Andean Pat

Oh, it was this option. However, the non-contract option I got is fine since I will be travelling and not using the phone EVERY month. The plan is better and cheaper than most carriers so I am happy (Though I may update in six moths or so, if something comes up hehehe).

As an international student, I couldn't buy new phones with contract so I bought a phone without contract with Virgin. So far, so good.

Thanks for sharing. I have noticed that big department stores also have some back-to-school discount as well.

Agreed.

I've received an e-mail with all the cohort contact details and I'm travelling tomorrow!

Ok, let's divide the answer. 1) @Jim: I have read your two entries in the forum and agree with Fuzzy in terms that it appeared you were promoting your own writing elsewhere. I also think it was great what you did: providing a link in your signature. I visit many blogs this way, so thank you. However, be more careful when editing your posts because many answers were based on the original ones. I'm not saying do not edit, I'm just inviting to be more careful. The quote that Fuzzy quoted was very aggressive and I was surprised you did not stick to it. I must also clarify I often find Fuzzy's way is a little aggressive, I am not his/her fan, but when you read between the lines, you get the message loud and clear. Moreover, he/she is, though harsh, often right. 2) Here and undergraduate degree is already a professional degree, that's why it takes you a minimum of 4-5 years to complete it. However, to be a researcher, you should do research and thus in the meantime you can get a degree. However, the research institutions here are supported mostly by a national fund, which distributes funds in an unpredictable manner. In the US, graduate pay is better and, besides, I got in. Here it is VERY hard due to, increasingly, political reasons. Why a PhD? my answer: Why not?

As far as my personal recommendation, check any of the books in Spanish (get them in English, of course!). I'm sure a perspective from Spain will certainly blow your mind. Spain underwent a VERY interesting process during the Middle Ages: no other country had to 'reconquer' their lands from the Muslims. State-building and trading there is incredible.

I only heard of it as such when I started applying to US schools. I hadn't heard of this subfield before, which doesn't mean it is not done here

I think WashU has a good combination of environmental history and the Caribbean

I was going to say what fuzzy said, consult with your International Students Office. They know better than anyone the rules and regulations of your status.

Hey there, fellow Argentinean! I'll answer your posts based on my experience (I was accepted to a fully-funded PhD program to start in two weeks).

Hi again!!! I am interested in nation-building in borderlands. I examine different identities that overlap in these territories, the meaning of an international/regional boundary and the role of nature in the construction of these ideas. As an 'excuse' to explore these questions, I study Latin American borderlands, especially the Andes (Hence, 'Andean'). Since my questions are not geographically based, I thought of applying for Medieval programs. The problem was my lack of Latin (which I wanted to do as an undergrad but could not due to overlaps in my schedule) and, besides, my research experience (and background) is Latin American. I don't know what the hot topics are though... but trade sounds VERY interesting! (My final paper for that course had to do with the emergence of Italian cities due to trade).

Annieca, great that you are settling in! I'm with TMP here, let life happen and let it surprise you! You'll see that once you start your MA you'll have plenty of time to think ahead and discover academic paths towards your interests. Calhoun&Caffeine, have you looked at Emory? I think there is a "special" fellowship to those studying the South. I THINK. To the rest of you applying: all the best in this process! As TRR said, it is exhausting. I am currently visiting my parents and doing NOTHING before starting in mid-Aug. In 10 days I am moving to the States! Agggghhh!!! See you around!

