msmith1990

I'm not planning on having a roommate because I'm bringing my dog, and my boyfriend is moving here at the end of the year. But I did peruse the roommate section on Craigslist -- some ads were a little sketchy, but you can find some legit offers on there. The most important thing, though, if it's at all possible, is to go beforehand to scout it out. I left right after graduation and spent a few days viewing various properties. For me, it coincided with my class registration, so I would have needed to be there anyway. But it was extremely valuable to get a feel for which neighborhoods were safe and which ones were definitely not ok. I ruled out several apartments that had been at the top of my list because I got really bad vibes from the neighborhood. I ended up with a small but nice apartment that I'm moving into on Saturday. Especially if you're moving to an urban area, I really recommend going there in person rather than trying to do things online. Have coffee with potential roommates, too.

This weirdo is Heraclitus. He's a nut, but I love him. He'll be coming with me in the fall, since I was fortunately able to find an affordable, dog-friendly apartment. He's never lived in a city, so it'll be quite the adjustment!

If you have any family members who'd be willing to, co-signing is also an option. Every building I've talked to has said that they'll take a co-signer in lieu of proven income. I hope never to have my parents pay anything, but they're willing to co-sign for me to make the building feel better.

I disagree with you on this one, although I think you've got some valuable stuff in your other points. Digital history actually facilitates interdisciplinary work in a lot of ways. One of my first independent research projects was a digital reconstruction of a ruined Irish cathedral as it might have looked 800 years ago, and then using that model to track how it changed, and what those architectural changes reflected about shifting perceptions of ethnicity. So there you've got history, art history, graphic design, anthropology, and maybe a few more social sciences to boot. I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the digital revolution. I'm mostly a paper person, myself. But the tools these developments give us are actually extremely valuable in breaking in some new ground, not just teaching the old, worn-out stuff.

This won't be very useful for your immediate finances, but remember that there are tax exemptions for moving for a job, and I think there are ways to make that count for grad school. So if you pay for your move, save ALL your receipts, and Uncle Sam will pay you back next April! http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc455.html

I'm a paper person. I have to think with pen and paper -- for some reason it's hard for me to get my thoughts out coherently and efficiently when I'm typing. I also find that I'm much more organized on paper. My only problem is that being a paper person, as others have already noted, makes for ridiculously heavy purses. I constantly have shoulder and back pain from lugging around all my notes. This year, I'm planning on solving that by having a single binder full of loose leaf paper that I'll keep with me for note-taking, since I remember things and analyze them much better when I write them down, and then organize my notes into their respective classes on a regular basis. That may prove to be too much work, but I'm going to give it a shot. Computers are convenient, but for some reason my brain just makes more connections when I physically write things down than when I type.

My undergrad is very small, and our PAT chapter has about 8 or 9 students generally, so we're not super active. But I will say that the conference opportunities are excellent. They're particularly useful if you're considering going to a school that's in the same region as your undergrad. I ended up presenting a paper at our regional conference a month ago, which was great for networking and letting professors at schools I was considering put a face to a name.

I'll be at SLU in the fall, so I'm also working on apartment hunting. I only have one dog, so it's slightly easier -- you might consider this apartment, though, the person who lives there is moving out at the end of the month, and it's got no pet restrictions whatsoever. I'm hoping for under $500, so it's not my first choice, but it might be good for you! http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/3716192512.html

I'm planning on working as many hours as I can during the summer to get as much of a cushion as possible, but I'll be working part-time during the semester as well. The problem is finding a job in a new city, since I'm moving several states away. I'm planning on about 25 hours a week, but we'll have to see how it goes. I'll definitely be on the lookout for TA/RA positions for next year!

So I figure I'll go ahead and get the ball rolling on SLU... I'll be starting in the Fall on a Ph.D. track in medieval history. I'm moving in May to find a job, apartment, etc. Anyone already there or starting this year? Also, who else is a little confused by the whole Billiken thing?

I'm apartment hunting at the moment! My plan is to move right away at the end of May and find a job for the summer -- hopefully something I can keep part time once school starts. I don't want to buy too much since I'll be on a tight budget, but I love thrift shopping for furniture!