hippyscientist

TACOS!! I'm sold.

Go for it! If you base it on the boat race you'll be going to Cambridge...

If you want my opinion - which I know you haven't asked for - I grew up in Oxford. Go to Cambridge!! In terms of life outside the university, Cambridge is a lot nicer. Plus their rowing team seems to be destroying Oxford right now...

Congratulations and welcome out from lurking! Where are you trying to decide between? Have you been chatting with advisors? I know in the UK we tend to apply for projects - is one more constrained than another? Where do you think you might have more opportunities to grow - especially taking into account if your interests change? For me it was a no brainer I got into 2 programs - my top choice and another program ranked like 5th in the US. I had clicked so much with the advisor at my top choice and knew it was the best career move - options for classes, options for research, reputation, where previous students have gone in their careers etc. At the end of the day, only you can make that decision but bear in mind other factors like living costs (if one is in the north and one is in the south for example), hobbies, stuff to do off campus.

Okay, this whole class registration thing is completely alien. We pick the classes we take and when (with advisor guidance)?? That sounds kinda confusing! I have a rough idea what classes I want to take, so I have to make sure they're offered, not going to clash and I'm eligible to take them? Sorry if that's a sillly question I've just never had to do anything like this before.

Yeah I'm going to gym on campus because it's next door to my office but yoga will be in town - need a bit of a life off campus too. The library - oh gosh the library. It looks amazing!

@Cat_Robutt that sounds like quite the experience. Definitely need to live through that at least once.

Yes! My ex was American but from NJ/NY and REALLY into baseball so I know that stuff but the rest of it - teach me everything!!!

Let's do a grad cafe coffee thing later this year! I'll be moving out in August and know no-one so having a few people to hit up chipotle with would be cool. Also I really need to go to a football game and someone needs to explain this whole tailgating thing. @yield welcome and CONGRATULATIONS welcome to the grad-cafe grad school family!

Congratulations! Fellowship is awesome!! Celebrate away

I'm actually looking forward to central PA weather. Sure you can get warmer elsewhere, and sunnier and everything but it's got to beat where I currently am! If I get more than 3 days of sunshine a year I'm happy!!! Seasons are fun too.

If I get some breathing space I'll keep writing. First 2 chapters are written... but yeah, going through all that means I definitely don't feel 23!

Haha I've started. I spent my summers on a lake unchaperoned with a bunch of kids 5-6 years older than me from when I was 15 - 18. House parties every night, we all worked together - it was a lot of fun. Then I travelled by myself for a year - was in a plane crash, was kidnapped, was held at gun point, met some insanely awesome people, worked in some dodgy jobs, went BASE jumping, slept in a van, all sorts of stuff. Then I came back home, worked for the summer before starting university - one of my best friends died two weeks before I started undergrad. Then undergrad stories, combined with losing far too many people too young. In my summers I travelled more - went to fight camp in Thailand, surf camp in Bali, helped raise my friends kids in Australia. Worked at summer camp in the US. Worked in a holiday resort in Greece. Drove across the US in a van with my ex. Moved into a house with 3 random boys from the internet without meeting them. Doing my MSc at the top uni in the UK. Now the PhD at Penn State is the next chapter in the adventure!!! @Neist I'm in the UK so we live from 0C - 25C and nothing really outside those ranges. As you can see from above I've lived in the heat before but the cold I remember from winters in Canada so wanted to be prepared just in case. I don't actually own a winter coat - until today!

@asurachm I think that means we'll be in the same college? I'm kinesiology but college of health and human development. I'm always down for making new friends! Just bought a thick winter coat that is super light and rolls up to nothing for better than half price

Yay @Pink Fuzzy Bunny that's awesome! I think I've already had my quarter life crisis and definitely feel way older than I am! All my grad school friends are in their 30s - wife, kids, saving for a house, so that's definitely the age I feel. I thought I'd be starting my program at 24 but I'll still be 23 (start the week before my birthday). It's crazy when I think back to what I've seen and done so far - everyone says I should write a book haha. Maybe I will. Really looking forward to making a life for myself in State College - my own apartment, my own stuff, new friends, keep up with my lifting and yoga, start hiking and exploring more. For those of you who feel like you have only acquaintances, it's because you haven't found your tribe yet. Thankfully I have some amazing friends - 5 of them I consider life-long ones - and I'm looking forward to making more during the PhD. Someone who wants a beer on a Friday would be good! I'm going to make an active effort to ensure my social life isn't entirely university-centric too. Get involved with locals and community things as well as campus life.

I've told parents, best friend (X2), LOR writers but that's it. Everyone has been very supportive and happy. Parents want to tell the world but I want to keep it under wraps until I have my visa sorted. Absolutely no social media posts - although I've started posting little clues haha. I've known just over a week now, and it's still not quite sunk in.

@Need Coffee in an IV you can never have too much interview experience! at least you have Tech to be excited about

Agreed - it's such a horrible experience waiting that hearing others trying to make housing plans and figure out the logistics of the next stage can be pretty disheartening. I love the community though it'd be nice to carry it on!

As above - for those who have got in and just need to discuss all things joining grad school in a friendly, supportive place

I'll start a "whine/wait/celebrate" thread haha EDIT:

CONGRATULATIONS So happy for you! I actually breathed a small sigh of relief when I read that. It can take time to find your path so congratulations for Northwestern. @Effloresce yay congratulations for Vanderbilt! I've yet to get my official student number or anything yet which is a little nerve-wracking. Got to wait for my transcript to make its way over the atlantic for the grad school to start the process. Ugh.

Thanks for the concern! It's not very regular and only in high periods of stress so I try to make sure I'm not alone at those times. But maybe I should see someone haha. I think I've now told all the important people in my life that I'm off to the US for PhD, visa pending. Most people have been thrilled - a few have called me a massive nerd (they'd be right) and a few have said "why would you want to go there? They have guns and stuff!". All in all a positive response! Best of luck to those of you still waiting - I have everything crossed for you all

Excellent and comprehensive answer! Do this @Finwë

ooohhhh i love blue hair and really want to dye mine! Yay! As for the irrational fear - not so irrational. I have been known to do some really weird stuff while asleep including, but not limited to, eating pringles, cooking pancakes, having a full blown text conversation with multiple people, drawing a picture of ducks as our new overlords and cleaning the whole house. So emailing a PI - not that whacky! Just make sure you leave email sending devices out of the bedroom and you should be golden!

Oooohhh keep us updated!