poco_puffs

I hear you on the boredom thing, and I had thought about this a bit earlier in the year when the open days of summer seemed full of time and possibility. Anyway, I think part of the appeal of eating out is that food made by other people just has that delicious quality that WE did not make it. To get around that, still save some money, and expand our own culinary horizons, I'm thinking about asking people from my cohort to come to my house and teach me to cook something. Ideally, there'd be 4-5 people, and we'd all cook some element of a feast together in the kitchen, so it has the deliciously ample result of a potluck but with the added value of instruction. It hasn't happened yet, partly because my kitchen and the rest of my living quarters are never quite presentable at the same time.

As my stipend only covers the school year and not the summer, I try to save as much as I can each month so that I'll have a cushion for rent and food during the summer. This past summer I got a part-time job to manage, since my savings weren't nearly as consistent as they could have been. This year my stipend has been adjusted a little higher and I'm heading in with foreknowledge of the money-crunch in January and towards the end of the school year. Originally I was hoping to save and put some each summer toward paying off the interest accruing on my student loans. That didn't happen. Incidentally, my budgeting strategy = spend a little bit more at the grocery store, even though it'd be cheaper to just subsist on staples, because I'll be more likely to eat the $3 microwave meal at home than cook myself a huge thing of chili and rice from scratch. My cooking just doesn't work like that yet, and if I only have staples around the house I'm much more likely to go out and blow $8-$10 on food at a restaurant or take-out place rather than prep, cook, clean, repeat. That being said, food has definitely been the hardest part of my budget to manage.

Besides discussing topics and readings that the students are covering in the main sections of their class, maybe consider mini-lectures and discussions about different elements of pre-writing, writing and revising papers. I'm teaching my own section of comp for the first time this year, and it's been tough to come up with enough stuff to fill out a whole term. This is a list of stuff that I've considered including in the course, although now I'm realizing that I probably won't be able to fit it all in: Intros, conclusions, thesis statements, paragraph structure and topic sentences, evidence, sources and citation, the types of appeal, logic/assumptions, counter-arguments, ethical argumentation, audience, critical reading, and techniques for outlining, revising, and generating ideas to start the whole thing rolling. The students will already know parts of this, and they'll have strengths in some areas and weaknesses in others. Starting the term with activities or free-writing to figure out what those strengths/weaknesses are and what they THINK they are can help you use the time more effectively and show the students that you're treating them as individuals with a stake in the process. It's kind of cool/interesting that you're tutoring in groups of five, as well. Have you considered teaching them how to workshop papers and give each other feedback? After tutoring all year last year, I can also say that part of tutoring isn't just helping them in the course at hand or, especially, just proofreading their papers. The role you choose to take on (coach, cheerleader, older/experienced friend, more formal vs. more informal) can include helping them through stuff like anxiety about school, stress, and time/task management. If this is stuff that you have trouble defining before the term starts, at least keep it in mind as you adjust your style to fit the situation. Also, I'm not sure of the teaching/tutoring situation at your institution, but try to be as aware and updated as possible about what is going on in the course. Keeping student/instructor expectations, schedules and assignments clear in your mind and your students' minds will help you avoid problems and wasted hours. If there are any tutoring/course requirements to remember, keep a list for yourself and make sure that your students have something easily accessible so there's no excuse for them to fall behind on dates or assignments. Do you know if you'll be helping any ESL/ELL students?

Old school texter, here. Swype and I do NOT get along. Spelling errors happen in both of them, but I think they're more predictable/decipherable in old-school texting.

In my post-work stupor I saw the topic title on this thread and thought it said "Starting Graduate Program without a cat" My thoughts: impossible.

Throwing my hat in the pool for the old-fashioned flip-phone, in part because of the reasons Eigen has just offered-- I check my email enough on computers at home and on campus. I also don't need all the added distractions that apps and games can offer. I survived my first year just fine without a smart phone and all of the little things that supposedly make life easier for everyone else. On the one hand, I do worry that not being up to date with the latest apps and tech might put me at a slight disadvantage when compared to my cohort. On the other hand, I'm banking on being judged on my scholarship and personal skills, not whether I have the latest Android. Also, while times have changed a bit, my standby for updating technology is always this: People survived without it 15 years ago, and I can survive without it now. It's saved me a lot of money.

As an aside, I know someone who is applying postcolonial theory to medieval lit. It's legit.

University of Oregon PhD students do two terms of pedagogy training in their first year (including an apprenticeship with a more experienced composition instructor) and then teach one comp class per term until they finish with their dissertation. After you're done with your own coursework and have started on your dissertation I believe you can start teaching Intro to Lit classes, but I'd have to double-check. Either way, UO has a pretty good rep as far as training future teachers. Also, we've got some good medievalists, if you haven't checked.

