MidwesternAloha

Your cohort and the school spirit really does make a difference.  It is a lot easier to do things when you feel like you are part of a team and can share your struggles and achievements.  That doesn't mean you have to go out every weekend, but having friends in the program helps.

Pursue YOUR goals- don't sacrifice or compromise your dreams to lessen the distance between two hearts.  If it's meant to be, you will find a way to strengthen yourselves and each other as you support each other's educational endeavors.  I'm not dating, but actually married, and will be moving away from my husband.  His job does not allow him to move/follow me and he will pursue his graduate education at another school in a few years.  I suppose it's comforting to have the certainty that "he'll be there," but I can relate to the tension nevertheless.

Short answer: you have violated your ethical responsibilities.
 
Long answer: you have violated your ethical responsibilities--but you can put the brakes on it now and salvage whatever professionalism you can until after the class is done and you two no longer have any professional relationship besides being students at the same school. 
 
If I were you, I would not bring this to your professor. I would simply follow up in a text (read: in writing somewhere; start creating a paper trail in your favor) that considering the professional relationship you two are in as TA--Student, you think it would be best to put a stop to any and all romantic interactions. This, hopefully, should put you in the clear to assess her work again.

I think one of the reasons it's so hard to accept family culture in academia is because when a higher education institution invests in you (financially, via stipend), it's fair to expect that your coursework be your first priority. I think most people are distracted by kids- you love them, want to put them first. How can you help it? It's not a bad thing to do that!! But it puts universities in a compromising situation and both sides lose.

My husband and I will probably start a family during grad school (as crazy as it sounds), and one program that isn't my #1 choice is sounding better and better because they have a paid maternity leave policy you can use twice in five years! I am sympathetic to mothers who take on grad school. More power to you!!

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.

My perspective is this: if you find $100 on the ground, do you leave it there and hope find $1,000 down the street? No. You pick up the $100 and move along. Sometimes, you don't get that second chance, and then you've lost everything you could've had.

My perspective is this: if you find $100 on the ground, do you leave it there and hope find $1,000 down the street? No. You pick up the $100 and move along. Sometimes, you don't get that second chance, and then you've lost everything you could've had.

My perspective is this: if you find $100 on the ground, do you leave it there and hope find $1,000 down the street? No. You pick up the $100 and move along. Sometimes, you don't get that second chance, and then you've lost everything you could've had.

Sometimes fairy tales do come true ... I got the phone call this morning. I got in.

I have my fingers crossed for you! May the gods look with smiles upon us both.

I'll be 25 when I start my program so I'm not exactly in your shoes, but I am very petite and look young, and I've found that (in various professional scenarios) putting a little extra effort into dressing in a way that's polished and pulled-together makes a big difference in how you're perceived. And finding a flattering hair style and doing regular upkeep on it (for either gender) and wearing a little understated makeup (if you're female). Nice shoes and a nice jacket are very helpful in getting taken seriously/not looking 15, for either gender, even on a day when you're just wearing jeans.   

I live near Durham. I would never opt to live there if I had the choice. My colleagues who attended Duke have nothing good to say about the school other than they went because it had a good name. They had also spoken to me about feeling unprepared for writing and communication skills after obtaining their PhD's from Duke.

I posted some heavy, heavy stuff in here quite a while back...early December, I believe?  I was in a very dark place and it took weeks to get out of it.  I read all of the responses that I got in here and want to say thank you 1) for reading it and 2) for taking time to say something.
 
I've gotten better; and although it's still a struggle, I'm going to get out with the degree in one piece.  

Everything they ask for on the application. 

because they were wondering. 

Eye contact.

UPDATE: You guys, I GOT IN!!  
 
I'm a worthy human being.  *sniff*

Not true--for people who are not independently wealthy, student debt is usually the only way they can finance an unfunded PhD.
 
Your perspective about finding funding is useful and appreciated here.
 
Any conversation about going to grad school unfunded that ignores student debt is unrealistically optimistic. If we are talking about doing an unfunded PhD--we have to talk about student debt. Maybe you're willing to split the difference and say, "Don't do a PhD if you have to finance it with student debt."

No. It just means yours may not have been reviewed yet. "Waitlisted" is an official status designation.

Depends on the school. Most will create a file for you upon receiving any application materials (including scores) but they may not HOLD them more than a certain period of time.

Pursue YOUR goals- don't sacrifice or compromise your dreams to lessen the distance between two hearts.  If it's meant to be, you will find a way to strengthen yourselves and each other as you support each other's educational endeavors.  I'm not dating, but actually married, and will be moving away from my husband.  His job does not allow him to move/follow me and he will pursue his graduate education at another school in a few years.  I suppose it's comforting to have the certainty that "he'll be there," but I can relate to the tension nevertheless.

Pursue YOUR goals- don't sacrifice or compromise your dreams to lessen the distance between two hearts.  If it's meant to be, you will find a way to strengthen yourselves and each other as you support each other's educational endeavors.  I'm not dating, but actually married, and will be moving away from my husband.  His job does not allow him to move/follow me and he will pursue his graduate education at another school in a few years.  I suppose it's comforting to have the certainty that "he'll be there," but I can relate to the tension nevertheless.

If a vegetarian does Crossfit, what do they tell you first?

CS is well paid but as someone in the industry, the money means nothing if you don't enjoy the work.

4.  If you find $100 bill on the ground, do you pick it up right away or pass it by to see if there's $1,000 down the sidewalk?

I agree with Sujie - send it if it will make you feel better. But, I don't think there is any need to worry. They probably just say that because departments have different requirements for applications - they don't want to be the ones responsible for saying everything the department wants is there, since there might be something special that department wants.