aginath

The clock really starts ticking from this year forward. Most schools are concerned about your last 60 hours (that's when you start to hit your specialization instead of general/core curriculum); that translates to your junior/senior year for most people. Don't worry about the past right now. Just keep on keepin' on. Work work hard from here on out and you should be alright.

Your best bet is Village Foods at the corner of Briarcrest and 29th St in Bryan. And if they don't have a product, just ask. The owner is very open to ordering products, but in general, they have an awesome selection of gluten-free, organics, etc. You might get lucky at HEB on Texas Ave near Holleman in College Station (NOT the one in Bryan on Villa Maria). BNF will have some of those things and are priced in a moderate range. In general, they're a tad higher than Village Foods. As for Asian markets, try BCS Food Market on Texas Ave at Raymond Stotzer Pkwy (FM 2818). It's right down the strip from Tractor Supply Co. I've heard it compared to Viet Hoa in Houston. It's not fantastic, but most I know were satisfied with it. There's also a tiny little market on Texas Ave in Bryan. It's called Dong Yang and is just south of Villa Maria.

Partials, in many cases, is unobtrusive and seemingly innocent. However, no one needs any numbers from your bank account to verify your identity. Simply knowing the bank name or identifying a loan for a vehicle or property is sufficient if it is simply a verification check (see online drivers safety courses for an example).

Keep in mind that depending on the program/school, some of them bring you out during the application process. I applied to three schools. One of those applications included applying for a visitation program through the graduate school (Outreach & Diversity Office) to help you strengthen your application and visit with your prospective program. If I recall, they gave me $100 towards travel and put me up in a hotel. It was worth it to apply early and get that experience. Another of the programs contacted me after I applied and invited me to their visitation weekend. They had narrowed the field to about 12 candidates and brought all 12 of us together in one weekend (paid for airfare and transportation from the airport to the school; all hotels in the area were booked, so they also put us up with current graduate students, which was actually kind of cool) to meet the department, prospective advisors, etc. After that weekend, they culled another 4 and offered admissions to the rest of us. Take advantage of these types of opportunities if you can.

Why pretend? Just tell him now that you're planning to apply to graduate school in the fall. Tell him (briefly) what you've been up to and solicit his advice on schools, programs, or potential faculty. You never know whom he's connected with in the past and how the relationship can benefit you now (networking is a great way to get things done). Somewhere in there mention that when the time comes, you'd be honored if he'd write a letter of rec for you. I did this with four former faculty members of mine. I hadn't been in school for almost 10 years. I only briefly kept in touch with two. But the others remembered me and they all happily obliged. One gave me excellent feedback on selecting a program and the other gave me excellent advice about faculty at the schools to which I was applying.

This was the reply I got after signing up: And I was able to log in using my regular Amazon.com account and just enter my .edu info. F'n sweet. Thanks for posing this!

Hispanics are a historically under-represented population. Being Hispanic makes you eligible for programs and funding that are not available to Caucasian-NonHispanics.

She really needs to contact the financial aid department at the school. Federal guidelines dictate a certain number of credit hours be completed each year. Years ago (as in more than 10), you could not receive aid for one term and not the other, but that may have changed.

I have reviewed classmate's papers as a favor, regardless of whether or not English is their first language. There's nothing wrong with that. Now, outright writing it...well, the truth will come out one way or another. I'd rather not be part of that hornet's nest.

My application packet included two academic letters and one non. I had been out of school for almost 10 years. The non-academic letter was from the associate director of the state agency I worked at when I applied. I had worked directly with him for three years prior to applying. In all honesty, he was the highest-ranking official who could honestly speak to my abilities and most recent accomplishments. I never received any negative feedback about including it and here I am, two years later, having completed almost half of my doctoral classwork.

I have some from VistaPrint to use for conferences and such. They come in handy when networking. We do have a department-approved University version should I want to print some "official" cards, but the ones I give out are simple and don't necessarily connect me to the university.

This. I make more at my assistantship per month than my husband makes as a full time retail employee. Combined, we make about $2000/month net. Yet that's still too much to qualify in Georgia.

I had a 2.6 undergrad and decided in June after graduating in May that I wanted to go to grad school in the Fall. Deadlines had all well passed, but I still approached our assistant department head while I was finishing out a student worker position during the summer. He looked at my records told me what my bottom line GRE score had to be and said he could squeeze me in on probationary measures. It worked. I got in and never looked back. ETA: This was all 10 years ago

Sports fan's worst nightmare...my undergrad/master's alma mater was facing off against my current graduate school in a bowl game this past December. I wore a UGA tshirt under a Texas A&M pullover to the bar to watch the game. Ags were up until I took off the pullover (it was hot). The others at the bar were good sports about it, but I got teased about not putting my pullover back on. I didn't. UGA won. They were happy. But I got free beer...

There is nothing stopping you from going straight to a potential advisor. If you've thoroughly researched the program and its faculty, then you've likely identified a few whose research interests align with yours. Extend an initial greeting letting them know that you've read [insert paper here] and are really interested in their work. Mention when you plan to apply to the department. If they respond and tell you to go through a gate keeper (program coordinator), then go back that route. However, you've already opened the door and gotten your name in front of them.