Normally, if they are gunning for a reaction I try not to give it to them either way. Attention-whores hate it when they don't get paid.

Ditto the wikipedia thing. I google and wikipedia terms and concepts CONSTANTLY when I'm at home. I also look up the definitions for probably 10-12 words a week when I'm doing heavy reading. Sometimes more, depending on the level of vocab. It's just like any language, you start picking it up really quickly once you hear and use it on a regular basis. It always helps to understand the meanings of the words when you start to use them though

This is the shotgun approach to advice, so I'm sorry if it seems disjointed... Don't be ashamed of your age, which is also going to mean avoiding a constant self-deprecating humor that constantly points it out. I know a few people who used to do that, and it's really a fine line between "Hey, I accept the fact that I"m a little younger and it does make me different" and "Hey! Look at me! I'm young! Don't judge me! I'm young! (nervous soliciting laugh)" Just a smile, and a quick explanation that you skipped some years should be enough to explain your age, but there's really no reason that your age or your slightly different path through school should be the center of any prolonged conversation at first. There are lots of other interesting things about you, right? So don't let people and first impressions just define you as "the young one." Example: There are two younger people in my program (not quite as young as you) who come under the average by a few years, and they're the same age. One refers to their age quite often, and one doesn't. As a result, one of them is rarely thought of as being "younger," because people didn't find out until later. Good move on the on-campus housing. Grad students still drink a lot of beer, but the loud parties and late hours are toned down quite a bit. Y'all are in it to win it at this point, you've made it through undergrad with good enough grades, people are all working with a similar academic workload, so the general study and living habits are going to be far more moderate, at least as far as I've seen around my own campus. Take advantage of low key hanging out on- and off-campus. It's probably more talking and food and mellow-ish music than the undergrad parties you've seen, but the conversations can still get pretty lively. If you're a nervous talker (like me) here are some strategies: Don't be afraid to take in the atmosphere before participating. Watch and listen a lot. If you find yourself babbling/rambling (don't we all), finish up your sentence and then ask a question to give the other person a chance to talk and maybe relieve some of the pressure on you. In fact, asking questions will be a great way to endear yourself to people, especially people who have been in the area/school for longer than you, and you might get some great information. You also might hear about how everyone else gets nervous, and feels out of their depth, and sometimes just feels awkward as all hell. Don't worry about not making it out to the bar, because there are probably going to be plenty of over-21 grads who still don't go to the bar all that often. Some of us have been of age for quite a while and we hardly drink at all. Alcohol consumption is not that reliable an indicator of age, though your ability to restrain yourself from getting drunk is going to be a fairly reliable indicator of maturity, so taking it easy (if you do start) is an excellent idea. In fact, here's a pro-tip: If you start drinking, be VERY VERY cautious about the amount. Specifically limit yourself to a number (one or two at first), because once you hit three or four, having one more doesn't seem like a bad idea anymore and that, sir or madam, is when the fireworks happen. And by fireworks I mean crying, fighting, vomiting, and passing out in the street. I speak from experience. Edit: Aaahhhh! The typos! They burn!

Personal Observations in a Humanities department: We had a big incoming cohort of MAs and PhDs from all over the country. Some of us had significant others move with us, some had SOs in a long-distance thing, and some came single. In this first year, I can't think of anyone whose situation has changed significantly (though there are probably one or two people who I'm just not as familiar with). Anyhow, I think for a lot of people the first year is just so busy that, whether or not they're lonely, the idea of actively dating can be a little daunting in a new city with a new crowd. I imagine that is going to be changing over the summer and through the next few years once the work loads even out and we're all more familiar with the scene. Pieces of advice that I've heard bandied about, which seem pretty solid: -Avoid dating (or playing around) in your department. These people are technically colleagues now, and it can get messy and awkward. -Check for inter-departmental functions, especially regular meetings (with food!) for Graduate Student Unions and the like. Cross-pollination of the disciplines often = success for grad student dating.

Wellll, the origin of the phrase is still officially murky. Don't discount your mama altogether!

Another explanation: In early typesetting, where the letters were cast in mirror-images to then produce the correct letter on the printed page, the reversal of lowercase Ps and Qs was a big problem since they were already mirror images of each other. Thus, "Minding your 'p's and 'q's" was a practical consideration that turned into advice to be aware of the fine details that might have larger and more lasting consequences. In that light, you could even argue that it's a precursor to "Don't get it twisted."

