Maleficent999

http://www.potterybarn.com/design-studio/tool/living_rooms_room_planner.html I like to use this tool for planning my rooms. You can input exact measurements if you have them and see how things look. You can also use their default furniture just to get an idea.

I was planning to do all the WoW stuff but I just looked at the program from last year and there are really only a few events I might want to attend. My department does its own orientation as well. I don't think I want to have 10 days of orientation. That seems excessive. If they'll let me attend only a few I might attend those I'm interested in, though.

I drive up a month from Friday.

I have a 1TB external hard drive for my Mac. It's like the one below but I bought it elsewhere. Personally, I love the g-drives. They're really easy to use with Time Machine if you're just doing basic back-ups and its easy to move files in and out. I recently got a new Macbook Air and was really worried about what it'd be like to move over things like my music/pictures but it was really simple to do so from my external HD. I think they also have a 500GB model if you don't want to go for the 1TB option. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=893224&gclid=CJKmorz26r8CFQgKaQodSpsAGQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details

Hello, and welcome! How many of the Fall 2014 admits in this thread will be going to GSA events/WoW? I'm sure we'll meet each other at some point (even if we don't know it).

I use Google Calendar on my computer and phone for basic scheduling like classes and appointments. I use a physical planner (July-August oriented) for daily to-do lists, essentially. I don't write my classes on each day of the planner but I do write tasks I hope to get done by the end of the day with circles next to them that I can fill-in once I've completed the task. I color code (purple for school-related, blue for personal, pink for social) the tasks and it sort of coincides with levels of importance. I even write super basic stuff like "do laundry" or "paint fingernails" so that I can remember I want to do those things, as silly as that is. I also recommend using eraseable pens or pencil if you're using a physical planner. Like I mentioned, some things are less important so if I can't do laundry today I could erase it and move it to tomorrow.

You weren't asking me but I bought a desk chair from Ikea last week. I got the Vilgot chair in black. It was super easy to assemble, a great price, and it is extremely comfortable. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40193191/

I did the same almost a month ago. You're going to love it. I'm obsessed.

Just a note: Check with your alumni associations for discounts, if you're members. Mine has a partnership with Office Depot so I get a discount on office supplies.

I am in almost the exact same situation as the OP. I did long distance with my SO while I was in undergrad. I moved in with him for this gap year during applications and now I'm moving 3 hours away to get my PhD. It is certainly doable to try long distance again but I had to make a decision based on what I thought would make me happiest (and him in the long run). I will not do long distance again. It was really, really hard on us the first time around and I don't want to go through that stress when I'm trying to focus on my career and schooling. He has a great job in our hometown and he doesn't want to leave it. I get that and I don't fault him for it but I also won't waste the next 5-6 years of my life trying to make a long distance relationship work when in the long run, he will probably never want to move and I will almost certainly have to live somewhere other than my hometown. It's pretty awkward living with someone when you both know the exact date your relationship will expire (September 1st for us) but we don't hate each other by any means. It'll suck at first and it'll take a few months for us to be able to talk again I'm sure, but I think we will stay in touch enough to remain close. We have agreed that if at some point in the future something changes for either of us (I could fail out of school after all, or he might decide he hates his job) then we will revisit the issue. I think the plan is to revisit how we're feeling about each other next summer. If we have moved on in a year then maybe it wasn't meant to be. If we haven't then it might be worth trying to make something work. It sucks the OP's SO isn't comfortable discussing things because I have found that communication was the only way we were able to get through this sticky situation and come up with a plan. Since it seems like the OP is being left to make a decision, I'd advise to try and figure out what it is that YOU want. Are you certain your SO is "the one" or do you have any thoughts that maybe there is still a relationship out there you'd be happier in? If you're not certain, then maybe the time apart will help you figure it out. Maybe you don't need a formal break up but you guys could agree to just take some time apart. If he still refuses to even discuss THAT then, if it were me, I'd take that as a signal that I'm going to have to make the decision and just run with it.