When you accept a financial aid offer, it is for the noted academic year and typically valid for fall and spring (summer is a separate request). You cannot change the amount once you accept it and you cannot dictate how much to take in the fall versus the spring. It is evenly applied to both semesters. Any requests for aid for subsequent years is generally considered independent of previous years in that if you don't accept the full amount this year, you cannot request more than the offered amount the following year. I'm sure it's clear as mud.

I declined NC State's admissions offer more than a year ago and still get mail both from them and area companies.

While I might concede the first, service through Habitat for Humanity or volunteering at soup kitchens/homeless outreach would look quite well. Should I opt to spend time with Amtgard, it's not something I would put on a CV. But should chair the IT Student Assn committee for a charity event, that would go on my CV.

From the mouth of my own department head, "If we're interviewing faculty candidates and all other qualities are generally equal, the one with a history of service and/or leadership experience will get preference every time." Yeah, you gotta have the presentations and papers, but that's only part of the equation.

You don't have too many leaving in August. May is peak exodus time. However, years ago, I hired an employee from Nebraska. He and his wife lived in a hotel for about a week before they were able to find a house to rent that met their needs.

I'll double check with my boss tomorrow to see if the incoming numbers are available. Last year, we had around 400 at the orientation alone (and not all new students attend since it's not required). I want to say the recent figure I read said that 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 students at UGA is a graduate student.

Your knowledge is constantly in a state of flux and hopefully you never stop learning. I first took the GRE in 1999. I went to grad school, got my Master's and went to work. Ten years later, I decided to go back. I outscored my previous exam by almost 400 points and flipped high scores (previously I scored higher on the verbal; this time I scored higher on quant). I studied about the same amount, but my own knowledge and experience contributed significantly to this difference. There also was no writing portion when I took it eons ago.

Before I forget for the umpteenth time. Mark your calendars! The UGA Graduate School Orientation is scheduled for August 11 from 9-11. It will be held at the Classic Center on Thomas St (downtown). Dean Grasso usually has a few opening remarks and there are a number of short presentations to familiarize incoming graduate students with important deadlines and services. Interspersed between the speakers will be door prizes (usually freebies from local restaurants and shops). Then the information fair will begin and you'll find more information than you ever dreamed available. We'll have reps on hand for everything from transportation to housing to financial aid and even the UGA golf course. You should get an email within the next month or so with a link to register for the event (it's free and you get freebies!). Keep an eye on http://grad.uga.edu/orientation/ for more information as we get it posted.

If anyone is still looking for housing... 640 Hawthorne (just around the corner from me) is now available and they need someone quick. It's a 2-1 with hardwood floors throughout, an 8ft privacy fence, and a screened back porch. Pets are allowed (no pet deposit!). The landlord's business is just two doors down and he's really the best landlord you could ask for. Rent is only $550/month! This is a serious steal. For those curious about transportation, it's about 2.5 miles to the front of campus. My building is on the south end of campus and I work downtown (near the front end). I have a scooter, but on rainy days, I take the city bus. There are five stops for two routes within about a block and a half of us. There's also a gas station with small convenience store and a CVS Pharmacy within a block. There are a handful of students in the neighborhood, but not many and all are graduate students. If you're interested (or if you have a friend who needs a place), PM me and I'll get you in contact with the leasing agent.

The TAA doesn't own the complex or unit. Your lease should state the owner's name and mailing address. TAA is more a governing body that MOST management companies and owners belong to. Believe it or not, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. For example, if they are a TAA member and it is a TAA lease and you move out, they have 30 days to refund your security deposit and/or an itemized list of deductions to account for any monies withheld. If they do not send it within 30 days (or at all), you should mail them a certified return receipt notice to remind them of the law and that they have [a specified amount of time, 5 business days is fairly common] to refund the entire deposit or you will file suit for the refund x3 and all court fees. More often than not, this letter gets you a check within 2 days. I know of a few people who actually had filed a lawsuit and got the 3x. IF you have to file a lawsuit, the ruling is pretty much automatic in your favor, as the law is quite clear on this. I rented in Texas for 10 years. Your landlord (or their agent) MUST leave in writing a notice in plain sight when they've entered the premises. In all my 10 years, I only experienced an "illegal" entry once. Even then it was a subcontractor repairing a neighboring unit and after I filed a police report (the entry was obvious), the management company apologized and fired the subcontractor. Every other entry at every other property was with my prior knowledge or request. Examples include when they were showing the property to a prospective tenant or something needed to be repaired. As for the two months notice, some only require 30 days, but 60 isn't unheard of. And yes, it means strangers COULD be in your apartment when you're not there. When I was moving out of a property, nine times out of ten, I was home when they showed it to a prospective tenant. So, I either helped with the showing or hung out on the back porch for 10 minutes. Most of my landlords or management companies appreciated that I was there to answer honest questions about how I liked the property/them. I now rent in Georgia and my landlord has the same requirements. In fact, when I viewed my house, the previous tenant was in the middle of packing.