Hello there! I am not a medievalist, but had thought of becoming one for a long time especially because my research interests are not geographically based. Here is a list of books I think are BASIC for starting any serious study on the Middle Ages. However, I must warn you, I am an international student so my medieval course was very focused on Spain, Portugal and France (one of my professors was one the greatest Spanish medievalists in my country) and so you'll probably don't see some books that other people might mention or books you haven't heard of. Take it as my two cents, from an more latin perspective from a non-specialist (I am searching the books in my library, which is in Spanish, thus I have translated those whose title I did not find in English (as accurately as possible), then you can look them up). * Salvador CLARAMUNT, History in the Middle Ages. ISBN 8434465698 (I don't think this book exists in English. Claramunt is a typical author of Spanish Middle Ages, very easy to read and has written A LOT on several topics). * Jacques LE GOFF, In search of the Middle Ages. (A must have) * Jacques LE GOFF, Money and the Middle Ages. (More focused on the role of money and the different 'types' of 'moneys' that existed in Medieval times-- from your post I think you'll like this) This is also one the must-haves in medieval history (I hope the 'real' medievalist would agree ) He wrote several books on different matters of Medieval society and religion, you can look them up in Amazon. There is one that I had to read which I truly enjoyed: Intellectuals in the Middle Ages. I know he has also written some Saints' lives books, like the one on St. Francis. * Claudio SANCHEZ ALBORNOZ studied Medieval Spain, which is very connected with Islam. I couldn't find any of his books in English. He is a little outdated, but worth the reading. In this line, there is another author, CARLÉ (don't remember her name) who also wrote on Spanish middle ages, but she tended to focus more on institutions and the Reconquista. A very good historian of Byzantium is Emilio CABRERA, but I don't know if his books were translated. I am sorry for this... Oh, another Spanish historian who wrote a History of Christianism is Mitre Fernández. For the emergence of capitalism, I read J.L. ROMERO, The bourgois revolution in feudal society (or something like that). * ABULAFIA D. y BEREND N., Medieval Frontiers: Concepts and Practices, Ashgate, Aldershot, 2002. Abulafia also wrote a history of the Mediterranean which you may find interesting. He also wrote on Medieval Italy, look him up, it's worth it. * Rodney HILTON wrote a lot on English feudal societies, but I think you are not interested in this. I only read some chapters from his book with Georges LEFEBVRE, The transition from feudalism to capitalism. * Georges DUBY is also a classical author that focused on medieval economy and means of production. (There are many many others, buy I only included those that I remember! hehehe) As far as the historical discipline per se, I love this topic and have discovered that I should have been given more to read as an undergrad. These are my four favourites: * Jaques LE GOFF wrote several interesting books on how to write/do history. There are two that I like: History and memory and one that is something like "Thinking history" (Pensar la historia). I have it in Spanish. * EVANS, In defence of history. * Edward H. Carr, WHAT IS HISTORY? A real classic, especially in English-speaking countries. I used this one and one of LeGoff's for theoretical framework on my senior thesis. * Eric HOBSBAWM, On History. Fantastic thoughts by a fantastic historian. I think all history students should read this. Uff, I am exhausted but this is not exhaustive! I suppose other people will complete this list.

Ohhhhh you guys thnx!!!! That's the most basic reason why I have several male friends. I've been looking into it and it seems my city has some good teams, will see! However, I tend to ask a lot of questions so sometimes they just avoid watching games with me hahahahah Not in Europe! I will be practising field hockey, thus sports + team spirit are things I want in my life in the US. Especially with the upcoming World Cup.

Errr... no but the League here has strong English influence. Yes, I like more British-like sports rather than American. I used to watch lots of football (soccer) here until one day I got fed of violence among hooligans. Absolutely! I think, however, that as an international student I should make an attempt to mingle in the American culture. After all, I am going there. I suppose I would enjoy ice hockey But as both of you imply, there is no way I can't continue watching sports up there! Are there sports that are more "typical" of some states? Besides ice hockey, clearly....

