CBclone

One of my office-mates completely lacks an internal filter/monologue. I enjoy getting to know the people I share a workspace with, but I don't need to know every thought, frustration, excitement, etc that occurs throughout the day. And I'm a very personal, keep-it-to-myself kind of person, and don't know how to approach them about it.

I moved about a 30-hour drive from where I used to live to where my M.S. program is located. Luckily, my Dad is retired and volunteered to tow the UHaul trailer with his SUV while I drove my pickup. He drove 16 hours to where I lived at the time, 30 hours to where I attend school, and 14 hours back to his home (he had his wife to keep him company in their vehicle). We made it into a 10-day trip, with stops in my home state to see family and friends and some touristy stuff along the way. Do you have all your own stuff? Are you attached to it? What's your timeframe before, during, after the move time? I arrived in my new town on a Sunday and school started the following Monday, so I had about a week to get settled in. I had been living solo in an apartment for two years and had all my own furniture, kitchenware, small appliances, etc. and I moved it all except the bed (picked up one from my mom's house along the way). FWIW, we drove through part of Canada along the route and they asked at border crossings about the UHaul and fully loaded pickup, but didn't search -- I think because we were returning to the United States and not staying in Canada. I think you may be more likely subject to search if not just "passing through." I had a list of everything that was packed anyway, might not be a bad idea for you if you go that route.

Agree with the others -- contact the school to find out if it was an error. Personally, I wouldn't have been able to function at the level grad school requires if I was living with a group of freshmen, even if I was 22 or 23. There's a maturity difference and also just the learning curve of entering college/university life. I think back to what I was like 10 years ago when I was an 18-year old freshman heading off to college, and current-me would not want to live on a peer level with then-me. Side note, are you from Marshalltown, IA by chance? Grew up about an hour away and it's not exactly a common town name and see you're in the Midwest...and what university are you attending, may I ask?

I have a '99 pickup with a tad over 135,000 miles that I bought in late 2012. As long as there aren't any safety issues, I'd say keep your current vehicle. Use the money you save for a long weekend trip with friends, a fun and fancy night out, or just straight up save it and buy a newer car when you graduate and land your first career job.

I underestimated that there may, indeed, be a Grad Student 15 which is slightly more disheartening as a 27 y/o than it was as an 18 y/o freshman.

Hey @Transducer and others who sent me PMs...I found another room last minute that's only a few blocks from where I'm working. The room in question was/is near the intersection of East Highland Dr & East Murray Holladay Rd. Girls living there said it's about a 15-min drive to the U

This might sound ridiculous, but I may have a housing situation available in August for anyone moving to SLC for school: I'm working here for the summer and found a great room in a 2bd/1ba apt w/ another female. I would love to move in, but the lease is a year (though no penalty for leaving early, just need to find someone to take my place) and I'm only here through part of August. It's cheap (less than $400 a person) and about an 8 mile drive from the U. If anyone wants to agree to move into a room and take my spot in August, I'm game for arranging something. Finding a room or sublease here has been a struggle to find something with a decent price except for places with 4+ people, undergrads, and/or strict LDS standards (none of which I'm too interested in), just FYI.

Just want to drop in and say that pics don't do the IUB campus justice (though they come close). I stopped in Bloomington today/tonight to crash at a friend's place on my drive west for the summer, and received a guided stroll through the western part of campus and shopping/restaurant area close to Sample Gates area. Campus is stunning! The area directly west of campus is so well kept, clean, and just looks like a cute little college area. (though I was surprised by the homeless population in the area....mainly because college kids are the last people I'd try to panhandle money from) I'm still on the fence about what I want to do after my Masters, but luckily IU is one of the few schools with a PhD in my field and would be my top choice if I go that route....I've already geeked out on all of them. Enjoy IU, wish I had more time to check it out during this trip!

