rising_star

maelia8, I would probably choose the second scenario personally. But, I'm also weirdly averse to sharing bathrooms. seeingeyeduck, you should definitely contact some rental agencies if you haven't already. Does the grad school have any sort of housing board you can look on for potential leads? Another option might be to reach out to your undergrad alumni network if there is one in your area. If it were a small market, I'd suggest posting a housing wanted ad on CL but you'll likely get inundated with spam in a major metropolitan area. Good luck, everyone. The housing hunt is such a slog!

If it's just a keyboard issue, why not just buy an external wireless keyboard for now to give you time to decide about the new computer?

If you're sharing an office, I'd wait to decide how much stuff to bring in until you actually see the space. As a grad student, I shared two and three person offices, which limited the amount of storage each person had for their course materials, their books, etc. Different offices have different sizes of bookshelves, desks, etc., which will affect what you can bring. I tend to start with less and then bring things in as I realize I need them.

As I said before, I wouldn't worry about getting a bed per se. If you're wanting to get a bed for underbed storage, it's really not necessary. My basic $25 frame is high enough up (without any blocks or anything underneath) to put two underbed storage containers underneath it side by side. I bought the containers at Target and they just roll underneath the bed (they have wheels and a lid). That may be an inexpensive solution for your storage needs.

What many outside southern Arizona don't realize is that there is a distinct summer rainy season there (http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/climate/seasons.htm ; http://arizonaexperience.org/land/arizonas-monsoon-season). Also, let me assure you that 106F is hot regardless of the humidity, in large part because there is a lack of cloud cover so it pretty much feels like the sun is beating down on you all day long. Like I said, I've lived in both places. I remember traveling to GA from AZ in September for a conference and marveling at how cool it was there with daytime highs around 87. People looked at me like I was nuts. OP's mileage may vary obviously since I'm just sharing my experiences in these climates.

My cohort varied widely in age and experience (from fresh out of undergrad in the MA program to returning after 15 years working to get a PhD and all sorts of things in between). In a cohort of 12, you may find that you aren't friends with everyone and that is okay. I'm not friends with more than half of the cohort I started grad school with. Some of my friends are from the cohorts before and after mine, some from mine, and some from all over the university. While it's great if you have an instant bond with everyone, it's also unlikely. Just like at work, you'll find you make a few close friends and hang out with those people. For me, those people were my age, 2 years older, 4 years older, 8 years older, and 10 years older. As for the rest, that's just imposted syndrome. Just because they got a master's and you haven't (yet!) doesn't necessarily mean that you have less experience. Ask them questions if you want to know more about something. Explaining things to you will help them just like it helps you.

That depends entirely on what you're used to. In Tucson, it's 100+ degrees from May (sometimes April) to September (sometimes October). That is a wardrobe you don't necessarily need to haul cross-country because it's not going to be above 100 for the better part of 4 months in Maryland, more lilke 3-4 weeks max. I moved from GA to AZ and acquired a much larger hot weather wardrobe than I'd had before simply because I needed those clothes for more months and seasons (spring, summer, and fall). Feel free to argue the point, bhr, but my advice is based on my experience living in the mid-Atlantic, the South, and Arizona. I forgot to mention this before but I believe both Amtrak and Greyhound offer shipping options that are fairly affordable. You may want to look into those to move personal items that won't fit in the car but that you do want to keep. I totally understand not wanting to do the U-Haul thing (I didn't do it for most of my cross-country moves because all of my belongings were either gifts or inexpensive Craig's List purchases so it just didn't make sense financially). I did look into Greyhound a few years ago though and thought it was reasonable. And seriously, don't forget about USPS Media Mail for books, DVDs, and other media.

