Andean Pat

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right? 

I don't have much advice to add on the topic of the lab work (though the idea of writing up tasks is a good one), but on the topic of the racist jokes I really, really recommend you report the offender.  It doesn't have to be to your department, but it may be possible you can file a complaint with the Graduate School in some way.  You may even be able to retain a some anonymity.  Behavior like that is unacceptable, and it really shouldn't be your responsibility to jump in and correct it.  That should be the University/Department's job, but they can't/won't move on it until a complaint is filed *sigh*.
 
If you're not sure who you can talk to, your university's Center for Multicultural Affairs and/or Black Student Union are great places to start.
 
In either case, I sincerely wish you the best of luck getting the whole thing sorted out with your project and your data.

I will be moving to Atlanta with a suitcase of clothes, an Xbox 360, chess board, and two boxes of books . I'm in my late 20's and am equally inclined to rent a room or get my own place close to campus.

I've been looking at apartments online and it seems like $500-675 is a reasonable monthly rent at a decent place in Druid Hills/Decatur area. I would like to be 6-7 miles from campus at most.

Does this sound about right or am I way off the mark with my assumption?

Emmmm.... no, I meant that scores are not as important as one can imagine, at least, as I said, for the schools that I applied.  What they looked into were SOP, letters and writing sample. I don't know if you can generalize this, of course, but I wanted to point out that not all adcomms evaluate applicants in the same way.
 
The first time I sat for the GRE I got good V and Q but terrible AW , so I asked all the POIs if I should sit for it again. None could give me a plain answer because they do not have a minimum requirement. Anyway, I sat for it again hehehe   and improved all my numbers (phew!  ).
 
Again, this is from my experience in only five schools. The point is that not all schools care about the same things. It is not only a matter of good numbers and the process is more complicated than we think. However, having good numbers is an excellent starting point!!! 

Please don't cross-post so many times. I've kept the post here since it seems most relevant but let me know if you'd like me to move it to another forum.
 
I think equating success with getting published is simplistic and wrong. I don't know if there are any statistics about your specific question but you can look around for many threads about how many graduates end up with a job in academia -- which in many senses is a better marker for success and also requires having been published.

I agree with everything said, let me add on one little thing.
 
I don't know in your field, but in mine, rejections are seen as not suitable fits. Let me put it this way: I imagine advisers admit students like parents adopt children. Especially where I applied (fully funded programs), they REALLY want to be sure they are adopting the right candidate. A rejection should be seen as an opportunity to find THE place. Of course, POIs can be wrong as well. Clearly, there is something in your applications that you should do differently. 
 
Let me add some other questions for you to think about:
 
* Have you asked anyone to read your SOP/writing sample? I asked two grad students and a friend of mine who has recently earned her PhD and now works at a school, reading lots of apps. Their comments were terrific. 
 
* Have you worked with your recommenders? I am international and professors/employers here tend to give general recommendations, which can be devastating for an application in the US. So I explained all my recommenders what were the ad comms looking for in their letters, what information was expected and what type of evidence they could provide. Moreover, I looked for samples and websites to help them in the process. 
 
* Have you contacted people in your programs? I contacted POIs in June/July last year and got several skype interviews with them in August. Some were in my country so I went out for coffee with them. I also met/e-mailed with grad students who can be very kind and REALLY helpful. POIs, at least in my experience, were very honest with me. There was one that suggested not applying because there was not enough funding for international students. Another directly told me "excellent topic, would love to work with you, but I am not admitting anyone this fall because last year I admitted to many students in my field". 
 
DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!! 

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

hi Elise!!! 
 
I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:
 
* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 
 
* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.
 
* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 
 
* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 
 
* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 
 
* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 
 
I hope it helps!!!

OK, before I read all the thread, I am going to tell you about my own experience. This is in high school, which is a little more difficult because students do not choose the subjects (at least where I work). Let me just handle some tips that were quite useful:
 
* Attack the behaviour, not the student. What is wrong is the behaviour, not the person himself. maybe you can approach him/her by saying that complaining about grades but not actually doing the work is contradictory. Avoid saying "you are contradictory". Like this, you give him/her the chance to change. Otherwise, he/she is stuck in that label.
 
* Praise publicly, scold privately. Never never never engage into a rebellion in the open. If you "win" (which you probably will), you humiliate him/her and it is purposeless. I am sure that you/the professor set the rules clearly so if anyone complains in the open, you can simply say it was clear at the beginning of the term and he/she can meet with you later (not in front of everyone). On the other hand, do praise. Not the rebellious person, anyone. You'll see that praising a lot will get students be more positive about their learning. For example: "that is an excellent observation". 
 
* Communicate. Meet with this person and explain his/her lousy progress. Leave a record. Ask the professor to be present. when the time comes and if he/she fails, you have everything on records. 
 
Anyway, this is very schooly, so forgive me if you do not find it useful. 

