hippyscientist

1) You're fine to take the GRE in October...provided you don't need to retake. The reason most of us take the GRE earlier is to allow time to retake if we're dissatisfied with our scores.
As for 2) I'm not sure exactly but by April I will be in the midst of my MSc finals and thesis hell. I too am an international student and will not be able to get to school visits then. However, I should be able to take a day to get to the embassy for visa interviews which will be essential. Theoretically you could be accepted as late as April, but from what I've gathered on these boards, most people find out their acceptances earlier (provided they're not waitlisted). Also, if a school needs you to visit them, I'm sure explaining that you're recovering from spinal surgery would be a good enough reason to not do a transatlantic flight! Just my 2 cents.

As someone doing the reverse (doing my MSc in the UK and applying for PhDs in the US) most of the UK lecturers aren't even aware of the GRE so it really doesn't help your application.
Your GPA seems fine to get into most masters programmes - they normally require a 2:1 entry (which ranges from a 3.3 - 3.7 depending on where you convert, and each uni looks at these differently).
At the postgrad level, university prestige is less of a thing - look for where you'll be happiest (research, course content, location etc).
We tend to require two letters of recommendation - when I was applying I asked my personal tutor and my dissertation supervisor. Have you had a professor you've taken multiple classes with? To be honest, a distinguished professor isn't going to help your case if they don't know you. You need to have that personal connection, with someone who knows you, knows how you work, and knows your capability for continuing on with academia.
You're fine with the research experience - I was accepted without any experience at all, no publications either but I did have very strong LoRs. 
Basically, my experience is that as long as you can prove you're capable of the work required for the masters you should be fine to get it. It's well known that international students get priority over local ones at the MSc level over here, just because they pay more (hey I may be wrong, but that's the general consensus). Hope that helps a bit.

I'd like to add that as tough as it is not to have family member's support, at the end of the day it's your life, your career and your choice to go to grad school. Many of us do it without family finances and at the end of the day we're adults. What Exponential Decay said about how to talk to people when they disagree with our opinions is true - no one will take you seriously if you're stamping your feet, just as we don't take our detractor's seriously when they behave childishly.
The best outcome is that no one falls out over your decision to go to grad school. Sometimes easier said than done, but don't let family opinions stop you if it's truly best for you. 

I'd like to add that as tough as it is not to have family member's support, at the end of the day it's your life, your career and your choice to go to grad school. Many of us do it without family finances and at the end of the day we're adults. What Exponential Decay said about how to talk to people when they disagree with our opinions is true - no one will take you seriously if you're stamping your feet, just as we don't take our detractor's seriously when they behave childishly.
The best outcome is that no one falls out over your decision to go to grad school. Sometimes easier said than done, but don't let family opinions stop you if it's truly best for you. 

Not to be rude, but I would suggest upping your grammar and spelling levels before applying because first impressions count. Other than that, talk to grad students at your current school and researchers who may be able to give you a better insight than those of us here.

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!
 
With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!
 
With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!
 
With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!
 
With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!
 
With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

Agreed! If anything, let the world be rid of the GRE.

I've been super lucky with the opportunities I've had to travel. From the UK, and I've travelled to:
 
Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia (lived), Thailand (lived), New Zealand, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, Sweden, Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Malaysia, Greece (lived), Cyprus, Turkey, Canada, and the US.
 
US States: New York (lived), New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Mass., Maine (lived), Penn., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida (Lived), Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California (lived).
 
 This list definitely doesn't reflect the number of times I've been places either! I think technically I've travelled around the world twice already and I'm only 22! So grateful for the opportunities I've had to see the world, it's definitely made me mature faster and appreciate the world we live in.

Not to be rude, but I would suggest upping your grammar and spelling levels before applying because first impressions count. Other than that, talk to grad students at your current school and researchers who may be able to give you a better insight than those of us here.

