awash_

I took about two years off post-undergrad and so I'll be 23 when I start my program this fall and turning 24 in October. I'll be 28 when I finish thanks to the Peace Corps portion of my grad studies. Not ready to face my late 20s! Am I supposed to be functional by then?

My university is a bit last-minute when it comes to grad students (first-timers can't even register until the Monday before classes start), so it's a little iffy to plan my birthday and other weekend warrior trips around class. I'm mainly talking about Afropunk Atlanta & Austin City Limits. If these were summertime festivals, it'd be 100% easier to plan around. What's your favorite big-ticket event that happens to occur in fall or spring semester? Or I guess the better question would be: what non-academic event are you looking forward to the most this school year?

if you're moving to florida like i saw elsewhere in the forum (i sound like a massive creep), you might as well start naming them and buying them lunch from time to time! consider them your new, roach-eating besties. seriously though, it's always gross. i hate hate HATE when they pop up on me after a long day of work. just waiting on my car door handle.

I'm both excited and a little scared, just because I'm not ready to leave behind the social circles I built here nor am I ready to return to living like a student off of a grad stipend. Excited to dive deeper into the research side of what I do, and to open up different possibilities (doing international work, pursuing a PhD, etc.) for myself though! It's a weird feeling.

If you're looking for professional work post-degree, then specializations as dictated by the department don't matter as much. Take relevant coursework and work relevant internships throughout your time to establish a specialization for yourself. The ranking doesn't matter as much if you don't make the most of your time there. It's only worth it if it's a good fit for you.

UCF basically churns computer scientists out for Lockheed Martin, Siemens, and Harris. There are also a number of smaller computer engineering firms in the metro Orlando area, but I know a couple of people who branched out into other parts of the state after doing their undergrad CS at UCF.

The cost of living is definitely cheaper and FSU offers way more grad funding than other schools in FL. The alumni base is also pretty strong, especially if you're looking at staying in Florida (seriously, you can never escape the Seminoles here). None of my friends have had any trouble finding internships - undergrad or grad - in Tallahassee; it's a small place, but like Texas832 said, it is still the state capitol. It's a business hub to some degree. If you're taking out loans to go to a state grad school though, it doesn't hurt to take some time off and make yourself more marketable for funding!

Love yourself, don't study law. Having half of your tuition covered is also incredibly awesome (seriously, congrats on that!!). But the risk is still a bit excessive if you're on the fence. I went through my undergrad career preparing for it, worked an internship concerning international law (environmental and immigration), and worked in law for a little over a year after undergrad. No one likes it. It's soul-sucking work. Your morals and personal beliefs are put on the back-burner so that you can pursue billable hours. The job market isn't even that great for JDs. At my last firm, we would onboard associates for about 50k. And please don't get me started on the horror stories I've read (Ivy League grads competing for paralegal positions, stacks of unread resumes for a foreclosure attorney position, etc.). You don't study law for the sake of learning, you study it to make a living. It's a professional degree that you have to be firm on wanting, otherwise you'll get left behind in the job market. Obviously, your mileage may vary. But at least you can BS your way into a decently paying job with an English PhD if need be. It's harder to find work as a JD because everyone thinks you'll want exorbitant amounts of money to stay. Your boyfriend will - and pardon me for being frank - have to get over himself.

There's nothing weird about applying to multiple apartments at once, and it doesn't ding your credit score too bad. If you're approved at both places, just pick one and let the other know.

As my mother likes to tell me: do you, boo! If Columbia will make you happier for the reasons listed above (you like the faculty, students, and prestige), then go ahead. Columbia is pretty hit-or-miss with graduate programs. I wanted to apply for their Urban Planning program, but the feedback wasn't all that great. And I wasn't impressed with their portfolio or professors. A lot of the people who I've encountered feel the same way, and those who accepted feel cheated out of thousands of dollars (not only on these forums, but some planning forums and discussion groups I follow). At first glance, it seems like Columbia's grad programs are an afterthought. Money making scheme maybe, but definitely poorly presented. If you're not pursing a PhD, then brand name doesn't really make a difference. Some will recognize Columbia and be really impressed, but most don't care. At the end of the day, your mileage will vary. It's what you make of it.