I've moved cross-country in just my car a few times so, here's my advice. Also, for the record, I never did a full-on trial pack. Avoid boxes whenever possible. Bags are easier because you can manipulate them to fill gaps. Fill every nook and cranny in the luggage, including things like putting socks inside your shoes. Purge clothing that you don't wear often. In particular, since you're moving from HOT to not so hot (except in the summer), get rid of most of your warm weather clothes since you'll go from wearing them 8 months a year to 3-4 months in all likelihood. If you have stuff you want to keep but can't store, send it to your parent's house if possible. For books, you'll probably be better off shipping them via media mail than trying to shove them in the car with you (though books can also fill nooks sometimes). Oh, and don't forget about the space under the seats. If you're not moving them a lot, you can totally fit some small stuff down there. Another idea: You may want to try loading stuff with and without the backseat down, just to see which position works better for the stuff you have.

Honestly, I haven't had the typical bed setup since I started grad school and I don't really miss it. I have a mattress and boxspring that are on a basic frame (purchased for like $25) with no headboard or footboard. This works well for me because it's a lot easier to move and definitely was cheaper to purchase. Oh, and I tried out mattresses. It typically only takes a few days to have one delivered if you go to a mattress store. The reason for trying them out is that sleep is an important part of your life as a grad student and it matters whether you're comfortable or not. You don't want to get a mattress that leaves you with neck/back pain (trust me, I slept on one during my fieldwork and it made for many restless nights, pain-filled days, and aches all over). If you order online and have it there when you get there, you don't get that opportunity. Instead, consider ordering an air mattress that will be there when you get there and sleeping on that until you can purchase a quality mattress. As for what furniture to buy, I started with a chest of drawers, nightstand, shoe rack, and the aforementioned bed when I first got my place. Oh, and I think I had a few pots and pans. I gradually added other items via Craiglist (if you're worried about bed bugs, be very careful about sofas, loveseats, and chairs) or by buying them from grad students who had finished and were moving.

Whether you can take the rest of the week off with your fall break depends on several factors like whether you're in coursework, what your lab responsibilities are, what your TA responsibilities are, etc. There have been times in grad school where I took a whole week off with a holiday (Thanksgiving, for example) but I never cancelled discussion sections to do so, even though I did sometimes miss a grad seminar. To me, a couple hundred dollar flight is not such a big deal and I'd try to do 3 day weekends whenever possible, utilizing late night and early morning flights to minimize the amount of class/lab time missed. That said, you have to consider your department's broader calendar too. In my grad program, outside speakers typically came on Fridays to give talks so leaving on Thursday night or Friday morning to have a long weekend with my SO would mean missing those (which affects how profs in the dept view you and your commitment, limits networking with other grad students and faculty, etc.). I never missed those when I was in the coursework phase (so 2 years MA plus 3 years of PhD) because it was an expectation of my department and my advisors that I be in attendance, regardless of the topic and its (lack of) relation to my research. Just something else to keep in mind when you're trying to plan visits. Right now, I'm the one that does most of the visiting to my SO because they're in the lab long hours and I'm in the social sciences so most of what I do can be done on a laptop. It's far from ideal and puts a strain on our relationship from time to time...

The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes faculty salaries. For state universities, you can find them available online. One of the things to note is "salary compression", which means that the salaries of those just starting are often close to or higher than those who have been there for several years. If you're in the physical sciences, it's not just about salary but also about the entire startup package. Are they going to give you the funds to set up the lab, buy the equipment, or whatever else you may need initially? The level of support will vary widely from teaching-intensive colleges to SLACs to R1s. It's not technically salary but, having that already set up may make your grants more competitive, thereby giving you the opportunity to increase your salary through summer pay as Eigen already explained. I'm in the social sciences so a lot of salaries are more in the 40-55K range, rather than 70-80. As my sister often reminds me, I could make more money with my PhD if I got a federal government job (and she's right!). It's similar to how K-12 teachers don't make a lot of money even though their work is incredibly important both to them and to society as a whole.