HealthyPsych, I too am in the UK (albeit about to start my MSc) and I've chosen to apply solely to US schools for my PhD. There are many things that appeal to me more in the American system - firstly, as has already been said, more chances for research publication, there's also more money (at least in my area), most of the best research is coming out of the US, teaching is way more integrated into the system there and the PhD system is much less isolated over there (again this may be field specific). I admit, these are just my impressions from my own research and choices, but I personally feel a 3 year PhD in the UK was going to be more detrimental to my future career than one in the US. I also get the impression the American system is held in higher regard globally.
 
My 2 cents anyway

Not to be rude, but I would suggest upping your grammar and spelling levels before applying because first impressions count. Other than that, talk to grad students at your current school and researchers who may be able to give you a better insight than those of us here.

So a couple of months ago I spontaneously decided to apply for scholarships for my MSc in the UK, and I found out today I got the most competitive one! People in my life don't really get it and I don't want to seem like I'm bragging but I'm just so excited! 
 
Anyone else get funding they thought would be a longshot? This now means that I can afford my PhD applications without too much worry, (and maybe a car when I move...)

So a couple of months ago I spontaneously decided to apply for scholarships for my MSc in the UK, and I found out today I got the most competitive one! People in my life don't really get it and I don't want to seem like I'm bragging but I'm just so excited! 
 
Anyone else get funding they thought would be a longshot? This now means that I can afford my PhD applications without too much worry, (and maybe a car when I move...)

Since I'm in nutrition, I actually have studied obesity. It isn't as simple as calories in = calories out, as some of you think.  It also isn't always about personal choice.
 
If any of you actually care to educate yourselves, here are some good studies and other articles on the topic:
 
The epidemiology of overweight and obesity: public health crisis or moral panic?
 
2006 Canadian clinical practice guidelines on the management and prevention of obesity in adults and children
 
ECONOMIC CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY
 
Here are some great graphics that illustrate the many causes of obesity:
 
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h232/nutritionrunner/determinants_zps32a90d05.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h232/nutritionrunner/obesityfactors_zps9041a94e.png
 
Oh gee, look at all the factors that aren't under an individual's control!  Imagine that!
 
The following is the best illustration of all the many factors that affect obesity.  It is an incredibly complex problem:
http://www.shiftn.com/obesity/Full-Map.html
 
So please, educate yourself about the causes and treatment of obesity before you go assuming it is the individual's fault.  The research being done in this area indicates that there are many complex, interacting factors that affect obesity and obesity rates.  It isn't always a matter of eating too much and moving too little.  It is much, much more complex.  Energy balance is only part of the equation.

Car -
No less than 1/2 tank of gas at anytime
Keep a blanket, flashlight, spare gloves, change of clothes, small folding shovel & a jug of washer fluid in your trunk
4WD / AWD may help you get going - it does absolutely nothing to help you stop if you start sliding. Remember that - it can save your (or someone elses) life.
A portable jumpstart box is easier to store than a set of jumper cables. It is also useful for other things, and does not require a second car for a jump when needed.

Clothes -
I prefer a light fleece worn under a heavier insulated car length coat, layers are better than bulk.
Good boots, insulated leather and keep them treated with your preferred waterproofing (I like old fashioned mink oil).
A set of springy ice creepers is good to have also.
2 pair of socks, one thin (to wick away moisture), one heavy for insulation.
Good gloves, but make sure that they are flexible

Food -
Stock up well in advance, for some strange reason, as soon as snow is predicted everyone runs out to get bread, milk and eggs. I guess everyone plans on having french toast for the next two weeks.
Keep a bunch of canned goods around at all times, when the weather gets nasty the store shelves empty out quickly.
Keep a day's worth of food in your campus office if you have one.