I happened to be at home for the Superbowl/my dad's birthday at the time. When I got the acceptance email, I ran around high-fiving my family and doing a ridiculous victory dance. I texted my boss, who relayed the info to my coworkers. When I came into work the next day, they had balloons and snacks in the school's color scheme. The acceptance itself is really exciting, but I won't start freaking out again until the time comes to actually begin classes.

That's so weird. I can't imagine wanting to take another university-based position anyway. Working in the financial aid office or student writing center sounds like a bad time.

That sounds pretty odd. I'm curious though; what kind of circumstances are involved?

@zupgiusto - It takes almost every fiber of my being to not get distracted, though. It'd be pretty cool to be in school without working for a little! @shadowclaw - Food service alumni unite! I hope I don't have to go back to it, but I will as a last resort. It's really nice hearing from other people with similar (if not more awful) work & courseload balances.

I usually work best under stress, but as a result I like to relax or blow off steam a little more intensely. It worked for me in undergrad when I was working 32 hrs/week in food service, active in 3 student orgs, and taking around 5 classes for most semesters. Not sure if that'll translate well to graduate study, so I definitely want to mull over your idea of waiting a term or two to get acclimated. And it'll need to be something relevant, or at least with transferable skills. Thanks! I didn't even think about the possibility of a contract barring me from outside employment. That's a huge reason I didn't do Americorps (most programs don't allow a second job but pay poverty line stipends); it's financially limiting to have me work for you and then prevent me from earning extra income from other endeavors. Thanks for the heads up, though! I hope any opportunities offered to me don't limit me from doing other things.

Hi all! I'm still waiting on funding info from my choice school, so in the meantime I've been weighing my options. Some background: I'm starting grad school w/ the intention of my MS being the end goal. No PhD for me, please. Indicated my interest in TA and GIS lab positions. Will be a full-time student. I've looked into each of the funding options available for my department, and they'd cover tuition. Maaaaybe groceries. I'm also applying for outside funding, but nothing's guaranteed. I'd rather not take out loans because... well, it's hard to justify leaving the working world (where I'm making money) to reverting back to broke indebted student status. I also can't rely on my freelance work paying all of my bills. Has anyone ever held a part-time position while completing their graduate studies? What was it like?

This is excellent. Thanks!

1. Freelance copywriter 2. City planning/development consultant 3. Adult store owner (they're so fuuuuuun!) 4. Civil engineer I currently do #1 on the side for extra shopping $$$, working on #2 (hopefully it happens?), will eventually reconnect with an old employer and get started on #3, and #4 is more of a "only if someone pays me to do another round of undergrad" kinda deal.

My field is Planning - there aren't a ton of PAB-accredited programs out there. I'm not constrained geographically or financially, but the school that was the best fit for me happened to be in my home state! I looked at UWashington and UT Austin, but their POIs weren't responsive at all and it's difficult to find any meaningful student work. And when I talked to a couple of my undergrad professors about my goals, many of them recommended the in-state option as opposed to my other choices due to availability of funding, cost of living, and relative brand name. It also helps that my goal school has a Planner-in-Residence. Prestige doesn't mean much in planning (unless you're pursuing PhD status), so I wasn't too worried about big names like Harvard or Columbia... especially because their programs are reputed to be not so great. Although it'd be cool if I had the requisites to get into MIT. Whomp. Plus, I like holding on to whatever money I can. There's no way I was paying 10-15 schools to review my materials and possibly reject me. And even if they accepted me, I'd have to decide which app fees to let go down the toilet. I'm too cheap for all of that. tl;dr: I only applied to one school because it's a perfect fit in terms of research, practicum, and financing.

It's really what you make of it. As far as I know, for MBAs the pedigree matters (so doing a Rollins evening MBA would probably be a huge waste unless you're trying to be in Central FL forever). As far as an MA/MS Communications, you should have a general idea of what it is that you want to do first. Do you have any work experience or substantial intern experience?

I know for FSU's Planning program, they require at least a 300. I would assume that's across the board generally (unless you're STEM or Lit, which generally require higher scores in either Quant or Verbal). I wouldn't worry too much; the rest of your profile sounds great!