aginath

When I was visiting programs, I spoke with one of the students at a school in the midwest who wasn't really happy in her track of the program. When I last spoke to her, she mentioned transferring back to the program where she did her Master's. I'll send her a link to this thread on FB and see if she can chime in.

Excellent point! We found a local brewery here and I went on the tour with some friends who visited last week. For a whopping $10, I couldn't drink all my samples! Definitely going back.

I graduated from my masters program with roughly 80K in debt (both undergrad and grad). Through rebates and monthly payments, that's down to 40K. Unfortunately my doctoral program is feeling the economic pinch this year and it's the first time in more than a decade that they haven't provided funding for all incoming students (in fact, they're scrambling to find support for returning students). I decided to take the plunge and go the federal loan route for this first year. Thankfully I found a little known waiver in the Unviersity's policies that will net me in-state tuition. That will save me 20K in my first year (I'll only have to borrow 10K instead of 30K). I do have a part-time job offer that will help me pay the rest of my bills while loans pay school and rent. If I absolutely have to, I'll borrow my way through my doctorate, putting me right back where I was straight out of school. However, I'm hopeful that I can find my way into an assistantship SOMEWHERE in the university after my first semester/year.

I applied to 3 and got in at all 3, but apparently my blood offering to the admissions gods was accepted. From my reading here and talking to others, it's more common to apply to at least 5 unless you have prior experience with the program.

I <3 Google Calendar. school - class schedule and meetings (if you're the type that needs it, schedule your study time) work - working hours separate from my class and meeting schedule holidays - school holidays birthdays - friends' and family members' birthdays entertainment - special events, concerts, sporting events, etc

Also check around for forums for your respective school/program. If you're a sports fan, I can almost guarantee there is a forum out there somewhere. You'd be surprised the connections you'll make that way, too. Don't rule out MeetUp.com and Yahoo Groups to find people in the area who have the same interests. I've joined two groups on MeetUp and one on Yahoo already. My husband and I went out to a local pub last night for a Yahoo Group event. While we never found the group, we fell in love with the pub and visited with the bartender quite a bit.

I'm thinking Matt B likely found his answer and is either in a lot of debt or re-evaluated his situation...two years ago.

Hulu is greatness. Find library and read for fun.

FWIW, I did get an undergraduate in Agricultural Education and am certified to teach high school agriculture in Texas. However, I never actually took a job in the classroom and spent 8 years working in state government as an instructional designer and later continuing ed administrator. I'll be starting a PhD in Instructional Technology this fall and was accepted to all three programs I applied (NCSU, IU, and UGA). At no point was my lack of teaching in the classroom ever brought up or an issue.

The answer depends on the program (requirements) and your commitments/responsibilities. I've had two friends recently work full time and attend school part time to get their PhD. Yeah, it took longer, but they did it. I believe both were able to use their full time job to collect data for their dissertation.

I know that one of the programs in my department at UGA wasn't making admissions decisions until Jul 20. It sucks, but at least they had a noticed on the website stating as much. I know in their case, much of the delay was in setting the program budget.

I had way more fun in grad school than undergrad. As an undergrad, I didn't really get active in any organizations until my senior year. That spilled over into grad school, where I found myself mentoring undergrads, serving on the graduate student council, volunteering with camps for incoming non-traditional students, and more. Between actually enjoying class (meaningful discussions instead of droning lectures) and making all sorts of new friends, I was 10x the social butterfly in grad school.

It depends entirely on the school and the field. I don't have any piercings, but I do have tattoos and intend to get more. Only two of my three are visible depending upon clothing choice, but I still typically cover them initially. Once the first impression is set, I will wear my normal choice of attire that reveals them. This worked for me during my Master's degree and more than 8 years on the job in state government.

Craigslist really is one of the best resources. That's how I found the house I'm renting in Georgia. A quick search of Athens, OH turned up this: http://athensohio.craigslist.org/apa/

I was accepted to NCSU for a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction. No one ever spoke to me during the application process and the application letter was very clear about no funding. About a week after I declined the offer, I started getting emails about applying for teaching assistantships within the College of Education. It was all very weird and disjointed. Just the other day I got an email asking to participate in an off-campus housing survey of some sort. It's like no one really communicates within the university. I was not impressed at all and very grateful that I had IU and UGA to choose between.

I only kept electronic copies of docs. I've been out of school almost nine years and any books I had then are sorely outdated at this point.

Guess I feel somewhat fortunate that my "fall" starts soon. We leave for Georgia on July 23. Classes start August 17.

This. It's not crass. It's polite and I'd wager some are used to the question (especially in the current economic climate). If you'd rather not word it as "if you provide funding," then do so as "what types of funding are available...."

I'm counting down the days at my job...three weeks from today we load up the moving truck and head to Georgia. I'm *so* ready.

We're planning on hooking up an old laptop to one of the inputs permanently just for Hulu. :mrgreen: Still, we'll be getting a cable package to go with our internet. I spent more than half an hour this morning in "live chat" with Charter Communications. Ugh. I appreciate that they're pitchmen, but I don't need them to ask leading questions hoping to add more services to my account. I would love to have just had a calender on the website to pick an installation date and be done with it.

I haven't had a landline since October 2006.

It shouldn't weaken your chances, and if anything will show due diligence and effort on your part to match up with the best faculty member for mutual interest. I originally contacted one faculty member and eventually talked with multiple based on recommendations.

The only way to know is to ask the faculty member directly. You can find most faculty CVs on the department's website or their own personal webpage. Often times the CV will list the names of graduate students of whom they have advised/served as committee chair. You can contact that student and ask about their experience.

It truly is a buyer's market...there are PLENTY of properties for sale right now...And I say this having had my house up for sale for almost 8 weeks now.

Seriously, especially if you have email addresses.