RNadine21

So true. I was very worried about my GPA (ended with a 3.2 overall and 3.1 in my major) mostly because my major GPA was lower than my overall..and it was low in general. I applied to four schools, was accepted and took one offer before hearing from everyone else....surprise surprise, it's the school that I completed my REU at. They knew me, I knew them and the school and already loved it, it just fit. There was one school I would've preferred but I had to give my desicion to my school before I heard from the second school (Worked out better anyways, I didn't hear until around May that I had passed the cutoffs for the second school but still needed faculty support, and I doubt anyone would've had the funds for me by then).

Oh man this is seriously necessary for me... 1. Learn to work on my desk and not on my bed or couch. It's worked out fine in the past but between my own work and TA work I think I'll need a clear distinction between work space and sleep/getting it on space. 2. Shove myself out of my shy state. I'm going to a new city where I can start over and just be me. This will also help me get along with my cohort since my initial shyness tends to come off as snobby. 3. Work out regularly so I can be more healthy, lose all the weight I gained in college, and ward off stress. 4. Stay in touch with my college friends for support/to keep my friendships going, but don't let them get in the way of making new friends. 5. Actually read the textbook, or at least go over my notes on a regular basis so I'm not cramming later. 6. Carry myself with authority, especially in my labs. I'm there for a reason, someone believed I am fit to be in this program so I should believe in myself too.

I finally feel like everything's coming together. I just registered for my classes today, all my loans are ready for me to accept, and I will hopefully have a place down by the beginning of next week. This has really taught me patience; most of this hasn't fallen into place until the last week or two, so I've been stressed for the most part. I'm used to having everything together months in advance so this has really taught me to chill out and deal with things as they come.

I'm in the same situation. A friend of mine told me that sometimes your checking account number is used to look at your credit...I don't know anything about the other information though.

My thought exactly. My mom also suggested sending or faxing a copy of the signed lease and bringing the real leases with us. I personally would really have to pull some strings to get down there before my move-in time and I think my roommate would have to also (we're currently in different places, and neither or us are in the city in question). I just can't imagine sending off so much money without having something in writing.

So we've got a place down in my new city....yea! My issue now is how to go about the process. The landlord told my roommate to send the application and the security deposit and that we'd sign the lease when we move in. I don't know if it should've, but that set something off in me. I asked my family and sure enough they agreed that I shouldn't be sending off money without signing anything or having my credit checked. I'm still going to fill out the application but we're going to ask if we can sign the lease before giving the deposit. Am I right in assuming that something's not right about this? I'm a little lost, I've only rented once before and my mom was a co-renter so she's the one who went through the credit check, etc.

Since we're sharing blogs, I've been following these for ideas as I rebuild my wardrobe. http://whatwouldanerdwear.blogspot.com/ http://www.academichic.com/2010/07/

Thanks for starting this post! I don't know if anyone here can answer this, but I'm trying to figure out what to wear when I TA for biology labs. I obviously won't be wearing my best pieces, but I don't want to look like one of the undergrads either (I completed my undergrad in FL, so my basic attire has been shorts/jeans, tees and flip flops. I also look younger than I really am.....I get excited when guesses are only two years off).

Oh yea, depression and a mood disorder over here. It really got to me this past year between finishing up school, applying/dealing with grad schools, and family issues. There was a lot of huddling in the fetal position instead of getting stuff done :/ But I got through it and I'm sure you will too! Put together a list of coping mechanisms if you can. I have lots of things to turn to: listening to music, talking to my friends, sometimes I just need to take a nap or let myself cry and the funk blows over. I've also noticed that regular exercise keeps my mood up. And if unfortunately my depression lasts too long or gets too serious, I'm not above reaching out for professional help; I've already had to do so once in my college career. I'm already thinking of how to keep my emotions under control in school, and I feel confident I'll be able to pull it off. As a side note, you can't be denied admission because of this, but I personally wouldn't bring it up unless necessary. I just don't feel it's anyone's business. As to my personal info, I'm 22, just graduated with a BS in marine science/biology and I'm starting my MS in marine biology next month.

Luckily my graduate school is in another conference from my undergrad school but it isn't as big of a sports school. I will however be in the territory of another conference which houses the rival I hate more than life haha.

Haha, same here. I think I can register myself online since I have required courses I need first. Ideally I wouldn't plan the rest of my courses until I have a committee, but obviously I already have since I know what I want to study. I'm loving my new Excel spreadsheet! It'll probably get all messed up though once I learn when I'll be running labs.