I had my card when that happened but I never had any security issues. I monitor my accounts daily. If I had to think of one thing to complain about it would be that even though you have a PIN and it's linked to your checking, the withdrawal isn't made immediately. For instance, if you make a purchase on Monday it probably won't post to your account until Wednesday. Like I said, I monitor my account so I know to make sure I have enough funds to cover my Target purchase but if you don't keep track I could see how someone might easily forget and then not have enough money when the transaction actually goes through.

I agree with Monochrome. If there's an Ikea near where you're moving I would check there first. You can pick up a new mattress and bed frame pretty cheap. Otherwise, that Target price isn't too terrible but you could probably get a better deal at Walmart (I hate saying that because seriously, f*ck Walmart but you can't beat their prices sometimes).

I usually see it listed under "honors/awards" for each of your attended institutions.

You can get a Target debit card. That's what I have. You give them a voided check and they link your Target debit card to your bank account. You get 5% off still and that way you're not spending borrowed money, you're just using money in your checking account. I've had mine over a year and a half and never had any problems.

I agree with GeoDue. You also have the option of replacing the battery. I replaced the battery in my 2008 Macbook a few years ago with something after-market at the suggestion of an Apple employee. It still doesn't go more than 5-6 hours without needing to be charged but if you can afford both a new battery and a booster you might be able to get by without buying a new laptop for a while.

We got an email a few months ago telling us to make sure we set up our student emails as the department secretary would be contacting us on those exclusively. Our email is Gmail based, which is convenient, so I can login to my student email at Gmail.com. RE: offer letter We had to sign and return our offer letters, which I'm assuming acts as a contract. It sounds like we also will be having to sign and return a contract now that our TAships have been assigned for the first quarter.

I know you can get the GRE fee waived but there are some qualifications you have to meet. If you go to the ETS website and search I'm sure you can find out what those qualifications are.

I got to pick my own email. We had to set it up once we accepted their offer and were confirmed as the 2014 cohort. BTW, I know you already bought your computer but Apple has their back to school promotion going on. I ordered my Macbook Air online and got $200 off the laptop plus a $100 Apple store credit.

This is definitely really specific, but for me the homesickness comes from feeling like I'm missing out on something back home. It helps to remind myself of why I am where I am. Also strangely enough, the more often I visit home the more homesick I get. I had a long distance relationship for 2 years in undergrad and I won't be continuing the long distance relationship in grad school largely because I felt like I missed out on a lot of socializing during my undergrad years by focusing so much on what was waiting for me back home. It won't be the same for everyone but for me it seems silly to continually put myself in a position where I make myself miserable (visiting home and then being heartbroken when I have to leave) so I've chosen to discontinue that part of my life during grad school. I don't mean I wont visit home, but I'll definitely limit my visits (I used to visit home at least once a month). How does this apply to the general population? Focus on what is happening to you right now. I try to think of it like an adventure. When I'm feeling sad, it really helps if I try to imagine projecting myself into the future and looking back on that sad moment to see how insignificant it will actually be to future me. I mean, its definitely easier said that done. I realize that.

I have an Everlane twill snap backpack. The fabric is really durable and it has a separate laptop compartment. Personally, I still suggest putting your laptop in a durable case even if your backpack has a separate compartment, if only to protect from scratches or add an extra barrier. https://www.everlane.com/collections/womens-backpacks/products/womens-twill-backpack-navy

I got my financial aid offer (additional to my department aid) a few weeks ago. Consisted of loans and one fee waiver (not sure what it was exactly for though).

Related to having a faculty advisor: I was assigned my first year advisor several weeks ago. Strangely, I didn't meet with this person during visiting day so I'm rather surprised I was assigned to them. Everyone else seemed to be assigned to people they had meetings with. I can kind of see how our interests are related but by no means is it a perfect match. Meanwhile, there were other people I felt like I jived with really well that I did have meetings with who even pretty much offered to be my advisor. I emailed the person I was assigned to to say hello right after I found out and never received any response. I've seen this person send out mass emails to the department so I know they're not on sabbatical and have access to their email. It is just my first year advisor and after the first year I can choose my own advisor, but how should I approach this situation now that they haven't responded? Do I wait for them to approach me or email again once it's closer to the beginning of the school year? I'm a little concerned at the lack of correspondence because the last thing I want is to get behind because my advisor is MIA.

There aren't any other Fall 2014 Aggies?