So, my understanding of FERPA is that the professor would NOT have access to your other assignments or grades unless you grant permission. I say this because I've solo taught numerous times and I can't even see what other courses students are enrolled in (even those in my dept) much less their grades in those courses. The department administrator and chair, of course, have that kind of access and could share the info with profs but, when the prof logs into the university system, there isn't generally a way for them to get that information directly. The request strikes me as odd. I've never had a prof ask to see work I've turned in for another course without a clear reason. For example, as a MA student, I wrote one paper (a research proposal) that I submitted as the final paper for two different courses. I got permission from both professors well in advance to do so (one was a theory course, one was a methods course, and the proposal tied the two together to advance my research/progress in the dept). They both agreed, they each got copies of the paper, and they each graded it (and, unsurprisingly, had issues with different parts of the proposal). Other than in that sort of circumstance or when academic misconduct concerns have been raised, I've never heard of someone asking to see work for another course...

I'm like TakeruK in that I have multiple cards I use for discounts. I have a Target credit card (the one that you can only use at Target and target.com), which I use whenever I shop there for the discount. I get the statements electronically and you can set up a reminder online to pay for bill X days before it's due, which I do so I never miss a payment. Alternately, you can pay in the store at the customer service desk (which you can do on your way out the door if you really want). I also have several other cards that offer 1-5% cashback on purchases depending on the store, the quarter, and other factors. I use those cards for everything I can (rent, groceries, restaurants, etc.) and pay all of them off in full each month. No debt and I can use the cash back I earn to get giftcards or checks in the mail.

I'm teaching in the fall, not TAing. I haven't made a syllabus yet for any of my classes. Don't worry!!!

Okay, so if you switch to online banking and credit cards, you should be able to get your last 24 months of statements online, which means you can get rid of all the paper ones. Also, you don't really need ones that old anyway. Anything older than a year is more than you need for banking. For taxes, you need 7 years. Store those with your parents if you can, or put them in a safe deposit box in your hometown or something. I store mine at my mom's house so that I don't have to worry about them getting lost during a move. You'll also want to write down all of your previous addresses for at least the past 10 years and save that somewhere. You will need it for a job application or background check at some point (or, if you're more modern, you can just go through the old addresses in your Amazon account!). You definitely don't need old passport applications, officials docs from undergrad (including FAFSA and CSS), official letters from your undergrad, etc. If it's not a current certification card, don't keep it. For your medical records, you should have those at a doctor's office. Scan them in the interim. Same with the old undergrad papers (but really, how useful are comments on your first year of college papers at this stage in your life?). When in doubt, purge!

It depends. Do you want to pack your own stuff and then load it and unload it or have people do all of those things for you? If you don't mind doing it yourself, there's ABF (U-Pack and also another one with moving units they drop off), U-Haul's U-Box, PODS, and a few others. You'll have to go to each of their websites to see if they offer services in your area and pricing can vary widely. Some companies offer a student discount, while others don't. Some give a discount for reserving online and others don't. If you're going the more full service route, be prepared for it to cost more and potentially take longer than you expect. I've heard of National, United Van Lines, and Allied, though I haven't used any of them.

In a nutshell, you can change your interests from MA to PhD. My master's and PhD research are broadly in the same subfield but are totally different in lots of other ways (think studying Greek poetry versus Italian plays) and it wasn't a problem when I applied to PhD programs. The point is to show the skills that you have learned and how they can help you pursue your PhD research interests. For the record, no one seemed concerned about the change in research direction when I applied. But I also didn't quit my master's. I did the research, wrote and defended my thesis, and graduated before starting my PhD program (though I applied for PhD programs during the 2nd year of my master's). Hope this helps!

If you're looking for summer research opportunities, look for profs that have active NSF REU grants.

Is it possible for the committee member to Skype in? At my university, this is preferable so that everyone can see their face when they have something to ask and that sort of thing. Otherwise, TakeruK's points are the ones I've generally heard. It's really common in my experience to have someone that has to call/Skype in to the defense. Remember to take your time and enunciate clearly. Also, get there a few minutes earlier than you might otherwise to check the audio, make sure you can connect with the committee member, and that they have the slides up and are ready to go.