I can think of more than one grad school situation where I'd have to psych myself up by saying "Kiss. Ass. You can do this, mama. Get to it. Kiss some ass."

Agreed on being aware of transportation options and realities. Because those are two very different things. I live 2.5 miles from campus with my boyfriend who also works at the university. He manages to ride his bike back and forth each day because he's a rockstar, whereas I take the bus (14 minute ride) each morning. The big caveat out of all of this is that my bus stops running from campus to my house at 6pm, so transportation after night classes gets complicated with either transfers or bumming rides from nice classmates. Also, the bus to the university stops during summer months due to budget cuts. So, here's my advice from very personal experience: If you live more than a mile away from campus (or whatever distance you find walkable) and you are NOT planning to pay exorbitant amounts for parking permits, fees and gas, then consider living close (within 4-5 blocks) of a busline. Just make sure to check the website of the local transportation district/board to see when service stops during the day and if it goes over school breaks as well. Additionally, be aware if there is more than one bus route that could get you back home, just in case one of them gets cut or changed around. My boyfriend would add: If you are going to bike, first invest in a bike lock (something that takes more than cutters/clippers to get through) and then keep your bike tuned up for maximum comfort and efficiency. Your body will thank you.

I also do the shaky pseudo-blackout speaking, but it's gotten better over the course of this last year of courses and presentations. My best technique so far is to never write down speeches verbatim, because the trauma of dropping a few words or sentences here and there can make an already tense speech turn into an out-of-control downward spiral of "catching up" for me. Instead of being able to just re-orient myself to a series of ideas, a verbatim speech means that I have to reinsert myself into a sentence or a paragraph. It's much more complicated, and it also creates a stronger outward sign of discontinuity for your audience. Instead, I use outlines, diagrams, easy to read italicizing and bolding on important words for the sheets or half-sheets of paper that I'll be using. Break up the format of the page so each piece is recognizable, even during the hazy adrenalin-fueled panic glance when you've lost your place. Then, practice the speech from the outline you'll be using (at least twice, preferably more times, to mark some of the areas where you do well or struggle a bit), and then-- importantly--accept the fact that it will never be word for word, partly because you never started with the "right" words to begin with. My philosophy is that starting with a more flexible framework of ideas and points for your speech means that it won't be rigid and shatter under the pressure of performing it (which does get better over time, but I'm still using this method because now it's working really well). I've found that this also helps when dealing with Q&A sessions afterward-- if you're versed in the ideas and the relationships between them, then you can reconstitute them much more easily on the fly for the questions someone might have about a particular point. If the idea of potential questions DOES rattle you a bit, make sure to include that as part of your presentation prep: what questions do you expect to hear? which questions will be the most difficult to answer? what are some graceful ways to skate around the difficult questions and admit that you might need further research or time to articulate an answer? Thinking of these things in terms of presentations instead of speeches has helped detach them from the sense of the perfectly worded speech as well (Edit: I realize that I just used the word 'speech' like twenty times in this post. Oh well). The point is, we aren't orating at political rallies where the words themselves are meant to have as much impact as the ideas behind them. Most of the time we're presenting ideas, and I'd much rather be worrying about my composition as a presenter than the composition of my rhetoric.

I have classes/tutoring/TAing on campus 3-4 days a week, and a part time job off campus 1-2 days a week each term. My department doesn't offer night classes at all, really, and I don't know if I'd take them if it did with the way my body clock works. That's obviously just me and my experience/preference, though. Do you know if you'd be able to take night classes for sure?

My department has not been as politicky as some, but here's some general advice for the first year (and beyond, really): Try not to say bad things about people. Anyone. Even if it seems like the person you're talking to won't care or won't know the person under discussion It's much better to avoid those tricky, facepalming faux pas moments than attempt to fix them once the words have escaped your mouth. Also, people may love gossip but they don't always feel the greatest when they realize that you might be spilling dirt on them at some point. Listen more than you speak. Without going so far as complete suck-uppage, try to find something admirable in everyone, or at least something on which they deserve a compliment on any given day. Fostering an atmosphere of respect and courtesy, even if it's just a bubble in your immediate area, will win you more friends than enemies. Even in a toxic department, you need to keep your doors open for allies or at least neutral parties. Ask around, feel it out, but find out the power structure of deans and heads and whatever other administrative/advisory people are in charge of things in your department. Know who is responsible for helping you with your problems, and who is going to really help or sympathize with them-- those are not always the same people, but I certainly hope that you luck out and the system is both functional and accessible to you in times of need and frustration. Respect the people with more experience than you, but don't kowtow to them. They may have been there for longer than you, but everyone is both good and bad something. You're a new colleague, nothing more or less. Don't apologize for everything, or people will start wondering what you're doing wrong.

