Lila

I made it to UMass at the end of August. Since then, I've been settling in quite nicely. I am getting used to the area. I live about eight miles from campus, which is nice for my husband and I so we don't have to experience the congestion and noise in and around the University. I love my department and I'm taking one required course for my department. Next semester, I hope to take two seminars, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself in the beginning. And it's working out just fine. I hope the rest of you are enjoying Amherst and your new department!

Hello! I hope you're all enjoying the summer, which might explain the limited activity here. (I'm still finishing up my German semester, which means I have a lot of work to do. I also have summer reading to do for my graduate classes. I'm already behind and I haven't even started yet!) I'm wondering if anyone has received their registration packet yet. I logged onto Spire today for the first time and I was surprised to find an email address for me. However, I haven't received anything from OIT in order to set up this email address or to link my computer to the campus network. The scariest thing that I saw on Spire: My expected graduation term is Summer 2012. Yikes! Also, to the English grad students on this board, do you know what courses you're taking? I signed up for the Lowance seminar and I'm wondering if anyone here is taking that seminar. (I've also secured housing finally! I'll live in a rather large house in Greenfield, which is only about 8 miles from campus. I really lucked out as the rent is almost as much as a 2-bedroom apartment in the area.) When do you all plan to arrive in Amherst?

Nadine: I am coming to Amherst with my husband. I know of a few graduate students, though, who are single and coming alone. AMB: I haven't received my admissions information packet either. However, I contacted my graduate advisor about it. He informed us a while back that he would enroll us in our courses since all first-years in our department take the same courses. I would like to receive the information packet just so I can set up my UMass email. Having five email addresses just isn't enough for me... I also sent in my acceptance card at the end of March. I'll let you know if I get any mail. Still apartment hunting! No luck yet.

There was an ad posted on UMass Commuter Services for a few apartments in the Turners Falls area. It sounds quite ideal, but may be a bit too far of a commute. I also need to look up where my department is located, on which side of the campus. That could even make a difference. Is the campus that big? I'm used to large campuses, actually. Debating, where will you be living?

Hello hydsnare! AMB: Very cool research interests. Nadine: I, too, thought about flying into the Hartford airport. Right now, I'm trying to find the cheapest prices. I think it may be better to find cheaper prices for flying into New York and then taking a train. I'm coming from Berlin, Germany. About the average age of graduate students... It depends on the field. I would estimate that the average is around 27 or so. Although you may have some people in your cohort coming straight from undergrad, as far as I can tell, most have taken a few years off and worked. I'll be 23 when I enter graduate school. I got my MA from UCLA last year. I haven't taken anytime off... Actually, in a way, I have. lds: It would be great for all of us to meet and get a drink in Amherst. To anyone: Is Turners Falls too far of a commute? Gosh, finding an apartment is going to be rather arduous; I can tell already. There are a lot of roommate deals. Fewer deals for couples.

Congratulations, Vicki! I recently got married. It is exciting! Anyway, it's a tough decision for you to make. After reading a few articles from female academics, I think it's possible to have a family as well as become a professor with careful planning and organization. If attending this graduate program would be a significant career boost for you, then I'd encourage you to find a balance. With that said, I'd never leave my boyfriend or fiance or husband behind. I've managed a long distance relationship with my husband before, but I was so lovesick sometimes that my work was terribly affected. He lived in Germany and I lived in Los Angeles. I could only visit about every two or three months for about one month. Ah, it was really difficult. I really hated my program even though it wasn't the program that was the problem. But, looking back, I'm glad I made it through anyway. It made feel stronger and more independent. I pushed myself. Consider all possibilities. Maybe he might consider teaching in western Massachusetts? Good luck!

At least you emailed them... We'll have our response soon. I understand your anxiety. I'm anxious but I have a nagging feeling that I didn't get it mostly because I didn't write the best research proposal as I could have. Oh well, I just know for sure that in my first year, I'm going to write the best possible research proposal ever! Ha! I wonder how many people applied for this fellowship. I think our chances are higher simply because this fellowship is geared toward a smaller demographic. However, I do think the competition was fierce. One of my recommenders sent out four letters for this fellowship alone. Maybe the people applying for this fellowship just don't frequent message boards. I wonder if they sent acceptances first or rejections first or just randomly sent out responses. They really could've emailed. Jeez!