This is a topic that comes up every few months around here so I thought I'd link to some recent discussions on the subject. One discussion is over on Chronicle's Vitae site: https://chroniclevitae.com/news/549-should-you-have-a-baby-in-graduate-school. It's the first post in a series and the comments are also quite interesting. There's also one on the "no-baby penalty": https://chroniclevitae.com/news/570-the-no-baby-penalty Another post is over on the Tenure She Wrote blog: http://tenureshewrote.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/family-leave/. The post talks about family leave policies in the context of pregnancy and the comments from one's colleagues and supervisors. I hope people find these resources useful!

You can definitely find out the information about the timeline just from looking at the articles. I clicked on the first article in the June 2014 issue and scrolled to the bottom. It was submitted in April 2012, accepted in April 2013, published online in October 2013, and in print in June 2014. You can deduce from that that it probably took 3-4 months for the author to get the reviews, about that same amount of time to submit revisions, and then the same 3-4 months again for the second round of reviewing to occur. Checking the journal itself should be your first step. If you still have questions, you can email the editor.

I'll just say that I was on the academic market this past year and I had multiple (more than 10) job applications that asked for copies of my graduate transcripts. You'll also need them if you apply for competitive nationwide dissertation write-up grants (ACLS/Mellon, Newcombe, Ford Foundation, etc.).

Take the stipend and live in Paris. It's not that far to travel from Paris to London, as iphi points out, and you can get inexpensive flights courtesy of Ryanair and other low-cost carriers. You can use some of your (considerable it seems) savings to finance those trips, or pay for her to come see you.

I never emailed someone and flat-out asked them to be my advisor, though I did ask them if they thought there was a reasonable match between our research interests and if they'd be taking on new students. In my field, a lot of the funding is through the department rather than the POI, so I wasn't asking about funding specifically but more asking if they felt like they could take on another student. Some people told me no for various reasons (lots of students already, planned sabbaticals [more of a problem when I was applying to MA programs], didn't like the match in our interests, planned retirement before I'd finish, etc.), which helped because then I decided not to apply to some of those schools, which saved me money. That said, the person who became my advisor told me that he probably wasn't going to take on any new students, but might, and that I should only apply if there were other people I'd be interested in having as my advisor. There were so I did. And, at the end of the admissions cycle, he ended up taking me on as a student. I also did what TakeruK suggests, which is not to read the work of all of the people I was emailing. I had read the work of some of them for classes or for my MA thesis but not for all of them and that worked out just fine. I was still able to exchange emails with them, learn about what their students are working on and their advising style, and get admitted, in spite of not reading even one paper by them in a couple of cases. Now, part of the reason I took this approach is because I changed my focus area between my MA and PhD and was very upfront about that in the emails I wrote. Someone over in the Lit forum just posted about emailing current grad students. That is an excellent idea. Finding out what they're working on and the pros and cons of the program in their view can be very insightful. Some programs that have historically been excellent are having problems that you wouldn't even know about unless you asked, at least in my field. And, I have always been honest with prospective students about my views on the program (as well as on the other programs they've been admitted to).

I think it all depends on the program, actually. Part of the pressure is on departments in fields where completing a dissertation often takes a long time (history and English) come to mind, which may need to reform their programs to make it possible for students (especially those entering without a MA) to complete their degree in 6 years. Another issue is how the timeline is counted. For example, in my field, people commonly spend 1-2 years in the field collecting data for their dissertation. In some cases, that could potentially be accelerated but in cases like mine (I was following the implementation of a specific project/technology), it's not really possible to make it happen any faster. In that sense, the entire model for the dissertation would need to change. Because, if I read this correctly, it's a limitation not just on the available funding but also the time to completion. I'm okay with a limited number of years of funding (I actually finished my Ph.D. without using the full 4 years of departmental funding I was given when I started because I supported myself via external fellowships/funding) because it encourages students to adjust the scope of their project, find funding for their work, etc. But an arbitrary limit on how long it takes to complete a degree is just kind of insane.