From what I remember, questions were decently mixed, like there may be two or three similar questions and then you move on to another type. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, I took the test back in October and promptly shoved it out of my memory haha. Sources say that the first questions are the most important because they basically set the tone for the rest of the section. The first questions will be of medium difficulty, and based on how you do you'll then start to get easier or harder questions. You want to get to the harder questions because they have more weight, thus the emphasis on the first questions. I tried to stick to this rule, but I was also highly stressed and just wanted to get out of the room hahaha.

1. I would have put money aside for the process. As much as I love deciding between paying my roommate back for something and paying for an application fee, I'd prefer to never have to make such a choice again *end sarcasm*. 2. Back everything up. On the computer, on a flash drive, have a damn physical copy on hand. My computer died after fall semester ended and I ended up working off of older copies of my SOP to jog my memory and write my final version for two schools. It must have been good enough, since that copy got me into the school I'm attending, but it definitely tested my nerves. 3. Don't let the process get the best of you. I was so stressed dealing with one school that I broke down and couldn't function. I ended up on my couch one night in the fetal position instead of studying for a physical oceanography test and failed miserably (luckily the class was on a point system and I ended up getting an A after working hard the rest of the semester). In retrospect, the situation was not worth all that. This piece of advice also applies to all facets of life, and I'm slowly teaching myself that before I give myself a heart attack. 4. Stick to your guns. I knew that a masters was the best route for me at this time in my life, but I started to doubt myself as schools started offering me money to switch to a PhD candidate. In the end, sticking to my gut led me to realize that one school in particular was not a good match for me (actually, the same school that sent me into the fetal position), and now I'm joining a program that really cares about me, shares my beliefs and values, and is in a city that I love to death. I think those are my big lessons. All in all, be prepared, calm down, and trust yourself and your abilities.

I wanted to bring this topic back up because I'm facing a similar problem. I'm trying to find a place for myself and my roommate for next month ideally, but now I'm worried I won't have the funds or help to go and look at places. Unfortunately I can't drive right now, so I'm depending on my mom (who doesn't seem excited to help me) or friends (who will all start working soon). I'm wondering what people's overall opinion is on renting without seeing the property. Unfortunately my roommate can't take anymore time off work, or I would've met up with her there. I have been looking at places for months, since April actually, but most people back then wanted to rent out their places before the summer, so I've had to wait until about now to find places that I could actually get. Have I completely screwed myself? I'm just not sure I can afford the amount of money to fly, get a car, a hotel room, etc. If it's relevant, I'm talking about Charleston, SC.

So I suppose I'm getting very worried about the financial situation I've gotten myself into...and silly me, I'm fueling my fears with news articles about the increase in college graduates with ridiculous amounts of debt. So I just graduated with about 40k in loans (that includes interest). I don't need the lectures about how ridiculous that is, trust me I wish I could foresee four years ago the financial problems my family would be in or the practicality of attending a cheaper school. But what's done is done, I have my diploma (well, it's in the mail). Now I'm starting my Master's in August. I already have a TAship which pays more than what I've been living on (and in a far less expensive area) and a waiver in the out-of-state portion of my tuition. However, that still leaves about $3000 in tuition for me to cover a semester, which I can't pay myself, nor can I really ask my family for help (we're still recovering from my mom going two years without a full-time job). I don't get my financial aid package until later this month, and I hope it includes enough scholarship/loan money to cover the rest of my tuition. In the end, the whole point of this is that I'm worried I won't be able to get by once I do start a career and start paying off my loans. I know my grad degree will help me get higher salary jobs that I enjoy, so I keep telling myself this will all work out in the end. And sometimes I wonder who I think I am believing I can pull this off? Uggg....I'm just stressed out. Help/advice/words of encouragment/a much needed slap in the face?

Is there a crafts store you can check out for ideas? I went to one and basically wished I had ten caps for all the ideas I had....I finally settled on foam sea creatures and a rhinestone U with rhinestones on the edges, and people went out of their way to comment on it....the best ones at my ceremony was a Mickey Mouse hat (a la Disney), shot glasses, the U made with orange and green handprints....the possibilities really are endless. Have fun with it! I don't think there's a rule against it, if there is I'm sure you would've been told.

All this talk about the South is making me more excited/anxious to move to Charleston! Thankfully I'm used to the heat/humidity.....born and raised in DC and I just finished undergrad in Miami. I'm also excited to see seasons again.....rainy and dry seasons are not cutting it for me. Right now I'm finally relaxing from finals and graduation, and I'll be selling my furniture and packing up in my own time....and celebrating my birthday Then back home to DC to work and hang out with family and friends before the big move. I wish there was more for me to do though, or more information. I can technically register for classes, but I don't know how to go about that when I don't know which undergrad labs I'm running. Bahhhhh I don't know what I'll do with myself all summer.