hippyscientist

Either or in my experience. Generally grad students live outside of downtown which everywhere mentioned so far is, but there doesn't seem to be a monopoly on north or south. the buses CATA run relatively well but can get hugely busy, or parking passes are available so it's not the end of the world not living in walking distance, but it is nice to have a cheap way back from a night out! I'm more familiar with south campus, and as it turns out all my department live in about a 1 mile radius (including faculty). Might e worth reaching out to some grad students in your department to find out where people live. Also, check out craigslist, there's normally some decent finds on there around here, and when I was remote searching from the UK my departments grad students offered to go check places out for me to make sure they weren't scams. Might be worth investigating.

Not sure about either of those and don't have friends who live there but I know lions gate apts are pet friendly and relatively reasonable, and within walking distance of campus (~2 miles). I hear good things about Toftrees and Briarwood, although both are more pricey, Vairo Village seems to be pretty decent according to friends who live there.

Agh. The senior grad students who are in a neighboring lab (we all share lab space and desk space but we have different advisors) are being really bitchy and gripy at me right now. We have 2 huge deadlines that hit tomorrow and so I've been pulling ridiculous hours (6am - midnight for the past 3 weeks in lab and more at home) and my advisor cares a lot about how we do and is really pushing for the most we can do for one deadline which is a conference abstract (that will lead to a paper). The other is a huge group project and amazing opportunity that about 8 grad students are working on together for a company and the project is due at the same time. The senior grad students had a bitch at me for having a bad work ethic, for not helping out more on the group project when they're not submitting to the conference and have no other deadlines. I put in a ton of work at the beginning because I knew it was going to be tight at the finish line, and now I'm being told I don't work hard and am being selfish and I'm just strung out right now it's hurting a lot more than it should. I would love to do more on the group project but the abstract is priority for me, and I want to be happy with my name being associated with the work. There is no one else to pick up the slack there. Ugh. Okay rant over. I feel better now!

Ugh I'm sorry, it's not fun but hope doc helps! So today is Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday, also known in the UK as Pancake Day so please everyone enjoy some pancakes today (if you like them)!.

Ouch I am allergic to mosquitoes. It sucks! I get golf-ball size bites and get all feverish & exhausted whenever I get bitten. Plus they seem to love me. Typical! Hope the docs appointment helps.

Thanks @Neist! My advisor is very particular with verbiage - I was chastised for describing the line as being straight instead of vertical and straight. Otherwise, I'd be freaking out a lot less. Might watch some ted talks.

Oh, that seems so straightforward! I'll definitely give that a go, thank you. To give an example, I was describing the progression of engineering design of a particular implant and "First generation, really really sucked. Second generation sucked a little less. Third generation, where we are now, seems to suck a lot less but we don't really know yet." Can't be saying that in my defense!

@Need Coffee in an IV congrats on the As! I love hot honey and lemon for sleep and sore throats (even better if you throw whisky in there!) something about it just sends me to sleep. So I have my candidacy exam coming up, and it requires an oral defense. This is where my problem lies, I understand concepts well and can write out clear and concise descriptions but verbally? Nope not a chance. I sound like the worlds biggest bimbo. Any advice from you guys on how to verbally communicate my knowledge better? This is probably really good for conferences too!

I love grad school and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it. The past 6 months I've learnt more than I ever thought was possible in that time, purely out of necessity. Most of that learning has come outside of classes. i do wish weeks were 8 days so I could work 6 and take 2 off. 5 days working is too short, but only having 1 weekend day isn't enough! Agh!

@Neist I prefer an IV drip! That works well. Other news is I just ran home from campus in the start of a storm, about 2.5 miles and I didn't stop running. That's huge for me, I couldn't run 5 minutes without stopping at the start of 2017. I'm pooped now tho so netflix, tea and chocolate m&ms! Who said grad school isn't fun?

Oh there is too much truth in that statement. I'm in the lab at the weekend, something I said I'd only do if I had to, and I do have to this weekend. Bought some fancy coffee creamer as a treat to help. Coffee is going down easier than water. Send help!

I had to meet with a potential grad student on his interview day, and it made me realize how far I've come in the past 6 months. Pretty cool feeling! Okay enough procrastinating time to go lock myself away in the lab again. Bring on March 11.

NYC to State College - easiest/fastest way is to rent a car and drive. That's what I did when I visited - you can get a parking permit on campus for $8. There are also buses like Megabus that will do that trip for relatively cheap. Don't bother with the train because there's not a station close. Weather could be all kinds of crazy - it looks to be high 30s, low 40s and either rain or snow or cloud for most of March (http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/state-college-pa/16801/march-weather/335315?monyr=3/1/2017) so bring warm things and wet-weather things.

@jlt646 we must have been in chums at some point together - I'm always in there! Be great to meet up at some point this semester I'd second the weird place vibe, I like it but I do think some of that's because I outwardly don't look "different". Enjoy your visits!

