WriteAndKnit

My entertainment budget is my Netflix account and semi-annual yarn and used book purchases (the latter two I save a few dollars here and there for). I also take the bus, because one of the student "perks" is an annual bus pass for $5 (which includes connector buses to nearby cities and all of the bus routes in Raleigh itself). And my roommate gardens (I water when he's out of town and help him eat nice fresh veggies), which cuts down on groceries. I buy school supplies in bulk (especially pens and post-its) and re-use binders until I can't anymore. That's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying them new once or twice a year.

I had to sell/give away most of my undergrad books (including lots of my non-textbooks), because I was moving a few hundred miles away in a corolla. I've been rebuilding and adding as I can (mostly novels, history/social nonfiction, books about writing, things like that). And reference books about "unrelated" information (I have an Army survival guide, for example). I will eventually need a room that is primarily a library. I have no problem with this scenario.

I've been watching Fringe lately. I like sci-fi drama type shows with a bit of humor (so X-Files, Angel, Dollhouse, Lost), documentaries, and shows like that. Really, anything with enough plot to half-follow but not so engaging that I forget to do stuff.

I haven't followed this season at all, so I can't really predict what will happen during the finale. I'm guessing that one sportsball team will earn enough points to be the winner over all the other teams, though.

My high school diploma is in the same place as other assumed-but-necessary paperwork (like my birth certificate), since you do occasionally need the official documentation. And, well, it will make someone's job in 100+ years of "documenting random American humans" easier.

Do it! There may already be a decent range of ages in the undergrad group, and a 24-year-old undergrad might be happy to have someone closer to their age. Especially since so many military veterans are getting bachelor's degrees after they finish enlistments (and there's a HUGE age range there). Just find that middle ground between not acting superior and not trying to be BFFs with the 19-year-olds, and you'll be good.

Grad student. If I need to specify further, I tell them I'm researching and writing. Yay, humanities!

I bought a new backpack (on sale) for my daily commute -- 45 minutes on two buses each way, plenty of pockets, big enough for a laptop and a few classes' materials. I have a few tote bags to use as well, in case I need extra stuff on any given day (one may be designated for all of my German class stuff). I'm old enough that my back and knees don't like weight imbalance, so big purses or messenger bags make everything hurt.

If you're going to buy new furniture, go for outlets and clearance centers (I got my bed at a mattress store's clearance center; it had been a floor model). Otherwise, go for craigslist and similar sources. The only things I'd consider buying full-price are bookshelves at Target or Ikea, since that's (comparatively) less pricey than other items. I'm lucky that my roommate owns the house and had furniture for all rooms but mine, and I already had bought my furniture. My first priority was a bed (I'd been borrowing an air mattress), then a desk, then bookshelves, and a set of wire cube shelves for crafty stuff and school supplies. I need a good comfy chair, though, that the cat doesn't already think is his, so I can do some of my reading at home.

I discovered top-spiral notebooks a year ago, and I LOVE them. They're wonderful for lefties.

Like others said, it depends on how often you deal with the person in question. If I only see them occasionally, I tend to ignore little things. It's not worth any extra stress. If I interact with the person on a regular basis, I tend to take the "direct and extremely polite" approach. Like, "JimBob, did you have a chance to make a copy of your notes", "Janey, did you want to set up a tutoring appointment? I have my planner with me", etc. Basically, I tend to play on my own tendency to want to be organized and on top of things. The worst thing to do is respond to passive-aggressiveness with the same.

I typically take separate notes, at least as far as textbooks are concerned (most of mine will be reference books). Articles and research material will likely get highlighter or handwritten notes.

Research-based writer (humanities related). Novelist. Professor. Librarian/independent bookstore employee (not owner). Married to someone wealthy enough that bills get paid regardless of my income contribution.

I still like hard copies, so I'll likely stock up on file folders and a file folder organizer (plus keep electronic copies on flash drive or in a dropbox). And, since I'm rather picky about notebooks and pens and such, I'm getting what I like from the best source (top-spiral notebooks from the university's bookstore, pens, post-it notes, index cards in bulk from Amazon, etc). I'm picking up a few things at a time per paycheck, so I don't have such a huge school supply shopping trip in August. Living locally has its perks. I'm hoping for my financial aid to finish processing soon (even though it'll be mostly loans) so I can replace my falling-apart laptop (and download evernote, breaker, and other apps).

Honestly, I anticipate the biggest challenge/difference from undergrad will be reading time. I typically used my weekends for reading for the week (like, Sunday morning when dormmates were at church or sleeping in, so the dorm was nice and quiet). I'll have to reevaluate my reading schedules. But that's a fairly easy problem to remedy.

I have evernote, mostly for to-do lists right now (like my school supply list, weekly to-do list, a list of classes to use as a basis for independent study, etc). I also have a local bus tracker app on my phone, which is much better than the guessing game of which bus is on time or running late.

Each semester's schedule is an hour three days per week. And my roommate's cat babbles at me anyway, I'll just talk back in German. Schrodinger won't notice the difference. Plus a workbook, notecards, etc.

Honestly, I anticipate spending more time on my German class than any of my three graduate-level classes (the program office manager e-mailed me old versions of the syllabus for each). Sure, I'll have reading and research and papers, but I've always been a quick reader and have a pretty efficient paper-writing process (which can always be improved).

I enjoy the basics of the sciences -- the "real world" applications, if you will. And, after the crappy experiences I had in high school, I actually enjoy working out basic algebra. And the basics of ceramics and textiles. Of course, the various historical/social/cultural tangents I tend to spend time on are connected enough to writing that I can't really claim that they're completely unrelated.

Exactly -- there's nothing wrong with "would you remind me of your name?" when you get there. That implies that you remember meeting them, and it's common to specifically remember one or two people out of a group and vaguely remember several more.

Check your university's student resources, too. Mine has a pantry on campus, and since it has fewer visitors, they can allow weekly visits.

I'm a morning person, so I'm asleep by 10:30 at the latest and usually up by 5:00 (and on the bus to campus around 6 am). I also tend to schedule my non-class/non-paid-work time by the half hour, and don't work on any given project/assignment for more than an hour at a time; at the very least, I take a quick walk and fill my water bottle/get another cup of tea before getting back to what I was doing (if I don't switch projects).

Age is only a limitation if you let it limit you. You've got work experience and life experience that younger graduate and PhD students just don't have. And you can play up the idea that you know what you want; you have a specific path. You've got this.

Hi folks! Anyone else joining the Wolfpack this fall? I'll be in CHASS (Rhetoric and Composition).

I am a proto-Cylon.