RunnerGrad

My second undergraduate cohort had students of all ages, from traditional-aged students right up to students in their 40s. Sure, there were some younger students who didn't want to interact with the older students (I heard them say that they thought us older students were "weird") but others were more mature in their outlook and were happy to hang out with those of us who were non-trads. In contrast with lewin's experience, I find it is the younger students who are more likely to claim that their personal experiences outweigh scientific evidence. However, we are in different fields, so maybe that accounts for the difference. For example, I find that the traditional-aged students are more likely to blame individuals for their weight, whereas the older students recognize that numerous factors contribute to an individual's weight, many of which are outside of an individual's control. I have found that the younger students also tend to think "well, eating healthy is so easy for me, so if people aren't eating healthy, it's because they don't want to or are too lazy to make the effort." The older students realize that life isn't quite so simple, and that what applies to them, or works for them, doesn't necessarily work for anyone else! I find that younger students tend to rely on anecdotes far more often than the older students, who are more likely to look for scientific data. Of course, these are just generalizations, based on my experiences. There are certainly some younger students who don't act like the majority of their peers.

I would just mention that I had previously dealt with a medical issue, that was now under control. You can mention that the medical issue, and the treatment for the condition, affected you at the time, but that it is now under control. Mental health issues are medical issues, just like diabetes and cancer are medical issues. There is no need to go into detail or to lie. Be honest about having a medical condition, but let them know that it is no longer an issue.

I can't imagine using a messenger bag for my daily commute. My shoulder(s) and back would end up SO sore. So I use a backpack for my daily commute. I just bought a new Eddie Bauer backpack that is incredibly comfortable that I plan on using for grad school. I do have more professional looking bags that I use for interviews, conferences, meetings with important people, etc. However, those bags are neither large enough, or comfortable enough, to carry the things I need for university on a daily basis.

No, I don't have my grad school email yet. In order to obtain our email address, we need to have our student ID card. As I don't live in the city where my graduate school is located, I haven't yet made the trip into the city to obtain my ID card. I do plan on doing that later this week. So I will have my student ID card and my new email address shortly. We have to use our official university email for all university business, once classes start. Professors will only respond to emails sent from official university email accounts if you have questions about course material, research, arranging meetings, etc. Any information you need to know will only be sent to your official university email, once you have it. It was the same at my undergraduate university.

I can't register for courses until August, so I don't have any syllabi, etc. I don't even have my university email yet - I'll be getting that this week after I obtain my student ID card. The course schedules (i.e. which courses are offered when and at what times) for the upcoming Fall and Winter semesters were just published last week. So I know what the bulk of my class schedule will be like (the four required courses for my program each semester) but I don't have the schedule for my elective courses each semester yet. I DO know which courses I want to take as electives, but I don't know if there will be room in them once I go to register. The books for the Fall semester haven't been made available yet. I checked the university bookstore, and they still only list the required textbooks for the summer sessions. So you aren't the only one who doesn't have any information about syllabi, textbooks, etc., yet. I DO know that I don't have any assignments due before the beginning of classes. I did just receive an email that listed the requirements for our first week of class (which is essentially devoted to one course only - the remainder of the courses start the following week) as well as the day and time of a special event we are expected to attend in early September. I don't expect to have any syllabi or information on textbooks until after registration, sometime in August.

Agreed! I use a Moleskin planner and it works great for my needs.

Have my fellow UofT MPH students seen the course timetables for the Fall and Winter semesters? http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/page/timetables For the Fall, I'll have classes three days a week, plus Friday afternoons on the days we have the CHL5004H course. Then for the Winter, I'll have classes three days a week. As I'm commuting, I'm quite happy that I don't have to make it into Toronto five days a week! Maybe I'll be in a CHL5004H group with some of you!