Pretty sure you can drive in any state with another state's license, assuming it's still valid/not expired. I have Colorado residency (and may return there after my MS, but it's not a need to do so) and attend school in New York. Still have a Colorado license, license plates, and vote via absentee ballot. In fact I just paid for my vehicle's annual registration and simply called the CO DMV in the county I moved from to give them my new address in New York and they sent me the registration card and sticker. Honestly I just didn't want to deal with changing things. Also consider that in many states you cannot just switch residency and *poof* receive in-state tuition. Most require at least one year of maintaining a home and receiving income in-state, some with the caveat that you cannot be a student during that year either, before receiving in-state benefits. Now that I think about it, one of our interns where I worked last summer was a NH resident attending school in CO and tired of paying OOS rate. Got a CO license, plates, etc., last May and did not enroll in any courses over the summer, fall, spring, or this upcoming summer. Will be able to receive in-state tuition when he re-enrolls in the fall, but had to take a full year off from school to do so.

Finals struggle is real. Good thing I already have like a 97% in this class because this paper is probably not going to be so hot. Just reminding myself that a week from tonight, I'll be sitting in a baseball stadium drinking a beer and eating a giant pretzel w/ cheese alongside my Dad. One more week.

Is it offered online at your school or would you have to take it online through a different school? If it's the former, I would assume they wouldn't offer it online at the grad level if it was frowned upon or considered a lesser course. I took an online course for my MS in the fall because the on-campus lecture option didn't fit my needs; it was just as - if not more - demanding (the on-campus course was a full semester, online was 1/2 semester) and covered the same material with assignments as similar as an online format would allow. If you have to take it through a different school, that is more likely to be frowned upon or not as favored.

I attended Iowa State for undergrad (loved it), after being raised in a few different areas of Iowa. I don't know much about Ohio State or the stats programs, but my take on your cons: --Where does the "not-as-friendly" thing come from? Ames is a fantastic college town with great support and relationships between the city of Ames and the university. Some of the nicest people you'll meet, IMO -- and I've lived a lot of places throughout both Iowa and the U.S. It's generally a very clean city, stable jobs, lots of campus and off-campus activities to do. I'd wager you're more likely to find "bad apples" in a bigger city like Columbus than in Ames, but that's my very amateur opinion. --It is really cold in the winter. Fact Mainly because it's a "wet" and humid cold and can be quite windy. Warm up in Hilton Coliseum with basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, or wrestling. You'll be hooked. I don't know much about your last two points. The College of Ag is still often considered the pride of the school and it's most well-known aspect, for good reason. Engineering programs are phenomenal as well. RE: Ice climbing...there's not much nearby. There is a great climbing wall in the campus rec center, and a warehouse type climbing gym not too far away plus some options nearby at Ledges I think. My brother got really into climbing while we were in school in Ames. There is a silo a couple hours from campus that gets sprayed with water in the winter and is open for ice climbing; kinda cool, very midwest haha. Great outdoor options in MN, WI, and northeast Iowa if you want a weekend trip.

Of my immediate family at least, I am the first on track to finish a Masters or higher (currently in MS program). Mom, dad, and stepdad all went straight into the Navy after high school; my mom did obtain a BSN during her service/at the end of it. My brother started an MS program 6 years ago but dropped out sometime in his first year of it and doesn't have any plans to finish -- nor does he need to; he's got a pretty sweet job that's stable, good hours, good pay, etc. w/ a BS in Mech E and 6 years service time on a nuclear submarine to his credit. My "go to" people for advice, rants, vents, sharing good news, etc. are my friends who have completed a Masters...many have, in several different fields. A few FB friends (aka they're typically HS and undergrad acquaintances) have or are in process of obtaining PhD and I've asked them one or two things but not much. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any cousins or aunts/uncles with advanced degrees. Certainly none with a PhD. I've been kicking around the idea of doing a PhD for a while now. Time will tell...

Unfortunately, stories like yours are all too common at universities and colleges. Part of it is due to old facilities, but people would be surprised by new buildings built with accessibility as an (borderline) afterthought. My school opened a shiny new rec facility a year ago -- the gates you have to pass through after having your ID swiped at the front desk aren't wide enough for a standard wheelchair. They only have tall pub-style tables in the atrium area. When the school renovated a different building (sometime in the last two years) and installed new sidewalks, they failed to put in curb cuts (and still haven't, despite students, faculty, and staff pushing the issue). The campus busses don't have a lift. The only bathrooms in the library that are accessible are on the first floor (of 4). I could probably think of more or even things from my undergrad school, though they are actually actively working toward more accessible buildings as they massively renovate/overhaul historic buildings and building new facilities.

