WriteAndKnit

Staying hydrated (i.e., drinking water, tea, etc instead of soda). Spending some time daily in the sunlight, or at least near a window. That's exceptionally helpful for my brain. The discipline to stay productive, and being "allowed" to take breaks (breaks are good for you). Taking some time each week (at least a few hours) to do what YOU want/enjoy. It'll let your brain reset and refocus. Getting enough sleep: for me, if I have a designated "bedtime", I sleep better. And get up earlier (and I'm a morning person, so earlier is better for me; I get more done in the morning anyway). Always having a healthy, appealing snack available. It's easier to resist the salt and vinegar chips if I have hummus and pita bread in my bag.

Work! I already have a job at the university's bookstore. It's good and busy and keeps me occupied, pays the bills, AND I get to see what books are ordered for all classes.

Oh, good, my plan was to go with "smart casual" (jeans that fit, flats, a blouse of some kind, add scarves or cardigans), with t-shirts on Fridays (I only have my German class, which is undergrad). I will not be a TA, though occasional presentations will happen (and that's easy to dress up a bit more). Yay, I don't have to replace most of my wardrobe!

I'm a woman with a male roommate. I've previously had other women as roommates; most were fine, only three (over 12 years of sharing living space) were terrible. Personality's the key, regardless of gender. Current roommate is, as I said, a dude. We have some shared friends, but our own interests, and both tend to be either very on-top-of-things or a bit ditzy as far as housework (depending on our work days and other stuff going on). I'm the one who forgets to toss things in the recycling bin. I'm getting better about it (I always rinse things first and don't want to throw a wet can in a mostly-enclosed bin). He's fine with me occasionally using "his" milk and butter and helping eat the veggies from the garden. I try to make sure the dishes are kept up with, surfaces are clear, his cat's been fed, etc. It's been working out nicely so far. And we're both okay with sitting in the living room with a mutually-acceptable movie/show from Netflix while doing homework or playing on the internet.

I read (everything -- fiction, non-fiction), write fiction/blogs, knit, make jewelry (I've started rainbow looming, and it's VERY satisfying and hopefully will provide dollars), drink beer, watch movies/marathon TV series, and spend a good third of my life in the local VA clinics and offices. I like hiking and (sort of) running, but I've had to scale back on that lately -- sprained knees suck.

I just got into Rhet/Comp at NC State. I'm very happy about it, and looking forward to being in class again, and dreading the evening classes (I'm a morning person).

Hi, I'm starting this fall at NCSU I've lived in Raleigh for two and a half years, so I have a little bit of knowledge of the area (especially the bus system -- get your gopass!).

Doctor/Professor/Mr./Ms. until told otherwise; if I'm given approval to use their first name, only during conversations with them. Especially when undergrads are around -- "I have an advising meeting with Dr. Einstein" is much more professional than "I'm getting coffee with Al, we're going to talk about my research".

I usually spend about $100 per month, but I have a roommate who is a serious gardener; he encourages me to help eat the various veggies from the backyard. I also visit a few food pantries regularly (you have to shop around to find the best ones in your area, but if you find them, you'll get a lot of basics for free.) One has a really good selection of canned veggies, beans, cereal, and basic pasta, and another has just-about-to-expire bread (which is good if you have fridge/freezer space). My actual grocery trips usually consist of seasonings (onion, garlic, herbs, etc), tea, specific ingredients I like that pantries don't have very often (mushrooms, olives, artichokes, couscous, Nutella, beers), and the occasional potluck/party contribution. Roommate buys enormous amounts of eggs, and has no problem with me eating them as well (it's better than eggs going bad), as well as milk, butter, and similar ingredients I don't use often enough to justify buying for myself.

I'm lucky; the GI Bill I wasn't eligible for when I was working on my BA is available for my grad school. So I get a nice (monthly) living allowance that will cover rent, meals, etc, and I'm planning to work ~15 hours a week to have extra cash. And a friend who owns his house had a spare bedroom that he was hoping to fill anyway; while it's a bit further from campus (about a half hour/forty-five minute bus trip each way), I'm a quiet neighborhood with a good roommate, not in a student apartment complex, and get to help eat fresh veggies from the garden for about $400 a month. Like I said, I'm lucky.

No TA for me, this time anyway. I missed the deadline (and teaching isn't my primary goal).

I found a backpack on sale in the university's bookstore (where I work) -- it was $15 rather than $60. It's neon pink, but holds everything and is good and durable. I can swap it out for any presentations I'm giving or interviews and things.

Hi all! I was just accepted (I got the official acceptance last week) at NC State, in the Rhetoric and Composition program. I'm at the "crap, lots of paperwork to fill out" stage -- I've lived in Raleigh for two and a half years, but I have to appeal to get in-state tuition, I have to figure out financial aid stuff, get GI Bill paperwork done, make sure my German classes are considered "required" (because otherwise, the VA won't pay for them), and work and wait out the summer. Lots of paperwork, lots of trips across campus to turn in paperwork, lots of "hurry up and wait". It all feels very familiar...