BiochemMom

Mine was similar (Person with whom I corresponded and arranged visit with), Thank you again for all your help in arranging for my visitation. I wanted to let you know that I decided to accept an offer at another institution and would like to decline my offer from (school though it's obvious from my sig which one) with gratitude. Thanks again, Me

When I grade papers as a GTA, I always make sure I grade evenly. I have had to go back and credit the first few papers after realizing I was grading less harshly at the end to make sure it was an even grading distribution. All the profs I've talked to about grading (and I have several times asked random profs who teach the subject I'm IOR for how they would grade something) have said they do the same.

I took eight years off after high school to join the military and work. I've had enough break and there's not a day that goes by I'm not jealous of the traditional aged students that I'm in my 30s juggling a disabled husband and a preschooler while still pursuing school. It's a catch 22 cause I'm grateful for my life experiences and feel that they make me more motivated and dedicated than those around me--I HAVE to get done asap to provide for my family and take the burden off my husband, and I don't have time at home to work on stuff if I want any kind of balance with my family. So when I go to lab I'm in there 100% balls to the walls. I don't think I would've been the same student had I not gone back older, but I still wish I was finishing my post doc right now. C'est la vie.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I lost 49 lbs post baby to get back to my pre pregnancy weight, and worked out and ate healthy for a year. It wasn't until I got a Fitbit that I started actually losing weight--the calories burned on my runs according to my fitness pal were completely off. Once I had an accurate number from my own activity from Fitbit, the weight came off easily. I synced my fitness pal to my fitbit and logged my food in MFP. It really motivated me to go for an extra walk around the block to hit a goal number of steps each evening. I would park at the commuter lot even though at my school GTA's can park in faculty and walk the mile to campus and back instead of using the bus, rain or shine. I love my Fitbit.

There are schools with masters that are funded. I went to a terminal ms program and my PI paid my tuition from his grant (I direct admitted into his lab) and the dept paid me a stipend of $18k per year to teach two labs a semester and one a summer. State schools without phd programs are where you want to look, and instate is more likely to get a tuition waiver or discount.

In my MS program we had a running joke that there's the freshman fifteen where you gain fifteen pounds in your freshman undergrad year followed by the freshman fifteen where you lose fifteen pounds in your grad program cause you're so dang busy you don't have time to eat. My lab is on the fifth floor and I'm constantly running up and down stairs for the autoclave, the TA location, classes, and booking it to other buildings to work in collaborators labs or to the med school for seminars. I swear there's never downtime.

I'll be entering the BBSP this year! Officially accepted my offer already!

She'll be enrolled in a private Montessori school as she is now so we don't mind where we're districted for in terms of public schools. I feel like every single place I've scoured on padmapper, heels housing, and chapel hill rent is either a duplex or town home or a 3000 house. :/

Is it possible to find a single family detached home for rent under $1500 in this area? Willing to commute ~30 minutes. I'm not sure if it's too early for places to be listed yet or if every place I've ever lived has spoiled me.

I love Atlanta. I was born and raised there, though I've been in NC for 8 years. You can always message me if you have questions about the city should you choose Emory

Congrats! Are you accepting? If so, I'll see you there!

After emailing the PI I wanted to work for at UGA, he told me to go with my heart, life was too short to not be the happiest, and there would be a post doc waiting for me at the end of my phd. He's so awesome. I accepted UNC's offer! Thanks for all the support, everyone.

Today I was writing my thesis and getting super irritated my email kept going off now that spring break is over. It was like every five minutes. One came through and I snatched my phone up and yelled at it for bugging me for useless stuff about housing at my current school for next year, but it was an acceptance to my top choice! Woohoo! I didn't get any thesis writing done after that.

Accepted to UNC BBSP! How the heck do I pick???

Its already in the 70s or higher down here in the south. Semester ends in less than two months. Much later and spring break would just be week between classes and finals.

Was this a rejection from the school or just from his lab?

It's spring break for all my schools too. Hating it.

Direct admit. He's trying to get the dept to let it go through and told them he'd pay for me from the beginning if they'd let me switch. So I'm really hoping they approve it and it works.

My first half of the day was in biochem and I felt like I clicked and fit just as well if not better than UNC. But then my lunch and second half were in chem and it was just NOT a good fit culture or student body wise. I feel like my research would be in biochem, my friends would wind up in biochem, and I'd have to spend half my life for two years shuttling over to a dept for classes and seminars where I didn't feel at home, welcomed, or comfortable with. If I can get the biochem transfer id go in a heartbeat. But I don't know if I could stick it out and stay motivated if my first two years were predominantly in the other department. It's becoming a significantly harder choice than I ever anticipated and that's assuming I'll get a choice. I feel so strongly about my lack of fit in the program I applied to, if I got in nowhere else, I'm heavily considering turning down the offer, working for a year at RTI and applying again next year for the other dept to work with this PI.

I called last week to check and was told this too--the snow and ice pushed back the interviews so they're a little behind. They're on spring break this week so I'm not expecting anything until after next week. But now I'm torn as to whether I'd accept. I really really hit it off with the prof at UGA and would love to work for him but I didn't love the university as much. I applied to the chemistry dept and now I wish I had gone through biochem instead like everywhere else. They're trying to see if I can enter in chem and transfer since his primary appt is in biochem and I'm waiting for the response to that before I make a final decision (assuming I hear positive news from CH). Sigh.

And now we have spring break to wait through.

Awesome news! Congrats!

Since we were chatting about it, UGA sent the financial offer. It's lower than genetics but in my guesstimate. It does not include health insurance but they contribute like an employer and it's deducted from your paycheck instead of due upfront and it's a very low cost per year (and adding my family onto it is lower than our insurance here). And since we talked about ga vs chapel hill--preschool and after school care in chapel hill is astronomical so we'd have to put her in Durham or Raleigh to keep her in Montessori. That's mine and my husbands one non negotiable--she thrives in that program and we want her to stay in Montessori until high school with no breaks. The house size can be dealt with at 2 but 3 is our preferred minimum because we own a house now and own too much stuff--3 bedrooms of furniture etc and want a second child while I'm in phd program (which is also a heavy weight on decision). Can it please just be April? Anyone else?

Small rentals are very affordable in CH. 4 bedroom homes are $2800+ versus $800-1200 in GA.