Safety & Sanity -
Get one of those battery extenders and a car charger for your phone. Some places in the northeast have extended power outages.
Never underestimate the usefulness of a deck or two of playing cards, a set of dice, some paper and a pencil.
If the weather sucks - stay home. Don't go out unless you absolutely need to.
THINK - you may be an excellent driver, but that means that everyone else is worse than you, so the best way to keep yourself safe is to stay off of the roads.
Portable radio, with batteries. You may think that you can stream radio via some phone app, but the local stations may not be streaming if they are on emergency power.
 

I'm pretty sure if I had initially mentioned organic, gluten-free or paleo diets, your responses would have been quite different. This stems from the idea that our society as a whole is under the impression that we not allowed to criticize religion, that doing so is taboo, that it is perfectly fine for it to be inaccessible to scrutiny from thinking folks. As I've made it obvious, I don't think this is right. In fact, as a society, i think we need to be criticizing it much more than it is currently being done, just like we need to pay attention and be critical of our governments, politicians, domestic policies and foreign relations. It doesn't matter if a religious diet is healthy overall, there are nonreligious diets that are healthy too, what matters is that there is always a differential between the two regarding how often they are criticized and the types of responses to said criticisms, and I'll leave it at that.

Ahh thank you both for replying. Sometimes reading these forums it comes across as though every applicant has first author papers, research lab experience for 5+ years and it can make you a little doubtful of how you might measure up. I think you both have put my mind at ease.
 
TakeruK - great to hear that it is doable to finish and dash. I've had plenty of experience moving to a new country with zero time - I finished my undergraduate exams and the next day moved to Greece so not too worried about the moving aspect, but it is always nice to hear of others who do it too.
 
I think my concern is my undergrad GPA isn't as good as it could be but I know my MSc work will be a better reflection of what I can do. I just really don't want to have another year out between degrees!!
 
Thank you again for replying  

I have a filing cabinet next to my desk in my office and I make a folder for each course and file all my work for that course into that folder. At the end of the term, I always go back and organize it in a logical way, usually putting the syllabus and exams (and materials I create for exam review) at the front then copies of all my homework and notes to follow. I organize the folder with the intention of being able to access material quickly if I need to review something, or if I need to help someone else with the course in the future, or if I need to TA that course in the future.
 
For research related material, I generally do not have hard copies of things--I prefer electronic copies. However, sometimes I do end up with hard copies so I have some folders for this too.
 
I don't like giant binders because I find it really difficult to transport and flip through them. I prefer file folders (in hanging file folders) because the file cabinet is tall so that most of the drawers are at a height that is very easy for me to use when standing up next to it. I can just flip through the files fast and find what I want. Also, if I need to take a folder home with me, they are already divided into small units and it's a lot easier to just get the files I want. 

Actually, one of my most productive stints of writing in graduate school came just after taking two new foster dogs in, neither of which had lived in a home before. They didn't know how to climb stairs, had to be housetrained and cratetrained, etc. Having them on a housetraining schedule meant that I had clearly defined chunks of time in which to go to class, go to my part-time job, socialize with friends, and write because I was taking them out every four to five hours except between midnight and 7:30am to ensure they didn't have any accidents in the house. That meant that every four to five hours, I went on a 15-20 minute walk (longer walks once in the morning and evening). It meant that I had blocks of time during which I needed to be home and keeping an eye on them but also blocks of time where I had to be as productive as possible because of them. And these weren't even my permanent pets but they did me a world of good.
 
Like I said before, I'm not the kind of person that can do my research/teaching tasks for 15 hours a day. I need time to think about other things, to exercise, to watch mindless tv, to hang out and relax with friends, to cook dinner, etc. These, to me, are non-negotiable. You know why? Because in grad school you teach one class, maybe two, a semester. But, when you become tenure-track faculty that number is 2-5 per semester depending on the institution. You may not have a TA depending on the institution so time management will become even more pressing. The pressure to produce research (two pubs per year in my social science field if you're at a R1 and want to get tenure) or excel at teaching (if you're at a R2/R3/SLAC where teaching is priority and the provost and faculty pride themselves on teaching excellence) will require you to expend time on these tasks. You'll be advising students, whether undergrads or grads, something you never have to do as a grad student. So, if you can't figure out some sort of work/life balance (by which I mean, something that isn't all work all the time) now, you're going to get burned out very quickly assuming you become a faculty member after graduate school. Some of the most productive scholars I know have really interesting ways of relaxing, ranging from homebrewing to watching sports to playing guitar to being in a bowling league to martial arts training to online gaming with friends.
 
