call them up on the phone or email them and describe your situation, tell them you're passionate about entering forestry, and ask them what they would recommend for your situation. Good luck!

Your scores look pretty good for forestry and your high in-major GPA will help. One thing you should be aware of is that in the natural resources fields, forestry included, field experience carries a lot of weight. If you are planning to move to the US before the due date for your applications, you should definitely look into temporary/seasonal field positions. Anybody can be smart but this type of experience shows that you can actually go out and do the work, which is critical not only for getting into a good program but also for getting a job when you finish. As for your list, try checking out University of Vermont as well.

You can send them right when you take them, regardless of whether you've sent an application yet. This is the norm.

I moved to the new city, I finished un-packing, I registered for classes....and now I'm counting down the days until school starts, like a 7-year-old, because I'm so excited about getting the ball rolling on classes and research (and meeting my cohort). Is anyone else like this?

My high school math teacher told me, "It doesn't matter where you go to college. It matters where you go to graduate school." Besides, it's not like nobody's ever heard of ECU. I'd go for the actual classroom degree any day.

My reaction is always, "Best what?"

Sociology.

My kneejerk reaction when I see Geography at UCSB is sort of like the kneejerk reaction when people see Harvard Law. They are such an awesome program with a very exciting "look-at-all-this-fun-cutting-edge-research-we're-doing" atmosphere, in a beautiful location, and a very safe bet if you're leaning towards academia. You see a lot of professors come out of there, which usually means good student support. Even if it seems the professor is busy and doesn't have time for you, they are not going to let you flounder or struggle, because it's bad for their image. I will also add that a busy adviser is not necessarily a neglectful one. It may just mean they are productive, energetic, and probably well known with great connections... One small caveat about Santa Barbara -- you will probably have to have roommates as the city's not a cheap place to live.

The school I selected was my last visit, but they were my #1 choice through the entire process so it didn't make much difference.

If UCLA gives you money, it seems like they are an obvious choice with the combo of prestige and convenience.

#1: Submitting my applications early made no difference (at my programs) on how quickly any decisions were made. However, I still recommend doing this because at the very least it allows you more time to correct discrepancies or problems that arise unexpectedly (such as a transcript getting lost in the mail or a LOR dropping off the face of the planet).

Frankly I think nice loafers look just as professional, if not more professional, and are more utilitarian. Why not be well dressed AND comfortable?