As for cars, I'm from near Atlanta and went to Georgia Tech for undergrad, and I go back to visit a couple of times a year. I never have a car when I go back to visit and the friends that I still have there do not exactly have wide open schedules all the time, so I spend a significant amount of time wandering around town on my own by foot and transit. Even though a lot of locals will tell you otherwise, Atlanta is a fine place to live without a car. There are lots of fun, walkable neighborhoods where you could live where you would also have easy transit access to most of the other fun neighborhoods. If you want to check how transit accessible a particular part of town is, you can use this screenshot of my Google map (I tend to collect stars in places I visit or live to keep track of interesting places I want to check out): http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c160/DJLamar/Atlanta.png The only really spiffy places which don't have a star in them are Virginia-Highland (literally just centered around the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue) and the area around the intersection of Howell Mill and Marietta St. (which has a nearby star anyway).

As for places to live, if you're going to Emory and won't own a car, you probably want to live in Midtown (slightly less convenient for Emory unless you're living close to Midtown Station in particular), around Inman Park / Little Five Points, Virginia-Highland / Poncey Highlands (anywhere near N Highland Ave between Inman Park and Virginia Avenue), or Decatur. Georgia Tech and Georgia State are more accessible by train and such, so for those places Midtown (and any place near a train station) is more easily convenient than for Emory and you might add the Old Fourth Ward / Sweet Auburn to the list (a part of town which is fairly recently gentrifying which seems pretty awesome, but where I've never hung out much so I can't tell you much about safety, fun, or convenience from personal experience -- I'm eagerly awaiting my next trip back to explore it).

Also, Midtown has a really broad geographic definition that includes some pretty sleepy places with poor transit access, so if you want to live in the fun part of Midtown, consider the parts within 3 blocks of Peachtree Street between North Avenue Station and Arts Center Station, or the little area around Howell Mill and Marietta Street which is super awesome but a relatively difficult jumping off point for public transit to other fun parts of town.

For other tips, check Wikitravel's Atlanta article, if you browse it you can get a pretty decent idea of where the bars/restaurants/etc. are.

I'm bumping this thread for the 2013 cycle. I have an awesome offer from Emory and was wondering if someone could suggest names of apartment complexes or communities in or around Candler Park that are more affordable or highly recommended. I'm a quiet person who enjoys city life and went to visitation weekend but don't really remember what the area looked like

OK, before I read all the thread, I am going to tell you about my own experience. This is in high school, which is a little more difficult because students do not choose the subjects (at least where I work). Let me just handle some tips that were quite useful:
 
* Attack the behaviour, not the student. What is wrong is the behaviour, not the person himself. maybe you can approach him/her by saying that complaining about grades but not actually doing the work is contradictory. Avoid saying "you are contradictory". Like this, you give him/her the chance to change. Otherwise, he/she is stuck in that label.
 
* Praise publicly, scold privately. Never never never engage into a rebellion in the open. If you "win" (which you probably will), you humiliate him/her and it is purposeless. I am sure that you/the professor set the rules clearly so if anyone complains in the open, you can simply say it was clear at the beginning of the term and he/she can meet with you later (not in front of everyone). On the other hand, do praise. Not the rebellious person, anyone. You'll see that praising a lot will get students be more positive about their learning. For example: "that is an excellent observation". 
 
* Communicate. Meet with this person and explain his/her lousy progress. Leave a record. Ask the professor to be present. when the time comes and if he/she fails, you have everything on records. 
 
Anyway, this is very schooly, so forgive me if you do not find it useful. 

While we anxious historians are waiting to hear back from programs, release some pressure. What are you all looking forward to the most about graduate study? It doesn't necessarily need to be something deeply academic or profound. (Just what your mind wanders to while you refresh your inbox every 3 seconds.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ironically, two of the things I am the most excited about seem rather trivial. I've spent a few years working abroad since undergraduate and ... I missed JSTOR access heaps. Also am quite stoked about reemerging as a member of the college town cafe/coffeeshop clientele.

Thanks both of you! I've been TAing for two years, and I've never had a student like this. I pulled her outside before lab on Tuesday and explained that other students had complained to me and that if she paid close attention, she would find most of her questions answered in my lecture. I told her I was happy to answer any questions once lab had actually started. Lo and behold, no questions!

I asked her to observe the other students in her group this week rather than do the pipetting. They also had perfect results. I think the issue is that she either stops paying attention or gets stuck on thinking about a concept that she stops paying attention. I take the time to show each group of students how to handle and use the pipets and equipment, and then I watch them use it. It seems that my sub for that week while I was at interviews may not have been so stringent with the training, so I made up for it this week. She doesn't seem to be very excited, however. This is a lab for non-science majors to get a general credit, and she claims to be premed, so she shouldn't even be in this lab. She keeps asking me when we will get into "real" science and away from this "stupid chemistry." I'm thinking she doesn't realize what the biggest component of medicine is.