1. I wish I had known the first few months were going to be so expensive-- finishing up with moving costs, establishing the new place, the new computer, textbooks and school supplies, some new clothes, socializing with the cohort (bar costs!) and Christmas/holiday travel and gifts. Starting a budget earlier would have eased some of that post-Christmas money panic where I wasn't sure if my remaining income/stipend would yield enough savings for summer. Adding excess money worries to the already stressful life changes was unfortunate, so I recommend being honest with yourself, your income, and your expenses as they might play out over a long period of time (and not just month to month). 2. Time budgeting can be just as important as money budgeting. I was great about reading for the first four or five weeks, and then I slipped into the (very common) habit of only doing about half of the reading for any given class. It hasn't hurt my grades, but my choice to socialize or just take a lot of relaxation time at home has probably eroded some of the educational benefits of discussion and reading outside of my research for seminar papers. 3. Speaking of seminar papers and term projects: Start earlier than you ever have before. If you ever procrastinated on your big assignments in the past, this new time at school is the opportunity to break the habit and start treating these assignments like what they are: part of your job, and a stepping stone to your career. Waiting until the last week to research, or the last day to write, is something I see a lot of grad students still doing. Sure, plenty of them are doing okay in terms of grades, but they aren't doing their best work and-- let's face it-- we're getting too old for those late-night shenanigans. 4. Everyone knows you will be busy, so they might not say anything, but try not to lose contact with your friends and family from home. There will be plenty of new friends to be had, and starting fresh relationships can be liberating, but they likely won't be able to replace the deeper roots you've established elsewhere. Don't forget to call or write or facebook with the people who know you best. I made some Grad School Resolutions last summer (the thread is still kicking around somewhere) about saying yes to invitations and being more positive, and I think that I held to them and they yielded some nice results. There are definitely some other things I might add later, but these are the first that come to mind.

I had no prior teaching or tutoring experience when I filled out my application to be a TA, so I had to be creative in what I chose to report and emphasize. Besides the tutoring that all first year PhDs do at my program, my only work experience had been in retail and food service (the latter as a manager). I listed both of them as experiences where I dealt with minor problems, confrontations, crises, daily responsibilities and a CONSTANT interaction with people, not all of whom were happy or polite. I spun it along the lines of "I haven't been locked in the library all my life. I can handle stressful situations and conduct myself with both authority and graciousness when helping/serving/disciplining people." We all have to start somewhere, so don't feel bad if you have to cobble something less traditional together. Someone could have prior teaching experience and still have problems teaching, whereas someone without a teaching background might still have many of the skills and qualities that allow them to manage a classroom while working on the other tricks of the trade that only come with time.

So, um... what's the deal with claiming books? Where do you file it on your taxes? I might need to start keeping track of those costs if it's an option.

I suppose I should clarify my advice: I don't think you HAVE to do any of those things to be prepared. I totally agree with the others about resting and enjoying your time-- that is, if you can. I was a stir-crazy mess in the time between schools, and my lack of direction eventually led to me spending several months and several hundred hours watching entire multi-season runs of TV shows on Netflix and Hulu. Do not go down that road if you can help it. Looking back at what I *did* do, however, and what I wish I would have spent my time doing, I think I would have leaned towards those activities I described earlier. If you're stir-crazy, I say go for it, but don't feel like you have to learn everything you'll learn in grad school before you ever get there.

I agree with Ludwig on the fake papers thing. Read journals, read some criticism/books/big hitters in your field. Even if you don't have the syllabi for your upcoming classes, maybe "read toward" those topics or broader areas of thought. This might involve emailing professors at your current or upcoming school for suggestions on books, authors or particular journals. Make a reading list for yourself and hang onto it. Rather than spending your time writing "fake papers," perhaps start modeling some thesis statements or outlines of papers that you could see yourself writing at some point, but without going through the process of writing things out. I know that when I read a lot of journal articles in a really concentrated time frame that my language faculties start percolating towards some more academic language-- sometimes I would just have a sentence pop into my head that sounded nice, or an idea that really deserved a great sentence. The point is that you'll spend plenty of time doing strictly formatted and deadlined writing in these upcoming years, so enjoy the freedom you have to explore ideas and styles. Build bibliographies for certain topic areas, or annotated bibliographies even! This is all stuff that is easy to pick up and put down, and it might even come in handy later when you're trying to put together ideas for papers, your thesis, or your reading lists for orals/quals.

Ohhhhhh geez. I feel ya on that one. The guilty face-palm reaction (which is all taking place under a nonchalant exterior) can last for years sometimes.