From my experience grad students live either to the north of campus (Toftrees/Vairo Blvd) or to the south-west (near the Weis on Waupelani), or out of town in Bellefonte (altho I would leave this for another year than your first). As for places to check out - if you like coffee, try Rothrock (out of town slightly) or Saints. I second Websters, I love that place! There is a great new taco/burrito stand that's a little hidden on McAllister Alley which I'd suggest checking out too. Bars and bar food seem to be my groups scene, and we often go Local Whiskey, Zenos, Pickles and Chums (the LGTB bar). There's pretty decent food all over. For breakfast, I actually wouldn't recommend Waffle Shop which is a crime in State College! If you have time and money, Sunday brunch at the Nittany Lion Inn is the best french toast I've had. Out of town, slightly, Otto's is good pub grub and if you want to fancy it up Happy Valley Brewing Co is amazing foodwise.

@Neist YEs! I go in cycles of getting 8+ hrs a night to about 5hrs a night. the 5 hr nights are great, I have time to work out and relax and get work done. But then it catches up on me and I need a week of sleep and 7.30/8am starts instead of the usual 5am starts.

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny bold move seeing as Penn State Creamery is life... What a tumultuous weekend and crazy Monday. I don't even know where to begin or what to say except I got into work today with one thing on my mind and that's to focus on my PhD. So I collected data and finished my code and did my homework and got all my grading done and went to my lab meeting, and then went to a town meeting. Damn productivity increases 1000% when you ignore your phone/social life/people drama.

Ooooohhh coloRADo! You'll have to let us know how it is, where are you going? The main conference in my field is being held there this summer...well in Boulder, not the whole state. Have a great trip!

I got some really good news today but I'm contractually obligated to not disclose it and I realy want to yell it out because I'm so proud but I'm not able to! Agh!!!!! Also, I'm in this complicated mess of relationships and I'm trying to extract myself without it becoming difficult and it's not going so well! And my advisor has trusted me to be a host to his invited guest while he's out of town so I have to go to lunch with the guy and introduce him at a presentation - and pay him (I have the check). I'm so proud that my advisor trusts me with this. One more thing, I know a few things I shouldn't know regarding my cohort and professors and it's preying on my mind.

Oh do I feel this! We should try and grab a coffee at some point this semester if you have a free minute!! I cannot believe a year ago I still had no idea if I was going to be going to grad school in the US. It's amazing how much things can change in a year. @Pink Fuzzy Bunny going back to your earlier post about the bans, I am so grateful for my department right now. Today 3 separate professors came up to me and said regardless of what goes on politically they have our backs. It actually brought me to tears and I don't cry very often. Feeling like I made the right choice ending up where I did. @Neist I feel that too. My advisor is trying to push out two papers from the work I'm doing right now and I have a very nearing deadline. But on the positive side we're making progress at lightening speed so hopefully we'll make the deadline. So, I have a little bit of a dilemma and I want to ask you guys' opinion on "labcest" (aka dating someone in your program who you work closely with). Do you think it's okay or to be avoided?

And I know you seem to not accept that meat/veggies/BBQ is sufficient, but ask any australian - for events & occasions BBQs will always be there. Christmas dinner is often similar to the UK, but from my experience AUS really is like many US multicultural cities - immigrants bring their food with them. E.g. Melbourne has the highest greek population outside of greece, so there will be a strong mediterranean influence there, whereas Sydney will have a larger Asian influence. Obviously seafood is popular around the coast & there are many cattle farms so beef is ubiquitous! BBQ is a staple. So is a bunch of other Aussie foods - meat pies are pretty standard Aussie fair, while they're consumed around the world they are very Aussie! I'd maybe compare it to bagels and new york. Of course they're eaten everywhere but you get the best in NY. Same with meat pies.

Souvlaki is one of my favorites! Also long romano peppers stuffed with feta & chicken & drizzled in balsamic is amazing. Stuffed peppers. Mmmm (I used to live in Greece - Rhodes to be exact so we had a lot of delicious food!). So we made some australian food for the lab the other day - fairy bread, lamingtons and sausage rolls. All are so yummy! Fairy bread is literally just colored sprinkles on buttered bread, lamingtons are essentially a vanilla sponge coated in chocolate and coconut while sausage rolls are sausage meat in puff pastry. Aussie food traditionally is BBQ (but not southern bbq, like aussie bbq), 'surf & turf', kangaroo is delicious, lots of multicultural stuff too. Got a bit carried away there - love my food! Also @Pink Fuzzy Bunny I'm sorry to hear about the prelims, what are your next steps? And don't get me started on politics, I just had a long ass conversation with my parents about it - they're worried about funding and whether I'll still have it while I finish my PhD. I tried to reassure them but honestly, I can't be sure, none of us can. The world is entering a period of uncertainty and change, I hope we're around to see the other side.

In all fairness I do like Outback. I'm sure they enjoyed it too!! My mom just got a new car today and she's named it Zulu Warrior because of the license plate - ZLU. I'm so proud of her

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny yeah it's manageable though, it's with skin contact or really close contact, and I'm not a hugger partially because of that reason. Peanuts has to suck though! Ugh I'm so exhausted right now, this semester since we started back has been amazing but totally kicking my butt. I've been leaving the house 7.30am and not getting back til 8 earliest daily. I don't even know where the time is going?! I'm not on campus all the time but I have no idea where the time goes. Also tomorrow is AUSTRALIA DAY! we spent the evening cooking australian food - fairy bread, lamingtons and sausage rolls - for our lab to try tomorrow.

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny yeah I cant have cats, I'm deadly allergic. We found that out the hard way at my aunts house! Dogs fine. Cats nope, I'm swelling up. It's amazing how good nature can make you feel though