My husband and I purchased a home several years ago. These things helped: 1. My first undergraduate degree was entirely paid for through scholarships. In fact, I was making money going to school! 2. I worked for several years (and built up a bank account) before returning to school for my second undergraduate degree. 3. My husband is an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, and the extra money he made while he was deployed to Afghanistan basically paid for the bulk of our down payment. We also cashed in some RRSP's through the Canadian government's first time home buyers' plan to make up the rest of the down payment. 4. We bought a house that was much lower in cost than the total amount the bank had pre-approved us for a mortgage. We knew what we could afford per month, and it was NOT as much as the bank was willing to lend us. So we stayed within our means. 5. We bought in a relatively low-cost area (especially compared to big cities like Toronto), in an area that is growing (but is growing wisely, with a clearly defined plan). 6. We live relatively frugally. We don't have a large TV or home theatre system like many of our peers (we just aren't interested in that sort of thing). We don't have cable or satellite TV. We don't have any children, although we do have three rather expensive cats. We buy as much as our food locally as possible. For example, we have a freezer full of meat from local farmer's that raise their animals humanely and don't use any antibiotics (except when medically required) or hormones. So our meat is healthy and cheap. We buy produce from our local farmer's market. We don't have terribly expensive hobbies (for example, we both enjoy distance running, which doesn't require a lot of equipment, and I also teach group fitness classes, so I get paid to work out). 7. We do own two cars, but they are both small, fuel-efficient vehicles. One is an older Honda that is completely paid off. The other is a newer Honda, but one that gets very good mileage. So our only debts are our mortgage and the car payment on the newer car. 8. Despite the fact that I'm going into what could be considered a "professional" master's program (so not typically fully funded), I'm receiving enough money in scholarships and awards to cover the cost. So, as you can see, our situation is pretty unique. It is, however, how we were able to buy a home. We also did the math, and even taking into account property taxes, maintenance and upkeep costs, etc., our total monthly home ownership costs are still less than what we would be paying if we were renting. Also, after years of renting, we wanted to own a home. It's nice being able to make changes and decorate the way you want to.

I spent four years in Europe and didn't return home to Canada once. Now, I was living with my husband, so my closest family was with me, but "home" (Canada) wasn't drawing me back. Now, if something had happened to someone close to me (i.e. serious illness) then I would have returned home, but that fortunately didn't happen. My husband and I wanted to spend our time and travel money visiting places we had never seen before. We ended up visiting pretty much all of Western Europe, a number of Eastern European countries, and visited Egypt twice (fortunately before all the chaos started in that country).

In addition to Leger: https://legerweb.com/home.asp?AFF=BM8DQ there is also Angus Reid: https://t.co/yTGb0e7mb7 Personally, I teach group fitness classes (spin, Zumba, step, stability ball, etc.) to earn extra income. I'd be at the gym exercising even if I didn't teach, and while I don't get as good a workout when I teach as I do when I take a class (since I'm focused on making sure the class gets their workout, so I do a lot more coaching, etc.) it is still a workout.

Why grad school? My reasons may be a little different, since I'm entering a program that is both professional and research-oriented, and includes the dietetic internship required to become a registered dietitian. I love learning. I have two bachelor's degrees, and while I was working full-time between my two degrees, I continued to take university courses part-time (one course per semester, via distance education), because I enjoy university-level learning. Looking at things from a more practical perspective, most of the jobs in my area of interest (public health and community nutrition) require a master's degree. Additionally, the master's degree I'm pursuing perfectly matches my interests in nutrition/dietetics. I could have just completed a dietetic internship in order to become a registered dietitian (I was accepted to one of the Dietitians of Canada stand-alone internships) but then I would have to do a lot of clinical dietetics, as well as a foodservice placement, and those areas of dietetic practice do not interest me. I still have to complete some clinical and foodservice placements as part of my master's program (in order to meet the competencies required for an entry-level registered dietitian), but they are far shorter than they would be in a traditional internship or in any of the other combined master's-dietetic internship programs that are available. So I can focus on the area of dietetic practice that interests me the most: public health and community nutrition. Additionally, my program will allow me to participate in research and complete a major research paper. This will allow me to pursue a PhD eventually, should I decide to do so. Basically, I love learning. I enjoy research. I'll be pursuing a program that perfectly matches my interests. Most of the jobs I'm interested in require a master's degree. That, in a nutshell, is why I'm going to grad school.