I have a feeling my semester will improve from here; they took their first quiz this week where I expected them to explain some of the concepts they learned in their labs. They aren't great, but on par with previous semesters, and I think they will do a better job paying attention to what each member of their group is doing. We also had a much more fun lab experience this week with more people participating and asking questions related, but beyond the scope of the lab... until one of my students suddenly passed out in class. So THAT is why they make us get first aid certified! Poor kid had been sick the day before and was incredibly dehydrated... and hadn't checked her e-mail to see my reply telling her not to come to class sick. Ugh.
 
As far as scary looks go, I'm a tiny girl with a tiny voice most of the time. However, disrupting my classroom and making it impossible for others to hear my lecture results in me using my "Marching Band" voice. It is big, loud, and deeper than my normal voice, and it works.

Hopefully process chemist showed their students who the boss is!

It varies. For where I go to school, the apartment hunting scene is fierce given that there are only so many places you can live. The campus does not have any dedicated parking for students, so all of us live within the coverage of public transportation. The wait for an availability could be up to a year, so many of us don't move once settled in somewhere, unless the rent gets too much to handle or there's unpleasant roommate experience. 
 
I suggest you talk to your fellow students, especially the upper classmen. Maybe you can also try rent.com? This is how I found my current place, and I got a 150 dollar (or 100, can't remember now) gift card after I moved in. 

I think you got lots of good advice from other commentators about tackling different points in your application and not giving up on your dream. However, I wanted to add something.
 
Keep pursuing your dream and don't give up, BUT do not put your life on hold for it. What you do everyday should not just be something to pass the time year in year out. Until you get that acceptance, invest yourself in whatever you are doing, or find something else to do wholeheartedly. I really can't stress this enough because I know the temptation to just check out of your own life until that *thing* in the future happens. Find something fulfilling to do and focus on the life you are living now so you don't miss it while you wait for that next thing.

I agree with everything said, let me add on one little thing.
 
I don't know in your field, but in mine, rejections are seen as not suitable fits. Let me put it this way: I imagine advisers admit students like parents adopt children. Especially where I applied (fully funded programs), they REALLY want to be sure they are adopting the right candidate. A rejection should be seen as an opportunity to find THE place. Of course, POIs can be wrong as well. Clearly, there is something in your applications that you should do differently. 
 
Let me add some other questions for you to think about:
 
* Have you asked anyone to read your SOP/writing sample? I asked two grad students and a friend of mine who has recently earned her PhD and now works at a school, reading lots of apps. Their comments were terrific. 
 
* Have you worked with your recommenders? I am international and professors/employers here tend to give general recommendations, which can be devastating for an application in the US. So I explained all my recommenders what were the ad comms looking for in their letters, what information was expected and what type of evidence they could provide. Moreover, I looked for samples and websites to help them in the process. 
 
* Have you contacted people in your programs? I contacted POIs in June/July last year and got several skype interviews with them in August. Some were in my country so I went out for coffee with them. I also met/e-mailed with grad students who can be very kind and REALLY helpful. POIs, at least in my experience, were very honest with me. There was one that suggested not applying because there was not enough funding for international students. Another directly told me "excellent topic, would love to work with you, but I am not admitting anyone this fall because last year I admitted to many students in my field". 
 
DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I agree with everything said, let me add on one little thing.
 
I don't know in your field, but in mine, rejections are seen as not suitable fits. Let me put it this way: I imagine advisers admit students like parents adopt children. Especially where I applied (fully funded programs), they REALLY want to be sure they are adopting the right candidate. A rejection should be seen as an opportunity to find THE place. Of course, POIs can be wrong as well. Clearly, there is something in your applications that you should do differently. 
 
Let me add some other questions for you to think about:
 
* Have you asked anyone to read your SOP/writing sample? I asked two grad students and a friend of mine who has recently earned her PhD and now works at a school, reading lots of apps. Their comments were terrific. 
 
* Have you worked with your recommenders? I am international and professors/employers here tend to give general recommendations, which can be devastating for an application in the US. So I explained all my recommenders what were the ad comms looking for in their letters, what information was expected and what type of evidence they could provide. Moreover, I looked for samples and websites to help them in the process. 
 
* Have you contacted people in your programs? I contacted POIs in June/July last year and got several skype interviews with them in August. Some were in my country so I went out for coffee with them. I also met/e-mailed with grad students who can be very kind and REALLY helpful. POIs, at least in my experience, were very honest with me. There was one that suggested not applying because there was not enough funding for international students. Another directly told me "excellent topic, would love to work with you, but I am not admitting anyone this fall because last year I admitted to many students in my field". 
 
DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Considering I'm all but certainly rejected from Princeton (didn't hear anything yesterday), which was my close second favorite, I think it's already decided that I'm going to Columbia! I got an email this morning offering me a very good, and I mean very good, financial package, and I already live in New York. I'm as happy as a clam. Wow.
 
(I'm sorry if this upsets anyone still waiting for news, just couldn't help myself! It seems too good to be true. I wish lots and lots of luck to everyone, and many hugs.)