ScreamingHairyArmadillo

I just got an F on a stats exam (grad course not my department). I feel like an idiot not because I don't understand the material, but because I underestimated the difficulty of this midterm and just bombed it. I might be able to pull off a B- in the course, but I just need to vent to those that understand. Also, I need to hear that if I do get a C in the course my life isn't totally over. haha...*sigh*

I love my program. I love my advisor, my project, my lab mates, and most of my departmental faculty. I love that we have beer night as a department (granted there are only about a solid 6 or so that go). I love some of the other grad students here, and have made some of the better friends in my life thus far. I love that I have most of the control over my project. Classes are kind of hit or miss. But otherwise I looooove my program

Chiming again for the points that family-friendliness is 1) very dependent on the culture of the department/school and 2) don't expect to sleep a lot. An assistant professor in my department on the TT has 3 (!!) young children, and his wife (I think) is also in research. It's all about partner balance and time management. I hope that academia in the next few years really gets the point that both female and male academics want to have children and be involved in raising them.

I'm really looking forward to ESA this year! I have only been to a branch meeting, so Reno will be exciting. Advisors definitely like to coerce suggest their own schools. My UG advisor very often pointed out Riverside, and while it's a great school, they just aren't doing what I want. Have fun this summer! I remember just waiting around for school to start, and now I can't believe I've already taken a bunch of classes and developed a research proposal. Ah, time flies!

I would suggest just opening a new account in the new city so you have ATM access, but keep your old account in case you're visiting another part of the country for a conference, etc. If you can set up direct deposit, just split it between the two accounts.

Both schools are top notch for entomology, and it is extremely common to do an MS first in this field. You could stay in that lab for the PhD or go somewhere else. I've seen so many CVs lately and people do either one so often I don't know if one way is considered better or worse. Entomology is about research, presentations, and networking (as I guess most fields are), school name is fairly secondary. Good luck at Cornell!

My absolute favorite is a gueze (especially Cuvee Rene), but I didn't want to suggest anything too crazy for starters I have an IPA fermenting in my closet, thanks to my boyfriend...can't wait for spring drinking on the porch!

You can find some outlines online (for contract, lease, etc, I guess I used them interchangeably). Any apartment complex would already have this, I was thinking for a sublease or renting a room in someone's house. However, they're probably more legit if they already have one and have done this in the past. AFAIK, signed documentation of an agreement is legal in court (you really just want to cover your butt if there are disputes). Also AFAIK, many apartments offer short-term leases, it's just more expensive per month. So if you see an offer of $499/month, expect another $50-100 on top of that for a shorter lease. They just want to advertise their lowest price.

Just relax in knowing that for now you're in the MS, which is 2-3 years (probably 2). If this just isn't what you want to be doing by the end of that, you can easily back away with your degree. Even if you want to go on to the PhD, you can do something else for a year or so. That's why my advisor suggested I do an MS first even though I wanted to go straight PhD (it's what she did, too). As for a topic, it's not the end all be all. Some in my cohort wondered why I have gotten my committee/proposal put together so quickly, and it's because I just picked something. My topic is interesting, novel in its own way, and will let me try out a few different methods/techniques that I can apply to other things. The MS is sort of a dry run for the PhD, in my eyes, so as long as you are working on something interesting to you, it doesn't have to be the love of your intellectual life. So, I guess what others said earlier (I just looked those posts over).

Oh man, I fear a few in this thread have never explored to world of micro or home brew. Forget piss water, you need to get yourself a brown ale or hefeweizen (for starters). Though I didn't drink at my interviews either, I'm already awkward/goofy enough

You can get an idea of apartments in the area using Craigslist. I would just get the names and try to find their own websites (sometimes that can be hard because they can be through the larger rental agency and a quick Google won't do the trick). Otherwise try rent.com. You can sometimes find reviews, though they are usually just written by those that are pissed off. If you want to try finding just a room, sublet, whatever, try to get as many details as possible from an email/phone call. Do ask if the place is clean, if there's a shared kitchen/bathroom/laundry, and if they have pets. Just be thorough, like any apartment. Ask if they have a contract, and if not, you write one. I wouldn't live anywhere other than my parents' without having a contract. If you can spare the fee, first rent with a shorter lease so you can have an easy out if the place isn't right for you. That'll give you time to settle in but keeping looking around.

I have drive, but am lazy. A pretty terrible combination, really. Hence the reason I'm up at 3am waiting for ArcGIS to reproject my raster file for the next hour or so. *sigh*

Like LJK, I have a regular Kindle. I zoom in on one column and scan the pages that way. I find it pretty useful as I don't usually mark up documents anyway. I also usually reread papers, so the time I have it on my Kindle is just the first go thru. When I have it on my computer, I can highlight or annotate.

Your largest expense will probably be an apartment, so either check out craigslist or rent.com to get an idea of average costs. Schools may also host housing websites, where you could also find a roommate which could lower your costs. Also look into public transport to decide whether a car is worth it or not. I had this issue last year, where OSU offered me less money than another school, but the cost of living is so much cheaper here I'm able to save more than I could've at the other school. I'm even starting to pay off undergrad loans! Granted, in the end I did not base my decision solely on finances, as I have an SO that was also applying. There are really just so many factors going into a decision, the best thing you can do is visit. If 2-3 schools give you actual livable stipends, you should make a decision on fit, advisor, placement rates, all that other stuff that will ultimately shape your career.

Graduate students with TA/RA/fellowship are eligible for B staff parking passes. It's about $30/month (and is deducted from your payroll) and if you get to campus a little before 9am there's usually no trouble parking. I've also always found a spot around 2pm, but you may have trouble. West Campus parking is much cheaper though (I just checked - $7.40/month!) so that's a consideration. Damn, I may switch next year, that's some good money to save.