I agree with what TakeruK said. I also have some added comments of my own, based on the information you've provided. What are your long-term career plans? Assuming you do get into another PhD program, what are your plans post-PhD? The market for most TT jobs in academia is absolutely horrible. People go wherever they can get a post doc position, and then wherever they manage to secure a full time TT position, if they are lucky enough do do so. What happens if the only post doc or TT position you can find is an an area that your wife objects to? What are you going to do then? What if the only jobs you can find are far away from family? What if you do find a PhD program, or a job, near family, but you end up absolutely hating it there or your wife ends up absolutely hating it there? I think you need to have a long discussion with your wife about what the two of you want to do moving forward, and how you see your lives and careers together evolving. Most individuals working in academia, unless they are superstars, move to where the jobs are. Most of them (again, unless they are superstars) can't pick and choose. Be honest about the realities of graduate programs, post docs, and TT positions. Decide together if a PhD is something that is worth pursuing. I've only been able to return to university, and to pursue graduate school, due to the support of my husband. This was, however, a decision we made together, as a family. That's what you and your wife need to do: make decisions, together, as a family. Each of you will likely need to make some sacrifices. There may be no perfect solution that makes both you and your wife 100% happy. There's no guarantee your wife will be happy even if you move closer to family. Sure, she may have their support in raising your child/children, but there may be other things she doesn't like. Have an honest discussion and make sure you both know exactly what you are getting into. One quick question: is there any way you and your wife can have a long distance relationship while you complete your PhD, if she does not want to live where you are? Long distance relationships are not easy, but as a military wife, I've had to deal with them at different points in time, and I know lots of people who have done so as well. I even know some academics who only see each other on weekends, because they haven't been able to find jobs in the same city or even the same province. It's not for everyone, and it's not easy, but it is something that people do.

Agreed. This past winter we got a lot of snow for our region (we normally only get a couple of centimetres over the course of a winter; this year we had a LOT of snow - our entire front yard was covered in snow from all the shovelling.) We put winter tires on both our cars (Honda Civic and Honda Fit) and had absolutely no problems dealing with the snow, ice, slush, etc. Winter tires really do make a huge difference. I've lived in many regions of Canada (Ottawa, Southern Ontario, New Brunswick, Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. John's). I've never felt the need for 4WD. Winter tires have sufficed, even in the regions that get a lot of snow. The people I know who have 4WD tend to either live in very hilly/mountainous regions, or else live in a very rural area with poor snow clearance.

I can't imagine ever throwing out books! I keep all of the textbooks that are relevant to my field. Books that I will never use again I sell back to the bookstore. Really old books that will never be read again (fiction and nonfiction) get donated to Goodwill. I would never just throw out a book! My husband and I have a huge collection of books. We love books and we love reading. They are all organized and categorized in boxes in our basement. We both reread books quite a lot, so getting rid of books is something neither of us really does!

Agreed. Our Fit has much more room than our Civic. I can fit my bike in the back of our Fit, but not our Civic. We can fit all three of our cats in the back seat of the Fit and all our luggage required for a cross-country trip in the back of the Fit. Can't do that with the Civic. We like both our Fit and our Civic, but the Fit is definitely a lot roomier than the Civic!

My husband and I have two cars. One of the cars is now parked (we just have fire and theft insurance on it) but for a while we needed two cars for our daily commutes (in opposite directions). He was driving our 1999 Honda Civic, that was paid off a long time ago and is still running great with regular maintenance. It is now the car that is parked. Our other car (that I was driving, and that is now the car we use) is a Honda 2010 Fit Sport. It was the last of its year's models on the dealer's lot, so we received a really great deal on it. We wanted something small but roomy, and very reliable. We drove from Alberta to Ontario, with our two cats and all of the belongings I would need for a year at univeristy (while my husband was deployed to Afghanistan) in it. It's a great little car. I can even fit my bike in the back when I need to transport it to triathlons. We are keeping the '99 Civic, and just parking it for now, because we will need two cars again when I start the internship portion of my master's next summer. The plan is to have it until I'm finished with my grad program, and then once I'm working we'll buy a new car, likely another Honda. We haven't had any major problems with our Hondas. We find that they are great, reliable cars, that last forever, and have good resale value as well.