Hello! I've never been to New England before. I've visited more European cities than I have American ones. I've never been to New York City; I'm excited about living in Amherst in part because I can visit New York and Boston. I'm bias toward the West Coast, generally, though. I can't get enough of the beautiful and refreshing California sun. Oh well, those times are over. To Nadine: I'm not getting a lot of money from the university either. I'm hoping for an external fellowship. If that doesn't work out, I'm hoping my husband picks up a well-paying jIT job in Springfield. I am in a postgraduate program right nowl and cannot really afford to visit Amherst since I'm living in Germany. However, I'm so anxious about possibly not getting a nice apartment that I'm willing to go into a bit of debt to secure a nice place not too far from campus. Also, I wouldn't want to live in graduate housing for the reasons Debating pointed out. I like the independence of living off-campus in my own apartment. AMB: Hello! We'll likely have some classes together since I'm an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary program. What are your research interests? lds: Ah, ok. Well, I've found a nice place, at least online it appears nice, but it's in Turner Falls. It's about 15 miles from campus according to the owner. I'm wondering if this might be too far. My husband will have to have a car anyway depending on where his job is, but I wonder if it may be too tiresome to always catch a ride with him. Decisions! Decisions! Is everyone as excited as I am about starting their respective programs? I'm so excited! I've even started some preparatory reading for one of my classes. I can't believe I'm actually (eventually) going to earn a PhD. Cool!

Thanks, R! (I've been keeping up with the notification. Thanks for emailing them. I guess we'll find out certainly at the end of this week or early next week. They really should simply send us an email. It would be so much more efficient.) Anyway, I hope we're both successful with this fellowship. (I think you have a really good shot considering your research and your field.) If not, I can only re-apply next year and hope for the best. Alright, post when you get your results! I know it'll take longer to get here to me abroad, but still...

Thanks for your comments, lds. They are much appreciated. All of what you've written seems to be similar to other impressions I've heard. I'm coming from sprawling urban areas such as Berlin and Los Angeles, but I know I can live in a rural area. My husband lived in a rural area in Germany for most his life. It can be peaceful, especially when you have to do graduate work at this level. My only concern is finding an apartment. How close is your apartment going to be to campus? I would like to live in Amherst, but I don't want to pay more than $700 in rent. I'm getting the feeling that this isn't going to be difficult; I don't mind living a bit further, like in Holyoke, I just don't want my first-year performance to be affected by my semi-commuter status. (I did before in Los Angeles and I felt a bit disconnected.) I'll also be visiting UMass in June! Of course I've already accepted but I'm going mostly because my husband wants to see what it's like and we need to get an apartment!

Lds: I live in Berlin, Germany. It would be too costly to visit the Amherst area. I trust what I've read online and my fiance and I are adaptable. Plus, I'm looking forward to living in a college town. (Los Angeles was far from it and living in Berlin in the winter has given me a great amount of preparation for Massachusetts weather.) I'm a bit concerned about getting an affordable apartment, so I think we'll come to Amherst in early August. My fiance also needs to look for a job so the earlier we arrive, the better. Unfortunately, my current post-grad program doesn't end until mid-July. Have you decided to attend UMass or do you have other offers you're considering? Is it just me or are Humanities stipends on the lower end? Budget cuts are hitting state universities really hard. What's your area of interest in English? I'm interested in contemporary African American culture and literature, contemporary American literature, and visual culture.

lds: Maybe we'll have a few classes together. I'm in Afro-Am Studies. The program is interdisciplinary, so I'll have to take at least half of my courses in the English department. I'm also thinking of pursuing the graduate certificate in Advanced Feminist Studies.

I also got offered $10K for my first year in a PhD program. I'm in the Humanities. The whole package includes a tuition (out-of-state) waiver and a health fee waiver. Plus, it's a rural area even though it's a college town. I never thought about asking for a larger stipend... I'm hoping the external fellowship I applied for comes through. That would be awesome. If not, I'll make it with that stipend and a ten-hour a week job. I also have a partner, so that will help with some income defencies. I wouldn't know what to do with a stipend of 26K... That's totally sufficient for San Diego, Los Angeles, and even New York!