Criminologist, if you're serious about avoiding all "distractions" as you call them, I'd suggest you be proactive and make an appointment with a therapist/counselor to avert problems before they begin. Actually, that's reasonable advice for everyone and now I wish I'd put in my original post. A counselor/therapist can help you understand why it is that you want to focus so intensively on your work and make suggestions if that approach starts to fail you at some point in your studies (my experience is that it will). You (criminologist) will probably see these meetings as a "distraction" but I'd suggest it as an important way for you to be able to bounce your concerns (academic, research, personal, etc.) off of someone without having to engage in the social activities you seek to avoid. Seriously though, good luck. Grad school is tough, regardless of how smart, talented, and driven you are.

This has been my experience as well. My department has an almost weekly happy hour frequented by grad students and faculty. Some people talk about random things (sports, news, etc.), others talk about teaching, others about research. I've found that in some of these small conversations I've gotten great ideas or insights into my research that I hadn't gotten otherwise. Sometimes just being asked to give the 30 second version of your research can force you into thinking about it in a different way or allow someone else to say something you hadn't thought of. Without those conversations, my work would definitely suffer.
 
And yea, I'm one of those people who can't work all the time. Back when I did my comprehensive exams (which were multiple questions over like 10 days), I remember people in my department (mostly those not yet at the exams stage) being surprised that I was still attending the class I was TAing (I was mostly grading but went to every single lecture), working out, and even watching an episode or two of a TV show online. But you know what? You can't work for 16 hours a day for the 10 days without a break. And really, since I was limited to like 25 pages double-spaced per answer, I would've ended up writing way more than I needed if I'd worked that long. Instead, I rode my bike to the gym, worked out with friends (including some who had PhDs and thus totally understood what comps were and why you might need a break), cooked myself real food, etc. It's about knowing what you need to work efficiently and be productive and taking the time to do whatever that is.
 
Back to the original question though:
- Be open and willing to learn.
- If you're in the humanities or social sciences, take the time to just browse the library shelves in your general field and in your intended research area to get an idea of what's been published and what research resources are available to you. (Even better, meet with a librarian early on to make sure you know what your school has and the support s/he can give you.)
- Skim through recent journal issues in your field to get a sense of what topics are current and which are becoming dated. Pay attention to book reviews if there are any and use those to help you find relevant books for your discipline and research area.
- Learn to use reference management software (EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, etc.) and start keeping track of your references that way.
- Figure out an easy to use system for staying abreast of current/new research in both books and journals that may be of interest.
- Read your graduate handbook (and TA handbook if needed) so you know what is expected of you. Ask questions if expectations are unclear.
- Start figuring out what, if any, courses outside the department you might want to take, how often they're offered, how difficult they are, etc.
- If you're going to need research methods training, figure out how to get that ASAP. In the social sciences, this often means taking courses in qualitative methods, statistics, and/or GIS and seats in those classes can fill because they're attracting students from an array of disciplines. Getting your methods coursework done means you can start collecting data sooner.
- Get to know whomever helps oversee grant apps (NIH, NSF, SSRC, Fulbright, IAF, etc.) at your institution and ask them what you can do beginning now to prepare to apply in the future, when you should be applying, what you'll need to be competitive, etc. And, while you're there, get them to help you set up some alerts for grant announcements.
 
There's probably more you could do, especially related to conferences and networking, but I don't want to overload anyone with suggestions.