Are they also going to eliminate interviews for public-sector work positions? Interviews are about more than just "good fit"; they allow the hiring/admissions committee to assess competency, ability to think on the spot, verbal and social communication skills, much more, and yes -- fit between the program/employer and potential student/employee. Edit to add: Also, I think interviews can be just as beneficial for the students/person being hired as for the school/employer. I've withdrawn my name from consideration for work positions after doing an interview when I got a weird vibe or felt like I didn't really mesh with their personalities or the work responsibilities. Other times I've gone from feeling so-so about a position to being really hopeful and excited after an interview. Some things can't be judged by GPA, test scores, and 3rd party reference letters.

Disclaimer: I don't have any kids. I can't imagine starting my Masters with a 2-month old in the house (let alone, my first child) and moving to NYC. I'm sure others here who do have kids will chime in, but I'd recommend taking at least one year of deferral -- though you may have to re-apply if more than one year. How long is your program? How long is your husband's program? If you can get cheap/free childcare on campus, that might be one thing to consider if available. But I personally don't think I could handle going to class, studying, working (will you be working? How are you funding this?), and feeding and caring for a baby who does not care at all about your sleep schedule (or your schedule, period.)

One of the girls in my program is a competitive triathlete and straight-up runner. The time she spends training and doing races is crazy at times. For me, I block out gym time in my schedule and when it's nice out I plan a few outdoor bicycle rides on top of that. In the winter I'm relegated to spinning indoors, but hey it works. I also watch the football and basketball teams from my undergrad school religiously, and plan my weeks accordingly around those schedules. It's nice when I can lift or bike in the gym and watch at the same time For reference, I'm taking 12 credits, GA 20 hours, and do field placement for 2 hours each week. Might be crazier for PhD folks, but I like @HopefulPHD14's advice of make your hobbies into priorities. I plan out a schedule each week and time for hobbies and recreation are built into that.

I have a rather large oak L-shaped desk I got for a steal on craigslist a while back. On the left side I have my printer and iMac w/ room to layout books or notes for reference when I'm typing on the computer. On the right I have all my books and plenty of space to layout books, notebooks, etc. when I'm studying or doing homework. Downside: it has also become a catch-all for mail, hats, etc. But I love it. In my area at least there are always some decent desks on craigslist. As for a chair, I sit on an old exercise ball and it's wonderful. I can tuck it completely under the desk when I want it out of sight. Also seems to help with posture, but then again I'm very aware of my posture after having a back injury and dealing with those effects...some people definitely need a chair with a back on it.

Following this thread. I came into my MS with the intention of doing the program in two years, taking comps (instead of thesis), doing my internship, and sitting for national certification. Then I started doing a project for my GA position (in an admin office on campus, kinda related to my degree) that sparked an interest in researching a specific subfield and I was fascinated. I've found myself ordering and reading books on my field for fun! (and casual research, but mainly because I like the content), and I have a great grasp of what is taught in our classes. I find myself in classes and while studying wondering how I could teach X-topic or trying to absorb how my instructors are conveying information. I wish I'd taken the research sequence this year, but I didn't really decide on doing a thesis until a month or two ago. So I'll take the research sequence next fall & spring and then finish my thesis next summer or fall. I've been geeking out on doctoral programs in my field -- there are no more than 10 or so -- and know where my interests may fit, despite that I probably wouldn't enroll until fall '18 (at the earliest), but more likely fall '19 or fall '20 if i take a year or two to work in the field, this time with certification. I've always been on over-planner. Maybe work as a research assistant somewhere before applying. I don't know. It's exciting to think about a PhD. It's also one of the more terrifying propositions I've ever dealt with. Nobody in my immediate or extended (as far as I know) family has a doctorate, so that would be cool. But I'm also just really, really into my field and this particular subset of it. I'm nervous to tell my MS adviser, but I don't know why. My school doesn't offer anything beyond Masters degrees, and honestly I don't think too many from my dept go on for further study. We get along great and have had some great, intellectually stimulating conversations; I just don't want to get all excited and then hear "I don't think you'd be a great fit for a PhD".