I belong to three professional organizations, and have throughout my undergraduate studies. Dietitians of Canada is the main one, and they are responsible for accrediting dietetics programs and running the Dietitians of Canada internships, so being a member is pretty much required, at least in fourth year of undergrad. I belong to several networks within Dietitians of Canada, reflecting my areas of interest. These include the Public Health and Community Nutrition network, and the Sports Nutrition Network. I'm also a member of the Canadian Nutrition Society and the Canadian Obesity Network. Both of these organizations had local campus chapters, so it was easy to be a member. Additionally, my fourth year honours thesis involved obesity research, so being a member of the CON was useful. All of these organizations have student memberships, which is very nice. They also all host conferences. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to attend any of the conferences yet. Hopefully as a grad student I'll make it to several!

I start the day after Labour Day. For the first two semesters I have five courses a semester, and most of those courses are three hours of class and at least one hour of lab/tutorial (some have longer labs). So basically the same type of course load as undergraduate studies. Then next summer I'll have two internship placements, followed by another semester of courses and research, and then another semester of internships. There are a couple of students who are already practicing RDs, returning to university to upgrade their credentials with a master's degree. So there will be at least one student fairly close to my age, although I do think she's still a few years younger than me.

I started really turning down the brightness on my iPad and computer after suffering a concussion, and I've continued to keep the brightness setting low. I also use the sepia setting in reading apps, as someone else mentioned, whenever it is available in an app. I do like using the iPad to annotate PDFs and such. I still prefer hard copy textbooks, though. They are easier for me to deal with, unless the e-textbook is formatted in such a way as to make flipping between sections easy.

I ended up with this bag from Eddie Bauer for my daily commute. It just so happened that I was in Toronto for the weekend, and ended up walking all over the city, carrying my stuff in this bag. It was SO comfortable. Definitely the right choice. I also have a more professional-looking bag for interviews, conferences, etc. But for daily use, I need something that is sturdy, comfortable, breathable, and weather-proof. This bag does the trick!

My two bachelor's degrees are in lovely university frames. I have been asked to produce my first bachelor's degree when applying for jobs in the past (they didn't want my transcript, but wanted to see my actual degree. *shrug*) I've lost track of my high school diploma. I do have all my high school awards (plaques and medals) in a box somewhere. The awards from my first bachelor's are also in a box in the basement. The ones from my most recent degree are on the wall. Most dietitians tend to display their nutrition degree(s) on their office walls. Since mine is in a university-crested frame I'll likely do the same thing when I start working. My master's degree will join in (as will my PhD if I complete one).

Coming in late to the discussion. It isn't good to feel uncomfortable or unsafe in the lab, but if the person is struggling with depression, a lot of their behaviour is likely due to that fact. Further isolating the individual isn't likely to help them. I'm not a mental health professional, however, and I'm not in OP's shoes. I have, however, had friends struggling with depression or with other mental illnesses (eating disorders), and they tend to need patience and understanding, not isolation and shunning.

I tell people I'm a grad student. If they then ask what I'm studying I say I'm doing a Master's of Public Health in Community Nutrition. As surefire said, in Canada it is the norm to complete a master's before a PhD. In fact, to my knowledge, only a handful of PhD programs admit students without a PhD. The master's degree is an admission requirement for almost any PhD program, and certainly for all the programs I'm familiar with in my field (nutrition/dietetics). Many programs will even specify that they require a master's degree that included a thesis, to distinguish research master's from professional master's programs. I'm fortunate that my program is both a professional and a research master's, so I will be eligible to apply for PhD programs upon completion of my master's. I'm an older, non-traditional student (although I'm told I don't look my age), so most people assumed I was a graduate student even when I was an undergrad completing a second bachelor's degree. *shrug* If asked, I've always told people what I was studying.

I only applied to universities in Ontario, and only to universities within commuting distance of my current residence. My husband and I aren't about to sell our home and move at this point in time, so we made a decision that I would only apply to the two closest universities to our home that offered the program I am interested in. I'm amazed at the number of programs people apply to in the U.S. - I can't imagine applying to 10+ programs.