Hi, I am not in the US yet, but I have asked this questions and this is the summary of aaaaaalllllllllll the answers: 1. Is it enough? That depends on the place that you are moving to. There are several websites that compare how expensive things are in comparison with other places, all within the US. I found these websites around the GradCafe, some of them are this, this one, and this over here. 2. Is it enough for the visa application? I can get from your post that you have not applied yet, have you? The international office at your school, once you have accepted their offer, will give you this number. Anyway, in some part of the school's webstie you should have this 'official' information. It was like this that I realised that my stipend covered the expenses, thus the offer was good enough for me. If there is a gap between what the university says you should need to live there and your stipend, then you will have to finance that it. 3. Do they require living cost for the first month? No. When you apply for a student visa, you must show that you can manage your expenses for the first academic year. I also took my offer to the interview, so that they saw that my stipend was for five years. They did not ask for this anyway. Hope it helps

So so so HAPPY Vt has started this thread! I have missed you guys!!! As somebody said, I am enjoying my last nothing-to-do weeks. It's winter here, I have quit my three jobs (but get paid until the end of July) and now I am visiting my parents farther into the snowy south before flying to the States. I am already packed in two suitcases (just enough what I can carry by plane) and have sold/given away most of my furniture/clothing. So once in the US, it's shopping time! I know the courses I will take and their timetable, although I cannot register until orientation day (I have three orientations!). I have an apartment and two roommates, one of whom has been living there for a year so I don't have to buy kitchen appliances/dinnerware right away. I still cannot believe I am actually doing this. Oh, BTW, I have met one frequent Gradcafe poster who came to do some research. So I am beginning to really "feel" this community as that: a virtual network of colleagues. So excited!

I sent them an e-mail telling them about my interest in the program in connection to my own research interests and my aims at PhD level. Most of them responded (except Canergie Mellon). Some of them make suggestions of applying elsewhere for different reasons (they were not taking students, funding was limited, they were on a leave, etc.). With others I held Skype/phone interviews. I even grabbed a coffee with one of them. It's a great idea to contact possible advisors because you can make a better decision of where to apply (among other benefits). In my case, I could not afford applying to ten universities so it saved me some hundreds dollars because I did not apply to places where POIs where not admitting new students, for example.

I have also been packing since early May, basically because I have to sell most of my stuff. I am leaving this apartment in one week so the "moving" feels quite close, although I am not off to the States for another month or so. Like the Lynx, I am enjoying the buying new stuff (non yet), browsing through amazon, bed bath and beyond and ikea. Lately I have discovered more decorative shops, i am that sort of girl....

Hello there! I went to private lessons (I am an international applicant) and I will try to paraphrase what my (American) tutor taught me: * Start with the AWA section because if you can write, you can read. I did not believe this at first but trust me, it worked. I began to do my reading sections in no time, with 10 minutes to spare! (Tangentially, it was a great prep for TOEFL, where I scored full marks ). * Think why any of the possible answers can be logically correct or incorrect. In my case, it was a great strategy to use "A" "B" labels for phrases in answers, especially in the questions where you have to figure out if there is argument presented, an example, and a conclusion sort of thing. That way you can first identify the parts of the paragraph as A - antiA - example of A - conclusion and see which answer fits best. * Do not take something for granted. If the text is a review, not assume that the author likes the book. This is a common mistake (my common mistake hehehe). * Likewise, do not bring information of your own. You probably feel you can feel in the gaps and read between the lines, but sometimes adding information is exactly what the questions are trying to prevent you from doing. In other words, you should be "scholarly" enough to realise what the text says and what is your interpretation of the text. I can't think of anything else right now, I am sorry! I hope it is a little helpful though.... trust me, the writing does the trick!!!

Absolutely. When I came across it for the first time I was all WTF? However, the more I read about it, in the context of the early 20th century, the more I found it a very interesting approach to help explaining the building of citizenship through natural landmarks. The discussion is very long (and awesome!) to describe here, but, as you put it, interesting to think about. In the same way, social and natural sciences were separated from one another as if they had absolutely nothing to do. Of course, there are areas, as you said, where interdisciplinarity is not necessary nor welcome. In my case, I need other areas of expertise! That's an interesting comment... In my country that is not common at all, most of university campuses are scattered all over a city. But if you look at Europe, there are several towns that are the university. In its medieval origins, academia was isolated from anything around it. Thanks for your comments!!! It has triggered my mind!