I ended up getting an Osprey Questa pack (and a 40oz Hydroflask of my own!) and the water bottle fits in the pockets just fine. It's been in and out of the side pockets everyday since I started school in August and they aren't stretched/worn out at all.

He asked for an electronic copy, you responded you didn't have one of the final submission. He then asked if you had a print copy, to which you stated you did. Correct? I think what people are getting at is that by him asking if you had another paper copy, he was implying if you could scan and e-mail a copy of it. This apparently was not explicitly stated, but seems to be the logical order of thought and action to myself and other members of the forum. This reminds me of a junior in one of my cross-listed courses who does not save files. Anywhere -- not on a cloud service, flash drive, computer, doesn't even e-mail it to himself. First was a 10+ page analysis paper which the undergrads overwhelmingly tanked and the instructor offered them the opportunity to make recommendation revisions or re-do the assignment. Student proclaimed "...but I don't want to re-write the whole thing! That's the only copy I have." Instructor told him tough luck; instructor (rightly so, IMO) felt the kid (21 and in his third year of college) should have the knowledge and responsibility to save documents. Apparently he's made it through his academic career by just leaving his computer on all the time and never actually saves files and only closes them (again, w/o saving) after they are printed. Second time around was a two-page (albeit single-spaced) paper which had to be turned in electronically and in hard copy. He turned in the hard copy and when instructor reviewed e-file process on blackboard, same student again asked for his paper back to re-type and submit electronically. We also have a weekly assignment with specific formatting and tables of text, which he apparently has been typing in Word (using the template doc) and then copying & pasting into blackboard, which strips away all of the tables and formats. For some reason, he a.) didn't learn from the first paper (nor apparently any other papers in his academic life) and b.) seems rather proud of not saving anything. #sigh

Even after an interview (for a summer job) the other day left me with a feeling that the position wasn't going to be a great fit and I'd be understimulated/not challenged enough, the rejection still hurts :-/

I have the Toshiba Chromebook 2, and it fulfills it's purpose but I don't use it a whole lot. It was only like $250 or $300, I can't recall exactly, but no more than $300. Granted it's not a tablet-type like you're looking for, but the Chromebook functionality is the same. I mainly use it for checking e-mail or browsing during ten-minute downtime periods, or for editing docs when I'm away from work or home and no access to a computer lab. I typically open files in the "Drive Office Editor" app that pulls a file from Google Drive, send it to One Drive (which my school's account is linked to), edit, then have the app send it back to Google Drive. I usually also save to a flashdrive for backup. I like editing in One Drive more than Google Docs b/c it's a Microsoft platform and almost full Word/Excel functionality. I went with this instead of a Mac laptop b/c I already have an iMac at home and just need something basic, cheap, and portable. If I continue on to a PhD after my MS, I'll probably buy a more capable laptop like a Macbook Pro or Air.

I agree with others -- there is likely a middle ground available between "zero roommates" and "five roommates". I was in the same boat you are; 27 and returning to school after five years of working post-undergrad. I live by myself and pay $565/month for a small 1-bd apt. I'm a homebody and lived by myself the two years prior to moving for school as well. I have total choice in whether I want to spend my free time with others or relax by myself. I could have saved a little bit of money, sure, by getting a place with roommates and paying probably $400 - $500 instead of $565 per month, but I chose my sanity and personal space over money and have no regrets.

Just completed an assignment that entailed tracking all of my time over a 7-day period, down to 15-minute intervals. I knew I was busy, but my goodness. The numbers are startling: 30% of time sleeping (or about 7 hours/night) 12% of time at GA position (20 hours/week) 35% of time either in class, doing reading/assignments, etc. (12 credits + an independent study, just under 59 hours) 4% of time in transit (just under 7 hours, includes a combination of walking, driving, and/or bus, depending on mood/weather/day) 10% of time cooking, eating, showering, personal hygiene & well-being stuff (just under 17 hours) 9% remaining for personal/discretionary time (15 hours, including time spent at the gym...which I'm trying to do more of) Three weeks of class until Spring Break! Though I have a major presentation in each class after break and no plans, except to binge watch some Netflix and try to get ahead on readings and projects heading into the end of semester. On the plus side, new shoes coming this week! Yahoooooo!